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

"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.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by David H. Reilly Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction and Overview 1. Differentiation and the Learning Brain It′s All About Good Teaching Practice The Learning Brain Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Cognitive Access for Learning Evolving Conversations About Differentiation Developmentally Responsive Differentiation The Language of Differentiation Content Differentiation Process Differentiation Product Differentiation Powerful Learning Experiences Differentiation Design Principles Summary and Looking Ahead 2. Differentiation and Adolescent Development Adolescent Development Adolescents as Learners Personal Connection Emotional Engagement Appropriate Intellectual Challenge Purposeful Social Interaction Metacognitive Development A Supportive Learning Environment A Prime Time for Learning Brain-Compatible Instruction: A Summary Summary and Looking Ahead 3. Adolescent-Centered Differentiation: Evaluation, Expectation, Engagement, and Exploration Start With the Students A Curriculum of Consequence Getting and Keeping Their Attention Flexigle Opportunities for Interaction Summary and Looking Ahead 4. Metacognitive Extension in Adolescent-Centered Differentiation The Power of Adolescent Metacognition Cognitive Modeling Metacognitive Coaching Guided Metacognitive Inquiry Teaching for Transfer Differentiation in PBL: Two Examples Summary and Looking Ahead 5. A Differentiated Learning Environment: The Affective, Social-Emotional, and Physical Dimensions Invitations to Learn The Social Dimension of the Learning Environment Varying the Physical Environment Managing the Differentiated Learning Environment Summary and Looking Ahead 6. The Intellectual Dimension in the Differentiated Environment The Intellectual Dimension of the Learning Environment Interaction in the Differentiated Learning Environment The New Geography of Learning Summary and Looking Ahead 7. Learning Patterns and Profiles Patterns of Responsive Teaching Determining Student Variance Clusters of Commonality Cluster 1: Gifted or Advanced Learners Cluster 2: English Language Learners (ELL) Cluster Group 3: Students With Learning Challenges Summary and Looking Ahead Epilogue: A Shared Commitment to Equity Project-Based Learning In Conclusion Glossary of Adolescent-Centered Differentiation Terminology References Index

About the Author :
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.

Review :
"Provides research-based strategies that are easy to understand and implement." "An important contribution for teachers serious about helping adolescents learn. The book provides tools for a deliberate approach to focus on student learning." "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." "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." "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." "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!" "Provides teachers with practical approaches to integrate and implement research-based instructional practices that focus on individual student needs." "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." "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."