Educational Technology: Supporting Differentiated Instruction to Enrich Student Learning Styles

Assessing Technology-Based Resources for Differentiation 

Education has changed and evolved over the years and technology is at the forefront of these changes.  We can use relevant and current technology in the classroom to enhance the learning of our diverse students and to assist us in differentiating our lessons to meet our student's individual needs.  After the COVID-19 pandemic, educators scrambled to make online and technology-based education available to students. Many have little or no prior knowledge or experience with the plethora of platforms available for use.  During this time of discovery, educators learned how to successfully implement these technologies. Our students and their families also learned to navigate the world of technology from an educational standpoint. 

Differentiated instruction is a student-centered approach to teaching that strives to provide authentic learning experiences for diverse students in the same class.  It requires that teachers get to know their students and the level of knowledge our students possess, and recognizes that students are diverse in their knowledge, experiences, readiness, interests, language, and cultures (Hockett, 2018).  Technology can be used as a tool to increase student engagement, growth, and achievement while shaping students into global citizens who can adapt and function successfully in a technological society.  

Differentiation calls on teachers to vigilantly monitor student proximity to content goals throughout a learning cycle. The teacher needs to know what each student knows and can do at a given moment (Tomlinson, 2008). Using technology-based platforms allows teachers to see student progress in real-time and can increase teacher awareness of mastery of skills as well as misconceptions that require further instructional interventions.  

We will discuss three educational platforms that enhance learning and are excellent tools to support diverse learners in the classroom.  

                   Image: (Richards, 2022)          

Instructional Technologies 

Image (Quisdido, 2021)                            

 Google Classroom 

Description

Google Classroom is an online platform that can be integrated into daily use for teachers and students.  Since its release in 2014, it has grown substantially due to the pandemic and the switch to online instruction.  Google Classroom allows teachers to create and manage classes, assignments, and grades without the use of traditional pencil and paper assignments for any subject across the curriculum.  Google offers training sessions for students and teachers to make implementation and use easy for all stakeholders.  Teachers can align materials to their standards and use additional materials such as videos, interactive presentations, pictures, and voice recordings to make their lessons engaging for all students.  Google Classroom also can communicate with other web-based technologies used by schools.  These technologies allow teachers to track student progress, archive grades, and assess students within a single platform.  The implementation of google classroom is free for teachers.  

Readiness, Interests, and Learning Styles

Google Classroom makes differentiation easy for teachers.  It provides each student with private access to complete assignments that can be tailored to meet their levels and abilities.  Google allows teachers to choose which students receive certain assignments that can be leveled.  Small groups can also be organized and implemented through google classroom as well.  The platform can use Google apps to engage students with different learning styles.  Apps such as google hangout, docs, slides, and sites can be embedded into the classroom and then implemented to enhance learning for students with diverse learning preferences and styles.  Student interests can be sparked through the integration of google hangout, and embedded videos through YouTube and other video platforms.  

Appropriate Instructional Strategies 

There are many strategies that can be used in the classroom to help ensure the successful implementation of this technology in the classroom.  Teachers should put effort into the organization and the flow of the classroom format keeping in mind that students need to easily access the materials they need to be successful.  Class materials should be organized by date or by topic, and should be appropriate for the grade level for which the course is intended.  It may be effective to create a resources folder so that students can easily access any materials that will be needed for the duration of the year as well.  This way students can refer back to these materials as needed.  Links can also be created for assignments to make navigating through the classroom quick and easy for students.  

Private messages are perfect for feedback and assistance and class messages can be posted to the class as a means of communication when students are working independently or in small groups.  When students are assigned projects, the best strategy is to break the assignment into parts with each having different due dates and post rubrics, templates, and examples as a means to guide students and increase motivation and success.  

Technology-Enriched Experiences

Google Classroom has a positive effect on the learning environment, lessons are more engaging and interactive.  Students are exposed to technology that will be used for the duration of their educational experience and far into adulthood. Many colleges and universities now require students to enroll in online classes and may require the use of online learning management systems and experience to google classroom help students easily transition into other online platforms (Lynch, 2021).  According to scholars,  information literacy is very important because it tends to be problematic in fostering students' critical thinking skills, including awareness, collection, understanding, analysis, synthesis, and the use of information and their attitudes to the treatment of information at the university level, and recent studies show that information literacy of students improved before and after their learning exposure using Google Classroom (Dewi, et al.,  2022).  Students will be prepared for their futures through technology-enriched experiences through a completely digital learning experience.  

IXL Learning 

Description

IXL is a personalized learning platform used worldwide that combines curriculum, continuous diagnostics, individual guidance, and real-time analytics to help teachers differentiate instruction for diverse learners in their classrooms. IXL has programs for grades K-12 and covers all curriculums from reading, math, language arts, science, social studies, algebra, calculus, and foreign languages.  A single membership is $9.99 a month or $79.99 annually.  Schools pay approximately $250 for every 25 students(IXL Learning, n.d.).  The technology is easy to integrate and the platform is user-friendly.  Schools can choose to implement the program for cross-curricular purposes or can implement the subjects that are most needed based on data. Many features make IXL fun and engaging for diverse learners, including group jams, leaderboards, and instructional videos.  IXL Learning is customized by state standards for classrooms across the globe and can be personalized for individual use that will grow students, increase motivation, and close instructional gaps. 

Readiness, Interests, and Learning Styles

The IXL learning platform appeals to diverse learners with different learning styles and abilities.  It is a tool that allows for the differentiation of lessons to meet students where they are and build on weaknesses to close educational gaps. Up-to-date information about a student’s zone of proximal development can be determined quickly through formative assessments embedded into the program.  As students master skills their zones are updated and students are exposed to new skills once they show growth and progress. IXL's Real‑Time Diagnostic tool tests student knowledge in each subject, and provides teachers with personalized action plans to help close gaps for each individual learner (IXL, n.d.).  

Different learning styles and preferences are addressed in the group jam feature in which teachers are able to pose questions to students in a game-like session in which the teacher is then able to gauge the entire class’s understanding standards in real time and make informed decisions on the best next steps to take. When students begin sessions in IXL they can choose the questions they want to answer which increases motivation and gives students a sense of control.  

Appropriate Instructional Strategies 

When implementing IXL Learning, teachers should begin with a diagnostic session that will level students and provide each student with a range of abilities from which they will receive differentiated lessons based on their individual needs.  Teachers are able to see students work on skills in real-time and can provide students with individualized feedback and immediate intervention when it is needed.  Students can also receive messages from the teacher that provide immediate feedback.  These messages can be words of encouragement, or praise, or can even tell a student to slow down and focus on the present skills.  IXL can be used for whole-group instruction as well as small-group intervention. Teachers can review the skill analysis after the class has learned new skills.  This report will give an overview of how many students have mastered skills and what students need more practice or intervention.  Teachers can then use this data to group students based on skill level and then use the small group feature to conduct small group instruction as well.  

Technology-Enriched Experiences

IXL is an emerging technology that is both relevant and engaging.  Its platform allows students to take control of their learning as they can access practice both in the classroom and at home. Students are also able to access the platform during breaks from school over the holidays, and even through their summer vacation.  Students are able to monitor their progress on each individual standard and as a result, their motivation increases.  Exposing students to this technology adds to their information literacy and prepares them for their future educational endeavors.  

Flip

Description

Flip, formally Flipgrid, is a video-based tool that allows for discussion across digital devices, but in a fun and engaging way that makes it ideal for use in education (Edwards, 2022).  This platform can be used to increase communication between students and teachers in class, at home, and across the country and even the globe.  This free application is easy to use and is fun and engaging for all students. It encourages participation from even the shyest learners.  According to creators,  Flip is a video tool that allows teachers to post "Topics" that are essentially videos with some accompanying text. This is then shared with students, who can be prompted to respond (Edwards, 2022). Student responses are made using the software's camera to create videos that are then posted to the original topic and students then view the videos of their peers and can even respond to their peers as well. Students can record their videos as many times as they like before posting and they can even personalize their videos with stickers, emojis, and text.  Flip can be used to discuss topics across the curriculum and is extremely user-friendly and engaging for all learners.  

Readiness, Interests, and Learning Styles

Flip is the ultimate tool for diversity.  It can engage even the most reluctant participants.  It is similar to Tic-Tok which is extremely popular amongst young learners. Flip encourages students to participate and be active members of their learning community.  Students are able to interact using video, without the pressure of a live classroom and students have the space and time to respond when they're ready, it makes educational engagement possible for even more anxious students who might ordinarily feel left out in class (Edwards, 2022).  When students feel empowered and can communicate and express themselves in a safe space they can make deeper connections with content and their motivation and self-efficacy increase. Students can express themselves creatively and are engaged on a deeper level.  This technology has the ability to engage all learning styles and provides students the opportunity to discuss content in a way that is relevant and has personal meaning.  According to its creators, Flipgrid has expanded its accessibility to ensure that all students can participate using closed captioning when viewing videos, which can generate a full transcript for each video,  and any text within a topic can be read aloud or close captioning can break up words into syllables for easier decoding.

Appropriate Instructional Strategies 

When implementing flip in the classroom teachers should set guidelines for posts and discuss what is appropriate for class discussions.  Students should practice using the technology using pre-designed questions so that they become familiar with the platform and learn its inner workings.  After students are comfortable using the software, teachers can post discussion questions that provide opportunities for students to discuss their thoughts and share ideas.   

Technology-Enriched Experiences

Flip can be used for any subject matter at any grade level.  Students learn crucial communication skills and learn how to communicate in an academic setting.  They gain experience in video editing and posting to a platform.  Flipgrid makes it possible for teachers in different districts and different countries to collaborate and allows students to gain global knowledge through interactions with their peers from different schools or even across the world.   

There are many platforms that can enhance learning and assist teachers with differentiation.  The most important aspect of differentiation is a teacher's knowledge of her students and their needs. Only then can we meet our students where they are and provide the most valuable instruction to ensure their success. 

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