Schools Attuned® Course Information
The purpose of All Kinds of Minds’ Schools Attuned Program is to equip educators with new knowledge, skills, and strategies so that sound, defensible judgments can be made about instructional practices with struggling learners. The Schools Attuned Program embraces the philosophy and principles of All Kinds of Minds, a non-profit institute dedicated to the understanding of differences in learning.
All Kinds of Minds’ Schools Attuned Program is a comprehensive professional development initiative that offers educators proven methods for recognizing, understanding, and managing students who are struggling in school largely because their brains are “wired” differently. The content of the Program is based on the most recent research in the science of learning, and the Program’s design is aligned with the professional development standards of the National Staff Development Council.
The Generalist Path
The Generalist Path supports educators in creating classrooms that meet the learning needs of all students through an understanding of the implications of neurodevelopmental constructs for their curriculum, instructional decisions, and student learning. These constructs include Attention, Temporal Sequential Ordering, Spatial Ordering, Memory, Language, Neuromotor Functions, Social Cognition and Higher Order Cognition – with multiple subsets of cognitive function in each category.
This path is built upon case studies of students and draws upon teacher experiences in grade K-8 settings, with a focus on early-elementary to early adolescent developmental challenges. Generalist Path participants usually work with students in a variety of academic and social settings and are primarily a member of a grade-level community (e.g., 3rd grade teachers)
The Generalist Path brings additional focus to:
Lesson Analysis: the ability to analyze the neurodevelopmental demands of various academic tasks and their impact on student learning profiles and achievement.
Alliance Formation: a unique family, teacher, and student partnership to support the student’s neurodevelopmental profile in school and at home.
The Subject Specialist Path
The Subject Specialist Path supports subject specialists in creating classrooms that meet the learning needs of all students through an understanding of the implications of the neurodevelopmental constructs for their subject. The Specialist Path curriculum is built upon case studies of students and draws upon teacher experiences in grade 7-12 settings, with a focus on early- to late-adolescent developmental challenges. Educators who generally work with students in only one subject and/or for limited periods of time, or are primarily a member of a small community of other subject specialists (e.g., the science department) should consider choosing this course.
Both curricula are designed to accomplish the same primary objective – to support educators in creating classrooms that meet the learning needs of students through an understanding of the guiding principles and neurodevelopmental framework taught through the Schools Attuned Program. Both curricula teach the nine principles of the Schools Attuned Program as well as eight neurodevelopmental constructs, and include experiences that enable participants to construct an understanding of the principles and constructs and their application within each individual’s professional practice. Both the Generalist Path and Subject Specialist Path are built on the foundation that teachers are the experts on their curriculum and students.
The Subject Specialist Path brings additional focus to:
Subject Analysis: the ability to analyze the neurodevelopmental demands of curriculum and instruction, and its impact on student learning
Student Learning Partnership: student, teacher, and parent work together to identify and manage learning difficulties in a particular subject and build the self-advocacy skills to prepare the student for success
All Participants Will Learn:
- An understanding of differences in learning
- A deeper understanding of students as learners
- How to develop strategies to meet the diverse learning needs of students
- Ideas for collaborating with colleagues about students’ learning
- Ways to communicate with parents about their child’s learning
- Schools Attuned Course Syllabus and Schools Attuned in Practice Materials
- Management Strategies
- A Mind at a Time, by Dr. Mel Levine
- Parent, Student, and Teacher Views and Keys
- Access to online learning resources
- Access to the All Kinds of Minds Networked Learning Community of more than 35,000 SchoolsAttuned educator alumni (beginning in Fall 2007)
Participants receive 45 PDCs, and may opt to receive three graduate credits from the University of Rhode Island. Participants also receive a certificate of completion upon completing all aspects of the Schools Attuned Program.
The Schools Attuned course is generally $1,500 per person. Please inquire about discounts for teams of teachers attending from the same district.
