Differentiating Instruction: Collaborative Planning and Teaching for Universally Designed Learning

"I look forward to the contribution this book will make to practice in diverse classrooms."
―Carol Tomlinson
Author and Differentiated Instruction Expert

"An excellent desktop reference for collaborative teachers and administrators."
―Cathy Orlando, Facilitator
Florida Inclusion Network
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL

"Takes three very big ideas in education―universal design, collaboration, and differentiated instruction―and combines them in a novel and engaging way."
―Douglas Fisher, Co-Director
Center for the Advancement of Reading

"Presents practical, feasible ways to get started with differentiated instruction."
―Jay McTighe
McTighe and Associates

Meet the multifaceted needs of all students in every diverse classroom!

In this follow-up to their highly successful book A Guide to Co-Teaching: Practical Tips for Facilitating Student Learning, noted experts Jacqueline S. Thousand, Richard A. Villa, and Ann I. Nevin, demonstrate how to combine co-planning, co-teaching, and collaboration to differentiate instruction more effectively in today′s classroom.

Intended for both novice and seasoned professionals, Differentiating Instruction: Collaborative Planning and Teaching for Universally Designed Learning presents two approaches: universal design for learning (UDL) and a unique retrofit approach for accessing the general education curriculum to meet the learning styles of all diverse learners, including those who are gifted, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners.

Filled with easy-to-use, teacher-tested, and research-based ideas, this comprehensive reference provides teachers and administrators with:

• Step-by-step guidelines for using UDL and the retrofit approach in differentiating instruction
• Multiple strategies for integrating differentiated lessons with collaborative planning and teaching
• Content lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students
• Effective techniques for effectively respecting cultural, economic, and linguistic diversity in the classroom
• Advice for meeting the sometimes competing demands of NCLB and IDEIA

Offering guidelines for determining individual learner needs and preferences, processes allowing teachers to collaborate efficiently, and sample lesson planning forms, this invaluable resource enables educators to develop and present a high-quality differentiated curriculum for all students.

Jacqueline S. Thousand, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita at California State University San Marcos, where she designed and coordinated special education professional preparation and Master’s degree programs in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services. She previously taught at the University of Vermont, where she directed Inclusion Facilitator and Early Childhood Special Education graduate and postgraduate programs and coordinated federal grants, which, in the early 1980s, pioneered the inclusion of students with moderate and severe disabilities in general education classrooms of their local schools. Prior to university teacher, Dr. Thousand served as a special educator in Chicago area and Atlanta public schools and as the coordinator of early childhood special education services for children ages 3 through 6 in the Burlington, Vermont area. Dr. Thousand is a nationally known teacher, author, systems change consultant, and disability rights and inclusive education advocate. She is the author of 21 books and numerous research articles and chapters on issues related to inclusive education, organizational change strategies, differentiated instruction and universal design, co-teaching and collaborative teaming, cooperative group learning, creative problem solving, positive behavioral supports, and, now, culturally proficiency special education. Dr. Thousand is actively involved in international teacher education and inclusive education endeavors and serves on the editorial boards of several national and international journals.

Richard A. Villa is president of Bayridge Consortium, Inc. His primary field of expertise is the development of administrative and instructional support systems for educating all students within general education settings. Villa is recognized as an educational leader who inspires and works collaboratively with others to implement current and emerging exemplary educational practices. His work has resulted in the inclusion of children with intensive cognitive, physical, and emotional challenges as full members of the general education community in the school districts where he has worked and consulted. Villa has been a classroom teacher, special education administrator, pupil personnel services director, and director of instructional services and has authored 4 books and over 70 articles and chapters. Known for his enthusiastic, humorous style, Villa has presented at international, national, and state educational conferences and has provided technical assistance to departments of education in the United States, Canada, Vietnam, and Honduras and to university personnel, public school systems, and parent and advocacy organizations.

Ann I. Nevin is professor emerita at Arizona State University and visiting professor at Florida International University. The author of books, research articles, and numerous chapters, Nevin is recognized for her scholarship and dedication to providing meaningful, practice-oriented, research-based strategies for teachers to integrate students with special learning needs. Since the 1970s, she has co-developed various innovative teacher education programs that affect an array of personnel, including the Vermont Consulting Teacher Program, Collaborative Consultation Project Re-Tool sponsored by the Council for Exceptional Children, the Arizona State University program for special educators to infuse self-determination skills throughout the curriculum, and the Urban SEALS (Special Education Academic Leaders) doctoral program at Florida International University. Her advocacy, research, and teaching spans more than 38 years of working with a diverse array of people to help students with disabilities succeed in normalized school environments. Nevin is known for action-oriented presentations, workshops, and classes that are designed to meet the individual needs of participants by encouraging introspection and personal discovery for optimal learning.