Professional Development for Differentiating Instruction: An ASCD Action Tool

Cindy A. Strickland

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About This Book

A teacher using differentiated instruction employs varied strategies to capitalize on the learning potential of every student. But how can teachers and administrators learn to use differentiated strategies by participating in professional development that is not differentiated for their needs? To best use differentiated strategies, they need to first see them in action.

In this action tool, differentiation expert Cindy Strickland provides staff developers, teacher leaders, and other professional development leaders with the tools they need to model differentiation as they show teachers and administrators how to successfully implement and maintain differentiated instruction initiatives. This valuable professional development resource contains more than 45 tools and activities that can be used in workshops, professional learning communities, and small-group settings with participants at all levels of skill and familiarity with differentiation.

These tools and activities, which are also available for download along with additional online-only tools, will help professional development leaders:

• Establish a learning environment that is welcoming and respectful of teachers and administrators at all levels of expertise with regard to differentiation;
• Increase teachers’ and administrators’ knowledge about, understanding of, and skill with differentiated practices;
• Use ongoing assessment to guide staff development;
• Plan respectful differentiated staff development activities; and
• Flexibly and reflectively group teachers for a variety of learning experiences.

Staff developers and other professional development leaders can use this practical and interactive action tool to help ensure that their participants learn firsthand the value of high-quality differentiated instruction and are armed with the tools to implement these principles in ways that will help all learners succeed.

See the book's table of contents and read excerpts.

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About the Author

CINDY A. STRICKLAND has been a teacher for 25 years, working with students from kindergarten to the master's level. As a member of ASCD's Differentiated Instruction Cadre, Strickland works closely with Carol Ann Tomlinson and has coauthored several books and articles with her. In the past eight years, her consulting work has taken her to 46 states, 5 provinces, and 3 continents, where she has conducted workshops on topics relating to differentiation, the Parallel Curriculum Model, and gifted education.

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