John McCarthy is the author of the book: So All Can Learn: A Practical Guide to Differentiation. He has published numerous articles about Differentiation at Edutopia and other professional websites.

All services are provided in a variety of formats. Review and find the approach that best serves your needs. All formats can be (and typically are) personalized to the unique needs of the audience. An important purpose is for participants to feel empowered by the experiences to pursue a sustainable implementation.

Differentiation or Differentiated Instruction

Differentiation is both a set of skills and a systemic structure based on common language for intentional planning and learning experiences. Our service options help staff to:

• Share common language for collaboration around evaluating, planning, and implementing differentiation activities that support each learner.
• Communicate clearly and concretely how they are differentiating and the intended impact on groups of learners.
• Develop high quality differentiated lessons and units that positively impact each learner.
• Empowers administrators and team leaders to ask appropriate questions that are specific and concrete to more effectively coach staff about their teaching and learning practices.

This workshop helps staff plan effective use of differentiation activities into lessons to meet learner needs. Staff will build a base of common language for planning and implementing differentiation into lessons. This shared language will empower staff to have more impactful conversation about quality learning experiences for students based on the differentiated lesson. Many strategies will be explored through the lens of the common language to strengthen understanding. Participants will use embedded time to incorporate into their lessons some of the strategies using a provided Differentiation Planning Guide. Coaching support will be provided throughout the workshop. Differentiation is modeled throughout the workshop.

This institute helps staff to design and implement units with systemic differentiation that helps ensure learner needs are met and tracking student data for progress trends and opportunities for intentional differentiation practices. Staff will build a base of common language for planning and implementing differentiation into a unit framework. This shared language will empower greater depth and alignment of curriculum outcomes and assessments with intentional differentiation that helps each learner progress over time. Staff will also have more impactful conversation about weekly trends based on quality learning experiences for students.

These sessions are intended to provide specific and personalized support for individual staff, teams, and departments regarding appropriate and effective differentiation practices based on their unique needs. Sessions focus on up to 6 participants for 60 or 90 minute time slots. Coaching hours may be purchased in packs of hours).

Virtual courses are offered for staff to take at their pace. Each course requires completion of a performance task and may include expectations for contributing to group discussions. On completion of each course, participants will receive a certificate of completion that includes the number of hours for completing the course.

Description:

Intentional planning for differentiation is strongly dependent on a shared understanding of the structures and vocabulary used to differentiate learning. Explore the language that structures differentiation, including key vocabulary that aids in identifying needs and implementing appropriate learning experiences based on the learners. Review strategies that model and support components of the common language for intentional Differentiation. Complete this course by completing a reflection about your practice, including an analysis of one of your existing lessons or activities.

Description:

Meeting the needs of each learner based on their current skill level is a common challenge and need. This course explores two approaches to Differentiation based on Readiness: Leveled and Tiered Instruction. Examine both of these frameworks and build core understanding of their differences in purpose and implementation. Complete the course by designing two learning experiences that demonstrate proficiency with using both frameworks.

Description:

Explore and practice the core steps for effective and efficient intentional differentiation. This course takes you through the planning steps that help ensure high quality differentiation that meets the needs of your targeted learners. Complete the course with a lesson plan that you create using the Differentiation Planning Guide checklist and reflections.