Curriculum Design & Differentiation

This introductory course explores strategic methods and best practices in curriculum design and implementation for differentiating instruction that meets the needs of all students. Educators learn and implement successful strategies for “teaching to the diversity” in today’s classrooms. Ongoing forums allow for reflection and refinement of individual teaching practice.

The learning objectives and rubric for the mini-unit summative project in Curriculum Design & Differentiation align with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

What is Curriculum Design and Differentiation?

Curricula designed around differentiation learning are presented and assessed based on individual learner characteristics. Differentiation ensures that how and what a student learns matches their readiness for the material, interests, and preferred mode of learning. Differentiated curriculum design motivates students to engage in their learning and educational path.

What You Will Learn

In the Curriculum Design and Differentiation course, students will:

• Demonstrate written communication by articulating a clear focus, synthesizing arguments and utilizing standard formats to inform and persuade others, and presenting information applicable to targeted use.
• Demonstrate content-specific knowledge comprehension and the ability to apply it in theoretical, personal, professional, or societal contexts.
• Reflect on their personal and professional growth and provide evidence of how such reflection is utilized to manage personal and professional improvement.
• Apply critical thinking competencies by generating probing questions, recognizing underlying assumptions, interpreting and evaluating relevant information and applying their understandings to the professional setting.
• Reflect on values that inspire high standards of professional and ethical behavior as they pursue excellence in applying new learning to their chosen field.
• Identify information needed to understand a topic or task fully, organize that information, identify the best sources for a given inquiry, locate and critically evaluate sources and accurately and effectively share that information.

Who Should Enroll in the Curriculum Design & Differentiation Course?

This course is for educators motivated to advance their knowledge of how humans learn and the skills to implement that knowledge in their teaching practice.

NOTE: Required book must be acquired separately.

This course is applicable towards the Curriculum Design and Assessment Certificate.

What Educators Who Took the Curriculum Design and Differentiation Course Are Saying

“A well-rounded, relevant, and current exploration into curriculum design for the purpose of differentiation! A great course.”

– Educator, Pennsylvania

“This course was very informative. I gained so much understanding in the area of classroom differentiation. The course helped me see that it is possible to reach students in many different ways. Loved the course!”

– Educator, Florida