Accessibility and Differentiation Perspectives
By: Shynar, Vivian, and Patrick
Why do we need to know this?
Take a moment to connect the topic of accessibilty and differentiated instruction to your own personal and professional experiences.
Table of Contents
How to plan for intentional differentiation?
Universal design for Learning
Why Differentiation?
Student Profile
Tensions, Questions or Dilemmas
Standing Issues
Questions
References
Additional Resources
why Differentiation?
- Every brain is unique.
- Emotions are essential.
how to plan for intentional differentiation
There are three main areas where we can intentionally differentiate:
Three main prinnciples of Universal design for learning
- Multiple Means of Representation
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression
- Multiple Means of Engagement
+info
Student Profile
Teachers can consider planning around student profile:
In differentiated classroom, teachers begin where students are, not the front of a curriculum guide.
Carol Ann Tomlinson
Examples of Differentiation
Examples of Differentiation
Examples of Differentiation
Tensions, questions, or dilemmas that arise in differnetiaion
There are a number of issues that present themselves in todays classrooms when trying to differentiate learning.
+info
In this section I will explore a few of the more prominant issues that arise in differentiating for students.
Standing issues with differentiation
With schools and districts beginning to use a "lock step" model of curriculum high acheiving students feel bored or low acheiving students drown
New teachers who may not yet have the tools will rely on district provided curriculum which may not meet the needs of all students
Standardized testing which does not differentiate only providing accomodations pushes teachers to try to teach every student to a singular test in a singlular outcome
It can be difficult in current legal and political times to entrust a teacher to create lessons and ensure they are in alignment with legal standards in many states
Tensions between Parties
Tensions
- Teachers vs Parents
- The move to the Parents Bills of Rights in many states
- Old School vs New School
- Many teachers survive by this is how we have always done it
- Teachers vs State Governments
- New laws and changing standards make a cookie cutter curriculum much easier to navigate changing goal posts.
- Educators vs State Standardized Testing
- With the movement towards punishing/rewarding teachers based on standardized test scores the need to ensure all students learn the information for the test.
- Multi-level classrooms
- In todays classrooms a teacher may have a GT student in a class with a modified curriculum student. Keeping them all engaged makes everyday a struggle
There are a number of parties involved when attempting to differentiate in a classroom
"Differentiation is a failure, a farce, and the ultimate educational joke played on countless educators and students".
James R. Delisle
Questions
The questions we need to ask:
- How can we better prepare educators for the modern classroom?
- What can districts do to support differentiation on a larger scale to support all teachers and students?
- How to educate parents on what differentiation looks like and what it is?
- How to balance high-stakes testing with esuring every child is learning?
- How to better use data to drive learning?
Additional Resources
Tools
Videos
Articles
References
Bender, W. N. (2008). Differentiated instruction: Then and now. In Differentiating instruction for students with learning disabilities (Ch. 1). Corwin / SAGE. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/50371_Bender_Ch1.pdf
CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (Version 3.0). https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Credits for Teachers. (2025, May 8). Top 10 differentiation resources for teachers. https://creditsforteachers.com/top-10-differentiation-resources-for-teachers/
Darling-Hammond, L. (2021). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Delisle, J. R. (2015, January 7). Differentiation doesn’t work. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-differentiation-doesnt-work/2015/01
Edutopia. (2016, September 12). Differentiated instruction: Resource roundup. https://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiated-instruction-resources/
Education Week. (2019, February 5). Differentiating instruction: A guide for teaching English-language learners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hekJsCOHLU
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2022). The importance of student talk in the classroom. Educational Leadership, 79(6), 24–29. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-importance-of-student-talk-in-the-classroom
Grecu, Y. V. (2022). Overcoming obstacles to differentiate instruction when implementing prepared curricular resources in a diverse classroom. Anatolian Journal of Education, 7(1), 167–180. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1333474.pdf
Jürs, S., Lepp, L., Leijen, Ä., & Toom, A. (2023). Teachers’ perceptions and practices of differentiated instruction in Estonian basic schools. Cogent Education, 10(1), Article 2165006. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2165006
Kircher-Morris, E. (Host). (2025, January 9). Episode 253: Applying neuroscience to education [Audio podcast episode]. The Neurodiversity Podcast. https://neurodiversitypodcast.com/home/2025/1/9/episode-253-applying-neuroscience-to-education
Levey, S. (2021). Universal design for learning. Journal of Education, 203(2), 479–487. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574211031954
Marshik, T. (2015, May). Don’t believe everything you think: Learning styles and the importance of critical self-reflection [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=855Now8h5Rs
McCarthy, J. (2021, March 26). A practical guide to planning for intentional differentiation. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/practical-guide-planning-intentional-differentiation/
McTighe, J. (2015, January 6). On differentiation: A reply to a rant and a posing of questions. Authentic Education. https://authenticeducation.org/on-differentiation-a-reply-to-a-rant-and-a-posing-of-questions
National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). The condition of education 2023 (NCES 2023-144). U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2023/2023144.pdf
Posey, A. (2020, May 1). Leveraging neuroscience in lesson design. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/leveraging-neuroscience-in-lesson-design
Sousa, D. A. (2022). Brain research can help educators improve student learning. In M. Fullan & A. Hargreaves (Eds.), Teaching for deep learning (pp. 45–62). Corwin.
Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2023). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom. ASCD.
World Health Organization. (2023, October 10). Mental health of children and adolescents. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-children-and-adolescents
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Transcript
Accessibility and Differentiation Perspectives
By: Shynar, Vivian, and Patrick
Why do we need to know this?
Take a moment to connect the topic of accessibilty and differentiated instruction to your own personal and professional experiences.
Table of Contents
How to plan for intentional differentiation?
Universal design for Learning
Why Differentiation?
Student Profile
Tensions, Questions or Dilemmas
Standing Issues
Questions
References
Additional Resources
why Differentiation?
how to plan for intentional differentiation
There are three main areas where we can intentionally differentiate:
Three main prinnciples of Universal design for learning
+info
Student Profile
Teachers can consider planning around student profile:
In differentiated classroom, teachers begin where students are, not the front of a curriculum guide.
Carol Ann Tomlinson
Examples of Differentiation
Examples of Differentiation
Examples of Differentiation
Tensions, questions, or dilemmas that arise in differnetiaion
There are a number of issues that present themselves in todays classrooms when trying to differentiate learning.
+info
In this section I will explore a few of the more prominant issues that arise in differentiating for students.
Standing issues with differentiation
With schools and districts beginning to use a "lock step" model of curriculum high acheiving students feel bored or low acheiving students drown
New teachers who may not yet have the tools will rely on district provided curriculum which may not meet the needs of all students
Standardized testing which does not differentiate only providing accomodations pushes teachers to try to teach every student to a singular test in a singlular outcome
It can be difficult in current legal and political times to entrust a teacher to create lessons and ensure they are in alignment with legal standards in many states
Tensions between Parties
Tensions
There are a number of parties involved when attempting to differentiate in a classroom
"Differentiation is a failure, a farce, and the ultimate educational joke played on countless educators and students".
James R. Delisle
Questions
The questions we need to ask:
Additional Resources
Tools
Videos
Articles
References
Bender, W. N. (2008). Differentiated instruction: Then and now. In Differentiating instruction for students with learning disabilities (Ch. 1). Corwin / SAGE. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/50371_Bender_Ch1.pdf CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (Version 3.0). https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ Credits for Teachers. (2025, May 8). Top 10 differentiation resources for teachers. https://creditsforteachers.com/top-10-differentiation-resources-for-teachers/ Darling-Hammond, L. (2021). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass. Delisle, J. R. (2015, January 7). Differentiation doesn’t work. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-differentiation-doesnt-work/2015/01 Edutopia. (2016, September 12). Differentiated instruction: Resource roundup. https://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiated-instruction-resources/ Education Week. (2019, February 5). Differentiating instruction: A guide for teaching English-language learners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hekJsCOHLU Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2022). The importance of student talk in the classroom. Educational Leadership, 79(6), 24–29. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-importance-of-student-talk-in-the-classroom Grecu, Y. V. (2022). Overcoming obstacles to differentiate instruction when implementing prepared curricular resources in a diverse classroom. Anatolian Journal of Education, 7(1), 167–180. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1333474.pdf Jürs, S., Lepp, L., Leijen, Ä., & Toom, A. (2023). Teachers’ perceptions and practices of differentiated instruction in Estonian basic schools. Cogent Education, 10(1), Article 2165006. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2165006 Kircher-Morris, E. (Host). (2025, January 9). Episode 253: Applying neuroscience to education [Audio podcast episode]. The Neurodiversity Podcast. https://neurodiversitypodcast.com/home/2025/1/9/episode-253-applying-neuroscience-to-education Levey, S. (2021). Universal design for learning. Journal of Education, 203(2), 479–487. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574211031954 Marshik, T. (2015, May). Don’t believe everything you think: Learning styles and the importance of critical self-reflection [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=855Now8h5Rs McCarthy, J. (2021, March 26). A practical guide to planning for intentional differentiation. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/practical-guide-planning-intentional-differentiation/ McTighe, J. (2015, January 6). On differentiation: A reply to a rant and a posing of questions. Authentic Education. https://authenticeducation.org/on-differentiation-a-reply-to-a-rant-and-a-posing-of-questions National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). The condition of education 2023 (NCES 2023-144). U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2023/2023144.pdf Posey, A. (2020, May 1). Leveraging neuroscience in lesson design. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/leveraging-neuroscience-in-lesson-design Sousa, D. A. (2022). Brain research can help educators improve student learning. In M. Fullan & A. Hargreaves (Eds.), Teaching for deep learning (pp. 45–62). Corwin. Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2023). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom. ASCD. World Health Organization. (2023, October 10). Mental health of children and adolescents. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-children-and-adolescents