Podcast: Beth Anderson on Learner Differences

In today’s episode, Emily is speaking with Beth Anderson. Beth leads the Hill Learning Center, a K–12 non-profit based in Durham, North Carolina, that has an innovative approach to meeting the needs of students with learner differences. Their mission is to transform students who have learning differences through a variety of programs that are research-based and distinguished by being highly differentiated: direct, small group instruction in reading, writing, math, and executive function. In just the last year, they’ve reached about 1,000 students directly and have trained over 1,200 teachers in their methodologies.

Tune in to learn more about the Hill Learning Center and the amazing impact they’re having on students with learning differences and what Beth hopes to see in the future when it comes to working with these learners and their families.

Key Takeaways:
[:41] Beth introduces herself, speaks about Hill Center, and explains why it is that she does what she does!
[2:03] Beth defines learning differences and explains how differentiation in Hill Center looks both similar and different from what she’s seeing in K–12 schools.
[4:11] Does Beth find that a lot of the research-based strategies and practices they’re using at Hill Center would also work well for all learners (whether or not they come to school settings with learning differences)?
[5:35] Beth shares some of the ways that they are innovating and pushing the boundaries when it comes to working with learners with differences.
[8:08] Does Beth think some of their success with working with learners with differences are attributable to the mastery-based approach?
[10:13] Has Beth found that learners at Hill have more agency over their learning both at Hill and in their mainstream classroom setting?
[11:28] How Hill’s educators and facilitators are working towards being more intentional in getting to know their learners better.
[14:42] Beth speaks about what they’re doing at Hill to create more access and opportunity for learners that cannot attend Hill.
[18:20] Beth shares her hopes and dreams for the learners and their families at Hill.
[20:55] Beth points listeners to where they can learn more about Hill and its resources.
[21:53] Emily and Jessica give their thanks to Beth for joining the podcast.

Mentioned in This Episode:
Hill Learning Center

For more, see:

• Show What You Know: A Parent’s Guide to the Global Shift to Competency
• How a Focus on School Culture Can Save the Teaching Profession
• Why Schools Should Promote Applied Learning 

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