Enhancing Learning Through Differentiated Technology

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Some teachers who purposefully integrate technology into their classroom do so to differentiate instruction—often using specific strategies that help students become lifelong learners. Differentiated instruction is the process by which teachers use a variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of a diverse group of students. As a result, students are provided with "different avenues to acquiring content, to processing or making sense of ideas, and to developing products so that each student can learn effectively" (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 2).

Technology helps teachers transforms their classrooms, enabling them to customize the curriculum to the needs of each student. Technology also provides opportunities to differentiate homework and motivate students to learn and to grow. There are a few different ways a teacher can provide a classroom for differentiated learning with the use of technology that I will be highlighting in my blog. To differentiate teachers, may use a wide variety of assessments to determine students' learning styles, strengths and areas of improvements. For example, teachers, may incorporate technology tools like survey monkey to understand students comprehension of the material being taught. Further, teachers may also incorporate a variety of strategies to reach the diverse needs of their students, understanding that not all students learn in the same way or at the same rate. Next, the teacher may provide opportunities for whole-class, small-group, and individual instruction online through twitter chats and or google docs. It is also important when constructing online activities to allow the classroom to become student oriented rather than teacher oriented. It is known that often teachers learn alongside their students, hence when mandating online activities, it is important to be open to ideas and different approaches. For a teacher to engage different learners, it is important to make the content relevant and meaningful for students and allows them to apply their learning to real-world problems. For differentiated learning to be made possible it is important to have the climate of the classroom to be a culture of tolerance, safety, mutual respect, and the understanding that every student learns differently and at a different pace. Finally, the teacher must take into account to make instructional decisions based on student readiness, interests, and learning profiles. For example if the teacher instructs students to create blogs online, then he must also provide explicit instructions, examples and must take into account of students preparedness.

There are many opportunities to differentiate the process of teaching with technology. “One of the most common is Power Point. This production software provides a good option especially for teaching students with visual learning styles.” (Stanford, Crowe & Flice, 2010, p. 2). Further, technology tools that may be used to differentiate learning are, product menu/choice board, writing songs, creating videos, acting it out online (YouTube), blogging and podcasting on wiki. Using technology to differentiating learning works for gifted as well as students with more severe disabilities. It allows students to take responsibility for their own learning and are more engaged resulting in fewer discipline issues. In conclusion “There is no one right way to create an effectively differentiated classroom; teachers craft responsive learning places in ways that are a good match for their teaching styles, as well as for their learners needs.” (Tomlinson, 2005)

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References

Stanford, P., Crowe, M. W., & Flice, H. (April, 2010). Differentiating with Technology. 6(4), 1-9. doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f

Tomlinson, A., & Bull, L. (March 11, 2006). Symbiogenesis in Learning Classifier Systems. University of the West England, 7(1), 2001st ser., 33-61. Retrieved May 6, 2018, from http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/5886/1/106454601300328016.pdf

Tomlinson, C. A. (2005). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Pearson/ Merrill Prentice Hall/ASCD. Upper Saddle, NJ.

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