Superintendent Mike Lubelfield acknowledges that differentiated learning isn’t always the easiest thing.

“...our industrial-era school system was designed for groups, not individuals,” Lubelfield says in a post on DiscoveryEducation.com.

"Consider the classroom design of the typical schoolroom: rows of desks all pointed toward the front of the room. Group instruction is based on rigid and fixed schedules regulated by bells, mass movement of large groups of students, standardization of assessments and “batch” organization of students. That model served us well from the 1800’s through the 1900’s.”

But with changing times and 21st century education, differentiated learning is becoming more and more possible; Lubelfield says it is the educator’s responsibility to use it to meet all students’ needs.

"The good news is that information on how to differentiate is all around us. Studies focusing on everything from neuroscience to instructional practices inform us of the need to change and the ability to do so,” he says.

In Lubelfield’s school district, administration overwhelmingly supports using digital tools to meet students’ individual needs, investing "time, dollars, resources, planning, training, and support for this transformation of teaching.”

“To support differentiated instruction, our district has intentionally and deliberately acquired digital resources,” he says.

"We use subscriptions, tools, and programs to support teachers and students. We use combinations of free, open, educational resources as well as paid resources. Some of the companies with whom we partner are web-based subscriptions, which allow for 24/7 school and home access. The possibilities are endless as we truly become a community of learners.”

Read the full post.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

2/2/2016