Differentiation for the Adolescent Learner: Accommodating Brain Development, Language, Literacy, and Special Needs

Differentiation for the Adolescent Learner: Accommodating Brain Development, Language, Literacy, and Special Needs

by Glenda Beamon Crawford (Editor)

Synopsis

There is something for everyone here. A valuable resource for experienced teachers starting on the road to curriculum integration or switching to teaching adolescents. Preservice teachers would also benefit, because the book emphasizes the nature of the learner.

-Mark A. Springer, Teacher

Radnor Middle School, Wayne, PA

Activate learning with practical techniques that put brain research and technology into practice!

The changes and complexities of the adolescent mind bring unique challenges as well as opportunities to the classroom. This valuable resource for student-centered teaching provides keys to curriculum design, instruction, and assessment within the context of a developmentally appropriate, differentiated approach.

Translating the latest brain research into practical classroom strategies, the author focuses on the adolescent learner and outlines brain-compatible instructional strategies applicable to all students, including English Language Learners, gifted populations, and others with special needs. Readers will encounter a six-point differentiated model based on adolescents' need for personal connection, appropriate intellectual challenge, emotional engagement, guided social interaction, metacognitive development, and a supportive learning environment. The guide also equips teachers with ready-to-use tips, tools, and resources, including:

Ways to capitalize on technology to enhance differentiated instruction

Brain-friendly strategies grounded in current neuroscience research and universal design for learning (UDL)

Straightforward explanations on how changes in adolescent brain structure impact learning

Techniques to create and manage a classroom environment aligned with adolescents' specific developmental needs

Focusing on learners' intellectual, social, and emotional development, Differentiation for the Adolescent Learner offers a proven plan for teachers to create meaningful learning experiences that inspire students to take control of their own learning.

$38.70

Quantity

10 in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 186
Edition: 1
Publisher: Corwin
Published: 22 May 2008

ISBN 10: 1412940540
ISBN 13: 9781412940542

Media Reviews
Provides research-based strategies that are easy to understand and implement. -- Patricia Long Tucker, Regional Superintendent
An important contribution for teachers serious about helping adolescents learn. The book provides tools for a deliberate approach to focus on student learning. -- Cynthia Grindy, Chemistry Teacher
Presents a broad and coherent framework that builds connections across theories of adolescent learning and development. The curriculum ideas, questions that prompt teachers' self-reflection, and guidance for curriculum development all offer tangible tools to teacher educators and leaders in professional development efforts. -- Maria Timmons Flores, Assistant Professor
There is something for everyone here. A valuable resource for experienced teachers starting on the road to curriculum integration or switching to teaching adolescents. Preservice teachers would also benefit, because the book emphasizes the nature of the learner. -- Mark A. Springer, Teacher
Crawford admirably succeeds at addressing perhaps the most demanding of all adolescent educational endeavors: the daily challenge in educating and preparing adolescents' minds and talents for continued future growth. This is a must-read book for teachers and an excellent guide for parents. -- David H. Reilly, Retired Dean
The implications of this type of learning environment for the middle school student are profound. My students will be excited to be a part of such a classroom! -- Michele Woodson, Curriculum Facilitator
Provides teachers with practical approaches to integrate and implement research-based instructional practices that focus on individual student needs. -- Tina Mashburn, Director of Middle Grades Education
Crawford has done a remarkable job of bringing together cutting edge ideas on the differentiation of curriculum and instruction. Her six Es give readers a framework for thinking about the essential aspects of differentiation while her overarching goal of empowering students to manage their own learning provides a vital thread throughout. -- Judith Howard, Professor of Education
Crawford's book is one that middle grades teachers can truly use. This is the kind of reference that becomes well worn, dog-eared, and written in, not dusty and hidden on a bookshelf. -- Melaine Rickard, Teacher
Author Bio
Glenda Beamon Crawford's experiences with young adolescent learners span nearly thirty years. She has taught in grades 4-12 and currently coordinates the middle grades program at Elon University, where she is a professor of teacher education. She has authored three books, including Managing the Adolescent Classroom and Sparking the Thinking of Students, Ages 10-14, as well as articles on structuring classrooms for adolescent thinking and learning. She consults and presents regularly at state, national, and international conferences. Her research and teaching honors include the 2002 North Carolina Award for Outstanding Contribution to Gifted Education, the North Carolina ASCD Outstanding Research Award, and the Teacher of the Year Award.