Students come to school with different readiness levels, learning skills and interest, which can make meeting the New York State Standards a challenge for some. Now educators can help close the learning gap through differentiated instruction. The Division of Gifted and Talented Staff Development at BOCES 2 is conducting two one-day sessions on Differentiated Mathematics Instruction.

The workshops, led by Nanci Smith, are geared toward middle and high school math teachers (grades 6-12), secondary gifted and talented specialists, coordinators and administrators.

Smith, a mathematics teacher at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Arizona and a differentiated instruction trainer, will focus on ways different learners can achieve new understandings and increase their skills. She will guide participants through the theory of differentiation in relation to mathematics and then focus on how to apply it. Participants will also have the opportunity to begin developing differentiated lessons for their classrooms.

The workshops are December 11 (middle school focus) and December 12 (high school focus) from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (8 a.m. registration and refreshments) at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Educational Services Center at 3599 Big Ridge Road, Spencerport in the James Green Jr. Conference Room. The cost is $85/participant/session. Call the Division of Gifted and Talented Education at 716-352-2458 for registration information. The deadline for registration is December.