Standard 2.A: Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences, supported by technology. Teachers design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners.

Number of hours required: Minimum of 2
Number of CEUs to be awarded: Minimum of 0.2, Maximum of 0.5. Number of CEUs awarded will be determined by the number of articles included in the reflection and the length of the reflection.

**Note: No less that 0.5 CEUs can be submitted to Central Office for credit. If only the minimum requirements have been met, this task must be combined with another task(s) to total 0.5 CEUs in order to receive credit.

Overview:

Every classroom contain a diverse population of students. In order to create a classroom environment that is safe and conducive to learning, teachers need to understand the needs and backgrounds of their students. There are several online resources available that can assist teachers in understanding diversity in education. Some of these resources are listed below.

Resources:

Vanderbilt University's Center for Teaching: Diversity in the Classroom
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/gleanings/diversity.htm

This site contains a list of diversity resources from various universities. Diversity resources can be found for both K-12 and unversity level.

Kid Source Online: Differentiating Instruction For Advanced Learners In the Mixed-Ability Middle School Classroom - By Carol Ann Tomlinson
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/diff_instruction.html

Differentiated instruction provides options for teaching the diverse learners in the classroom. This article provides practical information regarding the definition and practical teaching strategies.

The Equity Index: http://equity.4teachers.org/index.php

A searchable database of lessons and activities designed to assist teachers in meeting the diverse needs of the students in their classroom.


Task:
1) Locate and read through at least one article that relates to your teaching assignment.

2) Select ideas and/or teaching strategies that could be applied to your situation.

3) Write a reflection that summarizes what you learned from reading the article(s) and how this information will change your teaching practices. (Minimum 300 words)

4) Cite the articles used in using APA style. An easy citation guide can be found at http://www.citationmachine.net

To use citation machine, read through the information found on the home page. The citation can be copied and pasted to your file.

5) To receive CEU credit for your work, submit an electronic copy of your work to cphthisic@ecps.k12.nc.us
with the subject line your name task card 2A.