Chapman University Extended Education

Graduate Elective Courses and Sustained Professional Development

Differentiating Instruction

3 Credit Graduate Course, Allison Park, PA, Fall 0f 2008

WESTERN REGION

Western Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

and Chapman University

Western PASCD and Chapman University offer Differentiated Instructional Strategies:  Theory Into Practice, a hands on, graduate course designed to provide teachers with the understandings and strategies to enable them to meet the needs of academically diverse students in their classrooms.  Differentiating instruction is essential because students differ in their learning profiles, interests and readiness.  The success of differentiating instruction is that students are offered CHOICES and matched with tasks compatible with these variables.  The content, processes, products, and learning environments are adapted based on the needs of the students.  ASCD resources will be used.  We will learn:

1.     The principles and seven keys to differentiating instruction

2.     Instructional strategies and their application in the classroom

Wednesdays from 4:30 – 8:00PM – September 24, October 8, 22, November 5, 19, 2008

Instructors are Franny McAleer and Anna DeForest

At the home of Anna DeForest, 4560 Sweetwater Place, Allison Park, PA  15101

Dinner is included to complete the collegiality of the interactive sessions.

The course notebook will be emailed one week before the class begins for you to download.

Course fee:  $745.00

Information and online sign up for the course, www.learnerslink.com – Chapman EDUC 9276 in Allison Park or by emailing franny@learnerslink.com with the following information – name, school, email, and phone number.

Registration deadline is September 15, 2008.

*Chapman University graduate-level elective courses are designed to serve the needs of those requiring professional upgrading and to enable teachers and administrators to meet requirements for salary increment steps and for re-certification. Individuals desiring to include this course in a Master's Degree program offered at another institution should secure the approval of that institution first.

Register On Line

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EDUC 9717B:   Catch Them Thinking: Creative and Critical Thinking in All Content Areas - Creative and critical thinking in all content areas  is essential to effective teaching.  Effective teaching  focuses on quality questioning, and this graduate course provides teachers with the tools to improve questioning in the classroom.  It gives educators an opportunity to learn and apply effective thinking strategies in their classrooms. 

EDUC 9031B:  Hands on Strategies to Teach Inventive Thinking (1 semester hour) - Inventive thinking is critical as we prepare young people to solve problems and make decisions using the inventive processes.  You will analyze the need for inventive thinking in young people and then learn and apply hands strategies to teach the invention process. 

EDUC 9276B:   Differentiating Instruction: Theory Into Practice - Students differ in their readiness to learn, interests and learning profiles.  In this course we will look at differentiating the content, process, product and learning environment based on these differences.  We will study the principles and strategies used in differentiated classrooms to promote active learning and students as decision makers and problem solvers.  You will develop instructional strategies to use in your classroom that are based on these seven key factors making learning fun and meaningful.

EDUC 9560B:   Curriculum and Instruction:  Improve Student Achievement - Effective curriculum and instruction is essential to student achievement.  In this course you will learn effective strategies that improve student achievement.  You will research a specific topic in depth and apply what you learn to improve curriculum or instruction in your classroom.  As you learn and apply the strategies and techniques, you will keep a detailed time log which will include what you read, how you used it, and your reflection about the effectiveness these new strategies or techniques.  You will also have the opportunity to develop and share a final project to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate what you have learned.

EDUC 9770B:  Connecting Instruction and the Learner - Connecting instruction and the learner is essential to effective learning.  This course is designed to provide special and regular educators with an understanding of the principles of effective teaching, current research and best practices designed to promote success in the classroom.  Students will look at various instructional practices, research and apply them in their classrooms.  Students will then focus on one instructional strategy that they determine will improve instruction or curriculum in his/her classroom this year.  An instructional improvement plan will be set up, implemented and assessed.   

*About Chapman Credits:  Chapman University graduate-level extension courses are designed to serve the needs of those requiring professional upgrading and to enable teachers and administrators to meet requirements for salary increment steps and for re-certification.  Individuals desiring to include this course in a Master's Degree program offered at another institution should secure the approval of that institution first.

About Chapman:  Chapman University Rises Again in National Rankings

News & World Report, and Selected Again as One of The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges,  ORANGE, Calif., Sept. 1, 2005

Chapman University Rises Again in National Rankings - Climbs to 11th in the West in U.S. News & World Report, and Selected Again as One of The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges

ORANGE, Calif., Sept. 1, 2005 – Chapman University is one of the nation’s best colleges, according to new listings released by both U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review.

Chapman climbed to 11th – the highest ranking in the school’s history – among 123 master’s-level universities in the 15-state Western region in U.S. News’ 2006 rankings of the best colleges in America. Over the past decade, Chapman has risen from 21st to 11th in the prestigious U.S. News rankings, which are based on various indicators of academic quality, including student selectivity, freshman retention, graduation rate, financial resources, alumni giving and academic reputation. Significantly, in the area of student selectivity, Chapman has risen from 30th a decade ago to 3rd in the 2006 listings. U.S. News also lists Chapman 15th in the West among its 2006 picks for best-value universities offering master’s programs.

The Princeton Review’s Best 361 Colleges 2006 again listed Chapman University as one of the very select institutions chosen for the guidebook. Last year, Chapman made its debut on the Princeton Review list, which selects only the top 15 percent of the colleges and universities in America. To make its selections, The Princeton Review relies on data and opinions it collects from students, parents, faculty and administrators about academic programs and other offerings.

The Princeton Review’s college ranking lists are based on surveys of more than 110,000 students at the schools in the book who rate their own schools and report on their campus experiences. About Chapman, students commented that the professors are “highly intelligent, passionate, inspiring, and genuinely interested in each and every person,” and that the university’s “global citizenship” emphasis ensures that students interact in substantive ways with their community and the world.

“Inclusion in these respected ratings is very gratifying, because it is evidence that the shared vision of our faculty, administration, staff and supporters is becoming a reality,” said James L. Doti, Chapman president. “The rankings support our commitment to personalized education, and also point to our progress in enhancing the campus itself, with the new Leatherby Libraries and the Oliphant Hall music building among four new buildings opened last year.”

Doti also cited the establishment of 44 endowed chairs and professorships at Chapman since 1993. “Endowed chairs, the highest honor we can bestow on faculty, enable us to recruit and retain educators with exemplary credentials in teaching and research, who by their distinguished scholarship help propel our academic programs to national prominence.” Doti added that another key indicator of success is the fact that the SAT scores of incoming freshmen have risen each year for the past 14 years, with combined scores now standing at an average of 1205.