ompounding the issue, data has shown that students with disabilities perform well below their peers in standardized testing.3 In their research, McTighe and Brown articulate a disconnect between the instructional

Overcoming obstacles to effective differentiation

Many of the obstacles to implementing differentiated instruction can be overcome with the effective use of technology. Teachers who feel ill-prepared to address the diverse needs of their students, for example, have ready access to more options than ever before as a result of the wide range of software and hardware tools available. Technology can equip teachers to address students’ needs in an almost limitless number of ways, through content input, learning activities, and opportunities to demonstrate comprehension. And because many students come to the learning environment with a predisposition for using it seamlessly, technology can become an intermediary that bridges the relationship between teacher and student,

The use of technology in the classroom is becoming more mainstream than ever

Best Education Blogs to Watch in 2014

You still need to plan the objectives of the lesson, but you can leave the activity unplanned. Start the lesson with a discussion  about the goals and objectives you want students to be working towards that day. Then, see where the conversation leads you!

Allow students to share their creativity by working on open-ended and mostly unstructured work. This can really help to target different learning types, as each student can choose what works best for them. Some may work in small groups, while others choose to work alone. At the end, each student or group should share their creation with the class. This makes for interesting presentations as the class is treated to a variety of skits, stories, newscast videos, or informational posters. The sky (and student imagination) should be the limit!

Maria Montessori opens her first Children’s House in Rome, where kids are encouraged to play and teach themselves. Americans later visit her schools and see the Montessori method in action. It spreads worldwide.

“The bottom line is, if you’re not the one controlling your learning, you’re not going to learn as well.”

What does an educational professional need to be or do to tune in and synchronize with the new realities silently emerging inside schools and educational environments?

Eight Habits of Highly Effective 21st Century Teachers

. Adapting