Achieving Differentiated Learning

Marjorie S. Schiering has devoted her career as an educator to developing teacher’s and learner’s comprehension of self- efficacy through experiential learning, which focuses on the Interactive Method (IM) and its components. She continually addresses the Cognitive Collective (Reciprocal Thinking and Feelings) to establish and maintain a viable, safe, positive and congenial classroom community where there is teaching of thinking, as well as the concept of our all being teachers of something and that “something” being our character.

• PreludeForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart One: Explaining the interactive method (IM) regarding thinking skills, memory, and classroom implementation Chapter One: Explaining The Interactive Method (IM): Experience-based Teaching and LearningChapter Two: Reciprocal Thinking, Cognitive Collective and Memories The Teaching of ThinkingChapter Three: Addressing “Different Ways” through Assignments, Requirements, and PurposesPart two: different learners = different ways: the “how to” of the “IM” Chapter Four: Six Specific Types of Differention: Explanation and ExampleChapter Five: Different Ways with 25- Examples Chapter Six: Different Ways with 28-Examples Chapter Seven: Different Ways with 13- Examples, Including TechnologyChapter Eight: Activity-based Learning Centers/ABLC: 6-Tri-fold Boards Chapter Nine: Graphic Organizers/Text Structures and Four Interactive Instructional Resources: Directions and ApplicationPart three: personal commentaries on special needs and different abilities + author’s closing thoughtsChapter Ten: Personal Perspectives Regarding Parenting and/or Teaching Different Abilities and Special Needs Students Perspectives on a Learner’s Dyslexia: Patricia Eckardt From the Heart: Having Different Abilities Children: Their Dad’s Narrative: Timothy RyleyTeaching Special Education Technology: Clare KingChapter Eleven: author’s closing thoughts ReferencesAbout the author

This activity-based workbook is an asset to everyone that reads it, as it states, “We are all teachers of something.” It is invaluable, in that it includes activities that can be used in multiple ways, whether that is to interactively teach, learn, or provide general information. Readers of this work will benefit, as they observe how students can be engaged in activity-based learning, and come to be aware of what thinking skills apply to each activity. Also, at the end of the workbook, there are personal stories from former special needs students, teachers or their parents. Most important about this writing is that of celebrating student differences. If one life lesson can be taken from this book, it is to realize that we are all enough, just as we are, and that we are capable of anything to which we set our minds. Teaching those ideas are two of the strengths of this book on differentiation of instruction.