Edutopia also stresses the concept of differentiated instruction, offering different ways to ‘adopt and adapt’ strategies for use with practically any student. As our class material also recognizes, learners all start from different places, with differing strengths and weaknesses, and the best instruction is--as Edutopia states-- tailored to students specific needs.

Example Resource
An example of a resource which supports the needs of learners with disabilities is a literacy-based article about meeting the needs of students with Dysgraphia. It discusses accommodations for an equitable learning environment and appropriate modifications for instruction. If I were to potentially teach a student with Dysgraphia or another type of learning disability, this would serve as a resource for how to support them. The website also offers articles like Supporting ELLs in PBL Projects and Integrating ELL Students in General Education Classes which can provide tips and ideas for meeting the needs of linguistically diverse classrooms. 

URL - Edutopia.org

Citation- 

Hamman, J. (2018, January 4). Creating a Dysgraphia-Friendly Classroom. Retreived from https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-dysgraphia-friendly-classroom

Reading Rockets. (2018). Self-esteem and reading difficulties. Retrieved from: http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/self 

Classroom Connection
Discovery Education offers multiple forms of presentation including streaming services, online textbooks, video lectures, and graphic organizers. Offering a variety of presentations as such makes it more likely that students will be reached one way or another. There are options for students who learn best visually and students who are auditory learners. 

Support for Diverse Learners
There is not sufficient information on the website to show supports for students with disabilities or for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Majority of the materials available through Discovery Education are accessed online which can accommodate students who use assistive technology because the font can easily be enlarged and text can easily be read aloud to students with sensory disabilities. Additionally, linguistically diverse students would have easy access to an online translator as needed when working with an online resource.

Example of Resource
The DEN Community is a professional learning network ran by Discovery Education that connects teachers to different resources, learning opportunities, and networks. The community is a forum to connect teachers to one another and allow them to share ideas and experiences, as well as tips that helped them succeed in their own classrooms. This would be a great resource to use as a teacher because you can recieve real advice from teachers who have implemented these lessons in their classrooms. 

Discovery Education. (2018) Discovery education community. Retrieved from: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/what-we-offer/DENCommunity/ 

Classroom Connection
TEDEd videos can be used to create flipped classroom lesson plans, a strategy we learned about in class this semester. Teachers could assign students to watch a Ted Talk for homework and then give them activities based on the information presented in the videos to talk about during class. Flipped classrooms are an example of a teaching strategy where students initially teach themselves the content before being formally presented the information by an educator. The educator’s role is then to deepen student understanding by facilitating discussions in the classroom.

Support for Diverse Learners
TED Talks often feature speakers with disabilities and have been recognized as a source of representation for and education about persons with disabilities. They identify as an ally in the fight for disability rights. TED-Ed, following suit, also advocates for people with disabilities. The TED-Ed Blog features videos about students with extremely diverse needs, including what teachers should know about those with learning disabilities, neuro atypicalities, Autism spectrum disorders, mental illnesses, and global educational perspectives. 

Example of Resource
There is a TED-Ed Animation which includes a video entitled Overcoming Obstacles by Steven Claunch. The website even has a feature where you can turn any TED product into a lesson built around the video’s content. This video discussing living as a person with a disability and not allowing the obstacles in your life to ‘overcome you.’ The animator shares a message of inspiring others and developing character through his own obstacles and how any person can do the same. In working with students with disability, this concept is crucial. In a world where students with disabilities often struggle with educational rights, students can learn to advocate for themselves and their rights.

In connection to our course content, Scholastic and their resources really focus on integration of diverse representations in media--specifically children’s literature. As we discussed, students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds have different needs than the ‘typical learner.’ Scholastic Book Club has collaborated with We Need Diverse Books, which create collections of literature which aim to provide students from various backgrounds with appropriate educational materials to which they can relate. Through this, students are able to connect to the characters which they meet and the content to which they are introduced. Scholastic also has articles on their site which support teachers in working with students with disabilities, including those who have hearing impairments, physical or motor challenges, and other special needs.

Example Resource
One resource from the Scholastic website that could be used in my future classroom is their Insect Anatomy and Life Cycles Unit Plan for PreK and Kindergarten. Within the provided lessons, students learn about fascinating insect life cycles and unique characteristics, engage in dramatic play where they mimic insect movement, and create anatomically correct butterfly models. Though intended for ages 3-6, the activities could be appropriately modified for any group of students.

URL - scholastic.com

Citation - Hicks, S. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/unit-plans/teaching-content/insect-anatomy-and-life-cycles-unit-plan/.