PACKAGE: Accommodating All Students Package (25 Hours)

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Each classroom comes with a range of students with varied needs, learning levels and abilities. Teachers are thus faced with the challenge of teaching a diverse group the same lesson and ensuring that they all learn well. It can be easy to settle for teaching some, or even most of the students, while leaving out a portion of the class in the process. In this online course package, teachers are provided with a range of strategies like accommodation, modification, and adaptation of curriculum, materials, and instruction, to appropriately meet the varied needs of students in the classroom. The frameworks provided here build on research findings that show how a learner’s level of recognition, strategic, and affective networks can all be taken into account to determine the best way to teach them. Teachers will be shown effective methods to detect students with weak cognitive skills, identify tools to strengthen those skills, and thus implement a Universal Design of Learning (UDL) within the classroom. By understanding the unique learning needs of “gifted” children, teachers will be equipped in the identification, instruction and assessment of these students while exploring related topics, issues and resources geared towards our gifted population. This professional development package is also designed to educate teachers on various regulations and requirements, while developing a team that works together to improve educational results for children with special needs.

The Professional Learning Board presents the Accommodations Package which includes FIVE self-study courses adding up to 25 hours of professional development. Scroll down to see more information on the courses in this package.

Cognitive Skills – Understanding Learning Challenges

The U.S. Department of Education, and others indicate that weak cognitive skills are the source of over 80% of learning problems.

In this course you’ll come to understand the answer: students approach each task with varying learning tools. These tools are called cognitive skills, and these skills determine the quality, speed, and ease with which individuals learn and perform.

This course provides methods for detecting students with weak cognitive skills and tools to strengthen those skills. Teachers will receive understanding, as well as ways to apply development techniques in the classroom. The online class is fun and interactive and includes information about new brain research and how it can impact today’s classrooms.

Accommodating All Learners

Reach and teach all learners by examining 21st century student and educator strengths in this research-based course packed with strategies, resources and tools. Participants will gain insight into both, their own learning and teaching preferences as well as the learning styles of students. Closely aligned with national standards and pedagogical goals.

• Every Learner Learning
• Who’s Who: Teaching & Learning
• Who RR Students?
• Teaching Across Type
• Technology
• Theories & Strategies

Accommodations through UDL

Teaching each and every student effectively is never easy. It is next to impossible to find a classroom full of students with the same needs, learning levels and abilities. Teachers are faced with the challenge of teaching a diverse group the same lesson and ensuring that they all learn in the process. It can be easy to settle for teaching some, or even most of the students, while leaving out a portion of the class in the process.

This course is designed to present teachers with the Universal Design of Learning (UDL) framework, which makes teaching ALL students a very real possibility. The framework builds on research findings that show how a single teaching approach has very limited results on student learning, highlighting the need for a new curricular approach. Here a learner’s level of recognition, strategic, and affective networks are all taken into account to determine the best way to teach them.

The course is centered around exploring practical strategies that can be used to add a much needed element of flexibility in teaching presentation, student expression and meaningful engagement and upholding learning as the primary focus.

Differentiation for Gifted Learners in the Classroom

This course examines some of the challenges facing gifted learners and offers easily implemented accommodations and success strategies. By understanding the unique learning needs of children who are considered “gifted,” participants will indirectly meet the individual needs of all learners.

Through this course educators and parents can make greater sense of gifted and talented education by learning about identification, instruction and assessment of these students while exploring related topics, issues and resources geared towards our gifted population.

• Characteristics
• Personal, Social and Cognitive Needs
• Special Populations
• Practical Strategies

IEPs: Documentation and Implementation for Teachers

The goal of this course is to help teachers understand the IEP process and build the teachers comfort level in developing, aligning with and carrying out the IEP through rich examples and templates to help teachers understand and practically use the recommended strategies in a classroom setting.

This course helps teachers provide children who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) with an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. It is designed to educate the educators on the various regulations and requirements while helping to develop a team that works together to improve educational results for children with special needs. Teachers will examine various supports and services a student with special needs may receive for instruction and testing.