Join us for a 2-day course designed to delve into the nuances of differentiation for inclusion. We meet with specialists in the field and provide opportunities to collaborate and develop strategies we can embed directly into our classrooms.  

Differentiation Day 1 – Students Characteristics & Wellbeing – 6th May 4.30pm – 6.30pm

Part 1: Students with disability, Fiona Buttler 

This session will explore the interplay between learning and well-being in a practical context. The presenters will discuss the nature of common learning disabilities, including ADHD, ASD and the variety of Specific Learning Disorders.  The session will focus on how to how to cater for students with disabilities through assessment and in the classroom via differentiation. Factors informing planning and teaching, such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the NCCD, will be explored. 

Part 2: Gifted and High Potential Students, Silvia Rudman

This session will discuss the characteristics of high potential and gifted students, as well as the importance of identifying high-ability students and implementing differentiated learning strategies that enhance engagement.  Participants will discuss challenges in identification of HPGE students, including twice exceptional students, disengagement, and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.   

All sessions will be held virtually and recorded. The course is designed to be collaborative and will involve discussion and sharing.  

Differentiation Day 2 – Differentiation for Disability and Gifted & High Potential Students – 7th May 8.30am – 4pm 

Part 1: Inclusive education for students with disabilities: collaborative teaching practice (CTP), Mark Finlayson  

This session is a presentation on applying collaborative teaching practice for inclusive education for students with disabilities.  The presenter will provide discussion on the methodology and best practice for collaboratively approaching differentiation in the inclusive classroom.  

Part 2:Science in the Fishbowl, Beth Hodgson and Silvia Rudmann

This session is a presentation based on putting theoretical and pedagogical frameworks on High Potential Gifted Education into practice. With a focus on differentiation in action, this presentation will provide deconstructed examples of how specific outcomes can be authentically applied to K – 12 contexts. Participants are invited to ‘look in’ through the glass to see how program, practice and pedagogy can keep the fish happy.  

Day 2 is designed to be collaborative and will involve presentations as well as discussion and sharing.