Standard+3

**Teachers understand that children learn differently.** The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities. Evidence 1:
 * Standard 3**

Rationale 1: Though one lesson can't illustrate the variety of instructional approaches needed throughout a unit, this one-day lesson offers a look at one way to reach reluctant discussion participants. Students who lack confidence in a face to face discussion have a different venue where some forethought is applied before submitting a final contribution to the discussion. Students with speech and language difficulties benefit from periodic opportunities such as this (one wouldn't want to always avoid verbal interaction, but it allows for a separation between their disability and their deep thinking).

**KSD**  **3.K.2 The teacher understands and can provide adaptations for areas of exceptionality in learning—including learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges.** This lesson (and many created electronically) can be easily stored and viewed later. Students with attention difficulties can copy content from discussion into a reader program like Kurzweil and slow down (or speed up, for some) delivery of the messages from the discussion. I also believe one of the most powerful educational uses for web 2.0 (including this PollEverywhere.com) is the ability for students to add to the conversation at any time, from any location with internet access. Students who are on the accelerated end of the learning spectrum should be constantly pushed to this end.  **3.S.2 The teacher use teaching approaches that are sensitive to the multiple experiences of learners and that address different learning and performance modes.** Portable devices offer a minimally-intrusive way for students to interact in a classroom. Using audience-polling websites like PollEverywhere.com allow classroom discussion to occur at a high quality, substantive level while including students who may not normally contribute of classroom discussion. It also allows for easy archival for access later for absent students or those who need re-teaching in this concept. When students peruse the conversation at a later time, if given the direction to do so, they may see the differing points of view of their classmates. Such opportunity to “revisit the conversation” would not be possible in a typical live discussion.  **3.D.5 The teacher makes students feel valued for their potential as people, and helps them learn to value each other.** Though this discussion medium is not as verbal as a typical discussion, students are required to act in a academically respectful manner. That is, most rules of discussion still apply. One rule that happens to not apply is that of taking turns – which works really well for those students who have a difficulty waiting to be called upon by the teacher (or just waiting for an opening in a conversation).