Differentiated instruction strategies that work

If you’ve been told you have to differentiate instruction in your classroom, you may be feeling a little anxious. Simply put, differentiation means customizing instruction to meet student needs in learning. Classroom lessons must appeal to children’s interests, and the assignments have to meet students where they are in the learning continuum. Few people would disagree with the concept of differentiating instruction in the classroom. It’s what’s best for students. Differentiating instruction, however, can seem like a lot of work, especially if you have many students with a variety of needs. In reality, differentiated instruction may be easier to incorporate …

The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 4: How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom

Building a culturally responsive classroom is hard. To help you along your journey, here is your guide to exploring and respecting the cultural backgrounds of your students while also using diversity as an asset. If you you listen to this episode of the podcast, and take my advice, you will have a culturally responsive classroom in no time. References Culturally responsive teaching is a theory of instruction that was developed by Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and has been written about by many other scholars since then. To read more of her work on culturally responsive teaching and other topics, click here to …

Edtech Companies: Here is What Elementary Teachers Want From You

Many people mistakenly think that educational technology–or technology of any kind–has no place in the elementary classroom. It is a misconception that technology cannot be developmentally appropriate. However, the reality is that educational technology can play a huge, appropriate role in elementary school programs. While individual classroom needs vary, most elementary school teachers hope to meet very specific goals with their use of educational technology. It is purposeful The idea of educational technology in early childhood isn’t just to kill time or keep students occupied while you grade papers. Elementary school technology should accomplish a specific learning goal; for example, …