Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate!

How to Increase Student Learning in Today’s Diverse Schools
Wendy Murawski - California State University, Northridge, USA
Sally A. Spencer - California State University, Northridge, USA
Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate!
February 2011 | 184 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781452269481
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412981842
Available from January 0001

Description

"An all-in-one book—a lighthearted and well grounded introduction to collaboration, how it can improve education for all children, and its role in effectively educating students with special needs. Murawski and Spencer tell it like it is, and they do so with humor and straight talk."
—Lynne Cook, Professor, School of Education
California State University, Dominguez Hills

"As a kid who struggled in school, this is the book that I wish every one of my teachers had read. It is a stunning achievement and huge step forward to making all schools inclusive of all learners!"
—Johnathan Mooney, Author, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal

Collaboration 101 for teachers, parents, and school communities

Teachers in both general and special education classrooms are being asked to collaborate to give all students access to the general education curriculum. The challenge is that teachers receive very little training in how to work together to educate students successfully. Do you wonder how to get started, how much time it will take, and what the results will be? Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate! addresses those issues and more, taking collaboration out of the abstract and supplying easy-to-use strategies that apply to daily tasks such as

  • Planning and differentiating instruction
  • Communicating with families
  • Using Universal Design for Learning to form instruction
  • Assessing students with diverse backgrounds and abilities
  • Co-teaching
  • Coordinating with all staff members

This reader-friendly text ties each strategy to the goal of improving student outcomes. Included are vignettes, In a Nutshell and Eye on the Research quick-reference guides, reproducible forms, Principal Points to share with administrators, and a companion website. Educators who have wondered how to make collaboration reasonable, feasible, and time-efficient will find the answers in this book!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Introduction

  • 1. Understanding the Historical Context
  • 2. Unscrambling the Range of Settings and Services
  • 3. Improving Student Outcomes by Working in Teams
  • 4. Improving Collaboration Through Powerful Communication
  • 5. Proactively Planning and Differentiating Instruction
  • 6. Modifying and Accommodating to Reactively Address Student Needs
  • 7. Improving Student Learning Through Co-Teaching
  • 8. Collaboratively Planning and Assessing
  • 9. Addressing Conflict and Engaging in Problem Solving
  • 10. Creating a Collaborative School Culture

References

References

Index

Index

Appendices on the Internet (http://www.corwin.com/diverseschools)

  • Appendix I. UDL Lesson Plans
  • Appendix II. Instructional Strategies
  • Appendix III. Examples of Adapted Work
  • Appendix IV. Adaptive Products and Services
  • Appendix V. Student Profile Sheet
  • Appendix VI. Co-Teaching Lesson Plans
  • Appendix VII. What/How/Who Co-Planning Format

Resources

Supplemental Resources Website

This website provides additional resources and content related to each chapter, as well as several appendices that include a variety of useful materials to implement the strategies presented in Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate!
http://www.corwin.com/diverseschools

Description

"An all-in-one book—a lighthearted and well grounded introduction to collaboration, how it can improve education for all children, and its role in effectively educating students with special needs. Murawski and Spencer tell it like it is, and they do so with humor and straight talk."
—Lynne Cook, Professor, School of Education
California State University, Dominguez Hills

"As a kid who struggled in school, this is the book that I wish every one of my teachers had read. It is a stunning achievement and huge step forward to making all schools inclusive of all learners!"
—Johnathan Mooney, Author, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal

Collaboration 101 for teachers, parents, and school communities

Teachers in both general and special education classrooms are being asked to collaborate to give all students access to the general education curriculum. The challenge is that teachers receive very little training in how to work together to educate students successfully. Do you wonder how to get started, how much time it will take, and what the results will be? Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate! addresses those issues and more, taking collaboration out of the abstract and supplying easy-to-use strategies that apply to daily tasks such as

  • Planning and differentiating instruction
  • Communicating with families
  • Using Universal Design for Learning to form instruction
  • Assessing students with diverse backgrounds and abilities
  • Co-teaching
  • Coordinating with all staff members

This reader-friendly text ties each strategy to the goal of improving student outcomes. Included are vignettes, In a Nutshell and Eye on the Research quick-reference guides, reproducible forms, Principal Points to share with administrators, and a companion website. Educators who have wondered how to make collaboration reasonable, feasible, and time-efficient will find the answers in this book!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Introduction

  • 1. Understanding the Historical Context
  • 2. Unscrambling the Range of Settings and Services
  • 3. Improving Student Outcomes by Working in Teams
  • 4. Improving Collaboration Through Powerful Communication
  • 5. Proactively Planning and Differentiating Instruction
  • 6. Modifying and Accommodating to Reactively Address Student Needs
  • 7. Improving Student Learning Through Co-Teaching
  • 8. Collaboratively Planning and Assessing
  • 9. Addressing Conflict and Engaging in Problem Solving
  • 10. Creating a Collaborative School Culture

References

References

Index

Index

Appendices on the Internet (http://www.corwin.com/diverseschools)

  • Appendix I. UDL Lesson Plans
  • Appendix II. Instructional Strategies
  • Appendix III. Examples of Adapted Work
  • Appendix IV. Adaptive Products and Services
  • Appendix V. Student Profile Sheet
  • Appendix VI. Co-Teaching Lesson Plans
  • Appendix VII. What/How/Who Co-Planning Format

Resources

Supplemental Resources Website

This website provides additional resources and content related to each chapter, as well as several appendices that include a variety of useful materials to implement the strategies presented in Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate!
http://www.corwin.com/diverseschools
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Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate!

How to Increase Student Learning in Today’s Diverse Schools


February 2011 | 184 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/01/2025 9781412981842 $40.95
Lifetime 01/01/2025 9781452269481 $37.00

"An all-in-one book—a lighthearted and well grounded introduction to collaboration, how it can improve education for all children, and its role in effectively educating students with special needs. Murawski and Spencer tell it like it is, and they do so with humor and straight talk."
—Lynne Cook, Professor, School of Education
California State University, Dominguez Hills

"As a kid who struggled in school, this is the book that I wish every one of my teachers had read. It is a stunning achievement and huge step forward to making all schools inclusive of all learners!"
—Johnathan Mooney, Author, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal

Collaboration 101 for teachers, parents, and school communities

Teachers in both general and special education classrooms are being asked to collaborate to give all students access to the general education curriculum. The challenge is that teachers receive very little training in how to work together to educate students successfully. Do you wonder how to get started, how much time it will take, and what the results will be? Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate! addresses those issues and more, taking collaboration out of the abstract and supplying easy-to-use strategies that apply to daily tasks such as

  • Planning and differentiating instruction
  • Communicating with families
  • Using Universal Design for Learning to form instruction
  • Assessing students with diverse backgrounds and abilities
  • Co-teaching
  • Coordinating with all staff members

This reader-friendly text ties each strategy to the goal of improving student outcomes. Included are vignettes, In a Nutshell and Eye on the Research quick-reference guides, reproducible forms, Principal Points to share with administrators, and a companion website. Educators who have wondered how to make collaboration reasonable, feasible, and time-efficient will find the answers in this book!


Table Of Contents:

  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • Introduction
  • 1. Understanding the Historical Context
  • 2. Unscrambling the Range of Settings and Services
  • 3. Improving Student Outcomes by Working in Teams
  • 4. Improving Collaboration Through Powerful Communication
  • 5. Proactively Planning and Differentiating Instruction
  • 6. Modifying and Accommodating to Reactively Address Student Needs
  • 7. Improving Student Learning Through Co-Teaching
  • 8. Collaboratively Planning and Assessing
  • 9. Addressing Conflict and Engaging in Problem Solving
  • 10. Creating a Collaborative School Culture
  • References
  • Index
  • Appendices on the Internet (http://www.corwin.com/diverseschools)
  • Appendix I. UDL Lesson Plans
  • Appendix II. Instructional Strategies
  • Appendix III. Examples of Adapted Work
  • Appendix IV. Adaptive Products and Services
  • Appendix V. Student Profile Sheet
  • Appendix VI. Co-Teaching Lesson Plans
  • Appendix VII. What/How/Who Co-Planning Format

Recent Product Reviews:

Good solid book on the topic.
Dr Derrick Smith, Education Dept, University Of Alabama
"As a kid who struggled in school, this is the book that I wish every one of my teachers had read. It is a stunning achievement and huge step forward to making all schools inclusive of all learners!"
Jonathan Mooney, Author of "The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal"
"This book is a great tool for learning methods for increasing student success. The research-based ideas are clearly explained. The authors’ writing style makes the topics enjoyable and easy to access. I am energized and excited to try out new strategies after reading this book."
Lisa Parisi, Teacher, Herricks UFSD, New Hyde Park, NY
"I plan to give Murawski’s book to my first-year teachers because it covers all subjects, not just special education, and helps teachers in all interactions with students. This is not a 'one-time, sit-down and read' book. It will become a well-used resource thanks to its support and easy-to-locate information."
Stephanie Free, Principal
"An all-in-one book—a lighthearted and well grounded introduction to collaboration, how it can improve education for all children, and its role in effectively educating students with special needs. Murawski and Spencer are accomplished classroom teachers and teacher educators who share their expertise and enthusiasm as they provide key approaches to collaboration as a method for achieving critical goals for diverse learners. They tell it like it is, and they do so with humor and straight talk."
Lynne Cook, Professor, School of Education, California State University, Dominguez Hills

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