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The Myth of Average:  Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty

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What is UDL? Universal Design for Learning Explained (3 minutes)

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Memorable Assignments and UDL with Katie Novak

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Memorable Assignments and UDL with Katie Novak

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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Specially Designed Instruction: A Resource for Teachers

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Specially Designed Instruction: A Resource for Teachers

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Specially Designed Instruction Resource for Teachers.pdf

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Student Assessment Home | Student Assessment Directory | Contact Student Assessment

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment documents provide a complete listing of the TEKS curriculum from pre-kindergarten through end-of-course (EOC). These documents provide a total overview of the knowledge and skills statements and align student expectations across the grades. The student expectations provide access points to the general education curriculum by serving as prerequisite skills for STAAR Alternate 2.

To see all available STAAR Alternate resources, visit the STAAR Alternate 2 Resources webpage.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment documents:

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STAAR Alternate 2 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Vertical Alignment Documents

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Student Assessment Home | Student Assessment Directory | Contact Student Assessment The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment documents provide a complete listing of the TEKS curriculum from pre-kindergarten through end-of-course (EOC). These documents provide a total overview of the knowledge and skills statements and align student expectations across the grades.

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Find the right classroom accommodations for your student.

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Contacts Upcoming Sessions Power Hour Sessions Products Content Connections TEA Technical Assistance Networks Inclusive Practices Conference Inclusive Practices Resources Supports and Services

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Inclusive Strategies for Diverse Learners - Region 4 Store

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Inclusive Strategies for Diverse Learners - Region 4 Store

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Inclusive Strategies for Diverse Learners, Second Edition

This new and updated edition is bundle 3 to a pack and is the perfect desk reference for the instruction of diverse learners. The booklet includes ideas for curriculum accommodations, teaching methods and assessments. Appropriate for teachers of grades K - 12.

ID: 741-1524

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Inclusive Strategies for Diverse Learners, Second Edition This new and updated edition is bundle 3 to a pack and is the perfect desk reference for the instruction of diverse learners. The booklet includes ideas for curriculum accommodations, teaching methods and assessments. Appropriate for teachers of grades K - 12.

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CISD Roles and Responsibilities Self-Reflection Quiz

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Please input your results to both quizzes below. Be sure to include your name!

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The new question-of-the-week is:
What are your recommendations for how best to set up and organize small groups in classroom instruction?
Many teachers find that well-organized student small-group work facilitates learning and effective classroom management.

It's the "well-organized" part that can trip many of us up, though.

This four-part series will share "tried-and-true" strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of this kind of instruction.

Today, Valentina Gonzalez, Olivia Montero Petraglia, Jenny Vo, and Jennifer Mitchell provide their suggestions.

You might also be interested in a previous series on small-group instruction, as well as Best Posts On The Basics Of Small Groups In The Classroom.

'Teach the Routine'

Valentina Gonzalez is a former classroom teacher with over 20 years in education serving also as a district facilitator for English-learners, a professional-development specialist for ELs, and as an educational consultant. She is the co-author of Reading & Writing with English Learners and works with teachers of ELs to support language and literacy instruction. Her work can be found on Seidlitz Education and on MiddleWeb. You can reach her through her website or on Twitter @ValentinaESL :
Image by Valentina Gonzalez
I didn't learn overnight how to make small-group instruction work for my students and for me. When I taught mainstream language arts (reading and writing in elementary school), we planned together as a team. Planning went very quickly because the more experienced teachers would bring their lesson plans from previous years and tell us "newbies" what we would be teaching. We all taught the same thing and mostly the same way.

It quickly became clear that teaching in a whole-group setting wasn't meeting the needs of all my students. Some students breezed through what I taught because they already knew it. Others had no idea what just happened. And most of the time I felt like students did not understand their role in learning. We were all just going through motions.

It wasn't long before small-group instruction organically formed in my classroom. After teaching a whole-group lesson and formatively assessing, I divided the class. For example, at the end of a lesson. I asked students to write a ticket out or gave them five questions to answer on a sticky note. Based on their answers, I quickly formed three groups for our next lesson; one for Enrichment, one for Guidance, and one for Reteach.
Image by Valentina Gonzalez
Here's what I learned along the way.
1. Teach the routine.
This is make or break. If students understand what small-group time is going to look and sound like, they will be more successful with it. Before you begin implementing small groups, hold a lesson with students telling them what small groups are and why you are doing them. If possible, model for the class what a small group will look like AND what the rest of the class will be doing. By teaching the routine, you set students up for success. On the other hand, if you don't teach the routine, don't be disappointed if while you are working with your small group the remainder of the class is off task. Clarity is key!

A few things to teach students about the routine are:

the time frame for instruction

what you expect from the time

the acceptable noise level

how students can move about

when it's acceptable to interrupt the small group

how to interrupt the small group

2. Teach students what to do independently.

It's possible that one of the biggest reasons why some teachers abandon small groups is because they become frustrated when they feel they've lost control of the classroom. To avoid this, clarity in goals and expectations for the end result is a must. Be as explicit as possible with instructions before sending students off to work on their own.

Tips for teaching students what to do independently:

write out the goals on chart paper or under a document camera and keep them visible during the lesson

show examples and nonexamples of end products if applicable

give options/choice

Keep in mind that while you work with small groups, the rest of the class can be working on various learning tasks. In primary grades, some teachers implement "centers" or "rotations" while gathering small groups. These can be described as short and interesting learning activities that students move through tied to previously learned skills. Older students can be reading or writing independently, working on research, problem solving, experimenting, or more!
3. Keep groups fluid.
These are your small groups. As Penny Kittle says, "Follow the child." Don't get too firm about them. Do what students need and keep flexibility alive. Today, "Jasmin" may be in the enrichment group but next week, she may need reteaching when we move to another topic. Small groups are fluid. They move and change with the time, topic, and needs of the learners.

There are so many reasons to hold small groups. Your small groups might include:

'Practice, Practice, Practice'
Olivia Montero Petraglia began her teaching career as an upper-primary bilingual teacher in San Diego. Over the last 23 years, she has served in leadership, as an instructional coach, language-acquisition specialist, consultant, and teacher in international schools in Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Laos:
To be fully present and have quality instructional time with small groups of students is golden. While we all know what the research says about the positive impact of small-group instruction, it can be challenging to set up and manage.

Something I wished I would have understood earlier in my teaching career is that setting small-group work is a process that requires an investment in time and a collaborative classroom-community effort. A carefully co-crafted approach can transform small-group work into much more than just ideal conditions for differentiated instruction. It is also a great way to build community and help students develop skills such as self management, time management, and independence. Dedicating two to three weeks at the start of the school year to learn about your students while practicing different aspects of small-group work routines will gain you lots of mileage throughout the remaining school year.
Grouping students
When I start the year, I usually plan heterogeneous groups to work through fun, low-stakes activities. This allows me to notice several learning behaviors at a time. By keeping these initial sessions short (8 -12 minutes), valuable data can be collected quickly and minimize the pressure to form "perfect" groups straight away. What you notice from each day's session will help you regroup students and identify learning objectives for upcoming sessions. As the weeks go by, you will have opportunities to triangulate a range of data to inform different groupings and learning objectives linked to the curriculum; however, you will have had the opportunity to establish dispositions and a sense of community that will help support small-group work for the duration of the school year.
Invite students into the process
Be explicit when sharing the "why" for small-group work. A simple, yet critical initial exercise is to facilitate a circle-time discussion about small-group work. As students share their ideas, record responses on chart paper so that you can refer back to their plan as needed throughout the year.

What good things can happen as a result of small-group learning opportunities?

What things might get in the way of quality group work and what can help us to have the best small-group learning opportunities?

Visual guides
Create anchor charts or digital slides to display bullet point steps for each session. If a student is not sure of what to do after you have provided instructions or a mini-lesson, instead of telling them, point to the visual. Over time, you will condition students to reference the visual instead of asking you. For younger students, you can use numbered images as reminders. This one simple step can be such a game changer.
Prepare checklists
Create a spreadsheet for yourself of weekly or daily "look fors" to make it easy to record quick notes and keep you focused on key data. This also helps keep track of how frequently you meet with students.
Practice, practice, practice:
Think Vygotsky's "i + 1." Introduce different aspects of small-group work one step at a time. For example, to start, provide the whole class with an independent activity that will keep them engaged for the duration of the time needed for you to meet with one or two small groups. As students begin to understand expectations and routines, gradually add more complexity to the dynamics of small-group work sessions.

Discuss and post a "What to do when I'm done" list ahead of time that includes low prep activities such as independent reading, journal writing, or practice for skills previously learned. No need for students to ever be off task even when they finish work.

Debrief at the end of every small-group practice session. Prompt students to offer feedback for feed forward for improvement during the next session. Celebrate successes and name what students are getting right, and you are more likely to see it again and again.

Use music as a scaffold for transitioning. Starting a two- or three-minute song can cue students to move around, gather needed materials, get to their learning spaces, check in with others, and aim to be ready by the end of a song. Resist giving instructions; let the music do the work. Keep practicing until everyone knows what to do. Kids love this, and with carefully selected music, it can also be a mood changer.

I used to think that I couldn't start small-group work until I had time to get to know my students better. Now I understand that there is no better way to get to know students than engaging with them. Small-group interactions make it possible to take careful note of students' learning behaviors, strengths, and academic gaps.

'Flexible & Differentiated Learning'
Jenny Vo earned her B.A. in English from Rice University and her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has worked with English-learners during all of her 26 years in education and is currently the Houston area EL coordinator for International Leadership of Texas. Jenny proudly serves as the president of TexTESOL IV and works to advocate for all English-learners. She loves learning from her #PLN on Twitter so feel free to follow her @JennyVo15.
What is small-group instruction? Small-group instruction is when you teach the students in small groups ranging from 2-6 students. It usually follows whole-group instruction. There are many benefits of small-group instruction. It is effective because the teaching is focused on the needs of the students, with the goal of growing their academic skills.

Small-group instruction provides opportunities for flexible and differentiated learning. With the smaller number of students, students have more chances to participate. Teachers are able to monitor the students better, thus providing better and more individualized feedback and support. Small-group instruction can be used in all content classes and is beneficial for students of all levels.

How do you best set up and organize small groups? There are a variety of ways you can set up and organize small groups. How you do it depends on your objective and goal for the lesson or activity. Some ways you can group students include: by ability, strategy, expert/interest groups, cooperative tasks, and student choice The three setups I use the most are by ability, by strategy/skill, and by interest.

Grouping by ability: You can group your students by ability, such as by reading level or language-proficiency level. Having students of the same ability in the same group will allow the teacher to provide lessons and activities that are more focused and targeted to the needs of the students at that level. There is less pressure because the students know that they are on the same playing ground as the other group members. For English-learners at that same level, they will feel less intimidated to take chances to speak.

Grouping by strategy/skil l: Strategy groups are great when you want to provide instruction on a specific skill or strategy. Let's say you gave an assessment. Looking at the data from the assessment, you see that certain students need more instruction and practice with a certain skill or strategy. Instead of reteaching the whole class, you can group together students based on the skill they need to work on. You can have reading groups working on inferencing, main idea, or summary. You can have math groups working on multistep problems, graphing, or data analysis. Your science groups can be working on food chains/webs, force and motion, or adaptation. Strategy groups very much rely on data. Groups should be short term and should be very fluid.

Expert/interest groups: Grouping students by subject knowledge or interest is a great way to work with small groups for projects. These types of small groups are perfect for science and social studies classes. Because students are grouped based on areas of interests, they consist of students of varying ability levels. With these groups, it is best that there is a cooperative grouping structure where roles are assigned so that responsibilities are equally divided. In that way, one or two students are not doing all the work or taking over the project and not letting the others be involved. English-learners can benefit from being in this type of group because they can share their knowledge since they may know more about the topic than the other members. It also gives them opportunities to improve their language by hearing more advanced students speak.

What are the other students doing while I'm in small-group instruction? I hear this question a lot when there is discussion about implementing small groups. My answer is: They should be working on activities that you have planned where they can work by themselves, with a partner, or in a small group that will allow you to focus on the group you are working with. For the language arts block, they can be reading and responding to their reading independently or working on their writing. For math, you can set up different workstations with activities focusing on different skills for review. Workstations can also be used for science and social studies class. Giving students a menu of activities to choose from is also a very effective way to keep the rest of the class engaged while you do small groups.

If you have not implemented small-group instruction in your classroom, I encourage you to try it. You will come to see the benefits to the students with your own eyes. With anything new, do it in small steps. Try one way of grouping. Try it once a week and slowly add more time. It is a great instructional approach to add to your teaching toolbox!

Student Leadership
Jennifer Mitchell teaches ELs in Dublin, Ohio. Connect with her on Twitter: @readwritetech or on her blog:
The myriad benefits of partner and group work are clear (particularly for ELs), but a system of purposeful, long-term groups with student leaders can transform classroom culture. Leading groups of 3-5 classmates for a quarter, semester, or year, my "squad leaders" (a structure and term I borrowed from my years in marching band) start group discussions and keep them going, remind their squad members about materials and on-task work as necessary, and, perhaps most importantly, build our community by demonstrating genuine caring for their squad members. As role models for their classmates, these leaders challenge themselves not just to grow academically but also to step out of their comfort zones and hone their leadership skills.

I encourage them to use purposeful small talk and tap into identity-related assignments, just as I do as a teacher, to forge strong connections. They also serve as points of contact between me and their classmates, providing clarification or help to their squad members when possible, notifying me of any concerns, and even pointing out when their squad members excel.

Choosing leaders:

The success of this structure hinges on the effectiveness and buy-in of the squad leaders. It's tempting to choose students who are academically (or linguistically) strong and/or socially popular, and while these can be great characteristics in a leader, they are not as important as the student's desire to improve the classroom culture and grow personally. In fact, it's students who care deeply for others and/or have the personal drive to challenge themselves who are most likely to become effective squad leaders.

Through careful observation during the first month of school, I can usually pick out a few students in each class who will be my leaders. It's so essential to have the right students that if I can't identify at least a couple strong leaders in a given class, I do not move forward with implementation. I've tried and failed to push students who weren't ready, and the whole structure loses credibility too quickly. It's better to stick with typical groups (possibly implementing squads later) than to end up with a class that will never buy into the vision because they've seen it fail with leaders who didn't follow through. (For this reason, it's essential to put careful work into supporting and developing your leaders throughout the year!)

Implementation:

Once I select the leaders, I invite them to a special meeting to introduce the role in more detail, and each leader reflects and sets goals based on their application responses. Next, it's important to discuss the vision of the squad structure with the whole class before seating them with their new squads. I share how powerful this structure was for me and my friends in marching band in terms of personal growth, group excellence, and social-emotional support. Then we split into squads for community-building activities, and from then on, the squads are together for nearly everything. They collaborate, share and reflect on their work together, engage in discussions, and participate in deeper connection-building activities with the squad leaders serving as the glue that binds each group ever more closely. Frequent leader meetings, conferring, and mini-tasks challenge leaders to reflect and problem-solve. Within a classroom culture built around reflection and goal-setting, a focus on learning, and SEL, the squads grow into supportive communities that provide a stronger sense of purpose and belonging in our classroom.

Thanks to Valentina, Olivia, Jenny, and Jennifer for contributing their thoughts.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email (The RSS feed for this blog, and for all Ed Week articles, has been changed by the new redesign-new ones are not yet available). And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 10 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column.

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What Are the Best Strategies for Small-Group Instruction? (Opinion)

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For teachers starting out, take small steps in introducing small-group instruction. Try a single strategy, and add time as you go along.

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Effective Small Group Differentiated Instruction

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Differentiated Instruction

Tips for giving direct instruction to small groups, whether students are in the classroom or learning at home.

Michele D'Ottavio / Alamy Stock Photo

Providing instruction to small groups of students is a tried-and-true way to differentiate and support students. Even in distance learning, it's important to know where students are in their learning, and working with them in small groups is one way to see that. So how do we plan small group instruction to maximize learning? We know we need to use data-whether from observations or a quiz or other formative assessment-to inform these groupings. We also know these groupings are dynamic and should change based on timely data and feedback we gather.

While small group instruction is nothing new, it's important to examine how we engage in it and consider new ideas for implementing it. We need to ensure that we provide small group instruction that leverages students' funds of knowledge rather than using a deficit approach. We should also guide students to look to each other for help rather than relying on the teacher as the sole source of learning.

Improving Small Group Instruction

Use small group time to listen and learn: When teachers set students up for small group instruction, they don't have to jump right into teaching-they can instead use some time to learn more about their students and what they know. This can be challenging, as we often feel pressure to provide direct instruction quickly. But while gathering information isn't instruction per se, it is part of the instructional process because it helps teachers improve their teaching and students' learning.

A teacher might create an activity for students to engage in and then observe what they do, asking probing questions to learn how they're engaging in the task. This can in turn lead to better planning and instruction. It's also an opportunity to assess and clearly identify what students have already learned. In a virtual, synchronous session, a teacher could put them into a breakout room or do this in the main room.

For example, a teacher working online gave students a math task on order of operations after giving direct instruction. She then put students into breakout rooms and visited each group to observe and look for patterns and errors. And an early elementary teacher who wanted to learn how students were learning about the concept of community and collaboration gave students choice in the activity and grouped them accordingly. She then observed, and in some cases videotaped the learning to see how students were able to learn and what strengths and ideas students brought to demonstrate their learning.

Offer rather than order: Students should not simply be told that they will be receiving small group instruction; instead, the teacher should collaborate with students to leverage them as agents in their learning. Using effective self-assessment practices and reflective metacognitive strategies, students can take ownership in determining whether they need small group support.

I've seen an example of this working out well in a sixth-grade English lesson. Students had just finished looking at feedback on drafts of their argumentative paragraphs. The teacher announced that he would be offering a mini-lesson on evidence at the center table, and that any student could sign up for 15-minute lessons. Some students chose not to sign up and instead continued work on their next paragraph, while the ones who felt they could benefit from the lesson came to learn from the teacher. Sometimes students don't make the right choice, and those occasions can be teachable moments to help a student reflect.

In distance learning, a teacher can use office hours as a structure, or give a schedule of virtual sessions based on different topics during a single day. These lessons might be 30 to 45 minutes long, with breaks in between, and students can choose the one they need.

Extension of learning: In our efforts to support our struggling learners, it's easy to not pay attention to those learners who are excelling. In addition to offering small group instruction for gaps in learning, consider offering challenges to students. Students need to see small group instruction as a dynamic space of learning that works both for addressing gaps and for pushing their thinking. This can help erase issues of labeling and stigmatizing students-small group instruction is appropriate for every student.

Choice in method: Remember that students can receive small group instruction in many ways. Direct instruction from the teacher is needed at times, but providing centers and other options to learn can help create more engaging lessons.

In a high school math classroom, I saw a teacher offer not only a mini-lesson at the front of the room but also a recorded lesson on the computer. And a teacher in a pre-K classroom offered variations on the same topic that students could pick from: One station was watching a video, another was doing a hands-on activity, and another was listening to the teacher read a story.

In distance learning, the teacher might create a schedule of small group instruction sessions on a topic, using different tasks or methods in each session. One activity might be watching and discussing a video, while another might be a performance task or challenge.

Student-driven lessons: In a similar vein, teachers can offer choice by asking students to provide lessons. As a teacher, it can be funny to experience a situation where students really understand an idea when a peer explains it after they were unable to get it from the teacher. But our students have amazing skills and funds of knowledge that can be leveraged, and students do love learning from their peers. Consider drawing on students and having them offer their expertise to other students in smaller groups. Teachers can work with students to offer these mini-lessons in synchronous sessions online, or ask students to record them to share later.

Ultimately, small group instruction, like instruction in general, is reciprocal-a two-way street: "What can I help my students learn?" and "What can I learn from my students?" In our rush to help students, we may miss the opportunity to learn from them to do our jobs as teachers in an even more effective way. In addition to addressing gaps in learning, it's about looking for opportunities to empower students to take agency in their learning and celebrate their funds of knowledge.

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Strategies for Improving Small Group Instruction

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Tips for giving direct instruction to small groups, whether students are in the classroom or learning at home.

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This page provides guidance on supporting the high-ability student to develop their higher order thinking skills. It is easy to assume that students who appear to move through tasks quickly have all the skills they need. A teacher may also think these students have little more to develop.

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Flexible Classrooms: Making Space for Personalized Learning

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The main difference between special education and general education is that special education is a separate system of education designed for the needs of differently-abled children, whereas general education is provided for physically or psychologically less challenged, typically developing students.

Special education mainly differs from general education in two ways. It uses different instructional methods and techniques. Furthermore, it employs professionals with specialized skills such as specialized teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, social workers, etc., who are different from regular general classroom teachers.

Key Areas Covered
1. What is Special Education
Education, General Education, Special Education - Definition, Features
2. What is General Education
- Definition, Features
3. Similarities Between Special Education and General Education
- Outline of Common Characteristics
4. Difference Between Special Education and General Education
- Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms

What is Special Education

Special Education programs are designed to cater to the needs of the students who are physically, mentally, emotionally, or socially delayed, which places their development behind their peers. In other words, this educational system involves students with special needs, hence the name 'special needs.'

Special education teachers have to focus on individual students where they have to design their lesson plans to fit the needs of each child. Their main task is to provide support and instruction to facilitate the participation of students with special needs. Moreover, special education does not always take place within the traditional classroom. A special education teacher might have to work in a number of environments, including the traditional classroom, outside the traditional classroom, and in resource rooms, etc. Special education must have the ability to cooperate with students outside of the traditional classroom. Different work environments allow for the varying needs of a wider population of special needs students to be fulfilled.

Instructional Techniques of Special Education

Unlike in the general education system, within the special education system, teachers use different instructional techniques. These instructional strategies can be either modifications or accommodations. An accommodation is a rational and practical adaptation to teaching practices, where the student learns the same content but in a more approachable format. A modification, on the other hand, adjusts the teaching material to make it less complex. For instance, within a modified special education system, special needs students may need less information than typical students; they might get simpler and shorter homework or assignments in comparison to less challenged students. Similarly, special needs students may get permission to use a calculator while other students are not. Moreover, even students with a slower learning speed may get extra time for assignments to facilitate their comprehension of questions.

What is General Education

Regular education is the term often used to describe the educational experience of typically developing children - children who are mentally, physically, emotionally, or socially emotionally less challenged. In comparison to the special education system, general education is designed to meet the needs of general classroom students as a whole. Therefore, an individual child-centred approach is not visible within the general education classroom.

Focusing on the responsibility of the general education teacher, his/her main role is to design, plan, coordinate, schedule, and evaluate the general curriculum and instructional outcomes within a secure and inclusive classroom environment. In brief, they are responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of their general classroom students.

In addition, in the general education classrooms, the students frequently receive whole-group instructions. The methods of instruction include lectures, writing, discussions, group projects, case studies, and independent student projects.

Similarities Between Special Education and General Education

1. Both special and general systems of education include educators, academic content, different methods of teaching, and a physical setting.

2. Moreover, both special and general education can take place within the mainstream classroom.

3. It is possible to find similarities in their academic content.

Difference Between Special Education and General Education

Definition

Special education is a system of education designed to serve the needs of differently-abled children, whereas general education is provided to the physically or psychologically less challenged, typically developing students.

Teaching and Learning Environment

General education is provided inside the regular classroom, whereas special education can be provided both inside or outside the regular classroom.

Educators

Unlike a general education classroom, a special education classroom demands additional professionals with specialized skills such as specialized teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, social workers, etc. beyond the regular general classroom teachers.

Instructional Strategies

A special education classroom uses instructional strategies such as accommodations and modifications. This is not visible inside the regular classroom, where all the students follow the same syllabus and instructions.

Approach

Unlike in the general education system, an individual child-centred approach is implemented within the system of special education

Conclusion

In brief, the main difference between general education and special education is that general education includes the educational experience of typically developing, less challenged students while the system of special education caters to the needs of students who are mentally, physically, emotionally, or socially hindered, consequently slowing down their learning process. However, both systems of education aim at providing students with proper education, catering to their varying learning styles and paces.

Reference:

1. Ho, Fuk-chuen, and Cici Sze-ching Lam. " Special Education and Integrated Education in Hong Kong." Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.
2. " General Education." An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.

Image Courtesy:

1. " 2787754" (CC0) via Pixabay
2. " Two, boys, sitting, chair, leaning, table, two boys, on chair, students, classroom " (CC0) via Pxfuel

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What is the Difference Between Special Education and General Education - Pediaa.Com

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The main difference between special education and general education is that special education is a separate system of education designed for the needs of differently-abled children, whereas general education is provided for physically or psychologically less challenged, typically developing students. Special education mainly differs from general education in two ways.

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A Brief Comparison: General Education and Special Education Teachers

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Stop at 9:21.

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Special Education and Regular Education: Working Together

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9 Ways School Administrators Can Support Co-Teaching

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Learn how school administrators can ensure their co-teaching initiatives succeed in getting students up to grade-level proficiency.

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You will need to sign up for a free account to utilize this online room planner tool.

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How much time do you spend ordering supplies for your organization? Get back to what matters most–helping children learn through play–with a myKaplan Platinum account!

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We express ourselves in different ways. On Flip, you can use our simple and fun built-in camera to record your thoughts, add effects and share within your Flip group as video, audio only or text in your web browser or mobile app.

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Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

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Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

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Google Workspace: Secure Online Productivity & Collaboration Tools

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Learn how the suite of secure, online tools from Google Workspace empowers teams of all sizes to do their best work.

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Collaborate for free with online versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Save documents, workbooks, and presentations online, in OneDrive. Share them with others and work together at the same time.

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Get help viewing, editing, and sharing movies on your Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Learn more about iMovie with these resources.

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

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Discussed flexible seating and grouping. Giving the students options and choices on how and where they want to learn after setting up structures and procedures.
Examples: group work, independent work, mini lessons, using large circle for group discussions.

EG-MS-JH-CC

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To promote higher level thinking in small groups, the teacher should provide a variety of learning opportunities. This will increase engagement by reaching student at all social and academic levels.

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Flexible classroom is Student paced learning that allow students to have an area personalized for them

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Improving Small Group Instruction, By Mr. White

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Improving Small Group Instruction, By Mr. White

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Co-teaching, or inclusion is a way to close the gaps for students both academically and socially. This meets the individual needs as well as helps the class as a whole. It is essential to have planning time with the following staff: General Education, Special Education and Paras.

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Reading Station product
1. assessemnt
2. grouping
3. workstations

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The teacher should prepare all materials and be knowledgeable of the lesson. Because students will know if their teacher is unprepared and lose interest. The teacher will go over the objective for the day and lay the expectations, rules and procedures. Roleplay will be needed to train students how to behave in a small group setting and set accountability. Lastly, activities should be timed and transitions should be smooth.

Jonathan French
Cynthia Johnson

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Edward Lenoir
Michael Brooks

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9 Ways School Administrators Can Support Co-Teaching Poster (1)

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Working collaboratively to close the achievement gap. All adults should be seen as equals. More people/eyes/ideas= more time with each student to get to know them and what they need to close those gaps.

EG- CC- MS-JH

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In working with the Math Station, we decided to utilize the same framework as the reading station, 3 groups, 20 minutes segments and ensuring 1 teacher work station to assist with the students that are targeted as 0% in the various TEKS

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Michael Brooks, Edward Lenoir, Darius White, Joanie Potter

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Michael Brooks, Edward Lenoir, Darius White, Joanie Potter

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JH-MS-CC-EG

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Reading - Enrichment: This is about the opportunities that is given to each child in the classroom according to their needs with flexible space helping them to improve key their language skills. Working together they can reach the goal and work independent and sharing objectives.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HL5gfll_HzbGB0Dqjo2jo8QT6sTkHhmx3_aXPz_GMrg/edit?usp=sharing