Differentiation with Technology

Technology supports teachers’ efforts in differentiating according to students’ readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles by allowing students to acquire knowledge in a variety of mediums (Crowe, et al., 2010).  When choosing technology, teachers may find the task difficult especially when considering the many tools for technology that are available.  Scholars suggest that it is important to note that integrating technology should never be about matching the content to the technology a teacher wants to use in the classroom, instead using technology should start with the knowledge of what types of technology are available and how these might connect to the curriculum and learning goals we want students to acquire (Crowe, et al., 2010).  Technology should make learning more interactive and appealing to diverse learners and should support their different needs in the classroom.  

Three different platforms were selected for this remedial lesson plan.  Epic Books, BookNook, and See Saw.  All these technology platforms connect to the content being taught and offer fun and engaging experiences that support diverse learners.  Epic Books will be used to expose students to poetry from diverse cultures, some of the poetry even features poems in students' native languages.  Students can then discuss the different phonemes and rhyme patterns in English and in Spanish.  Students are engaged with poetry that sparks their interests and that represents their diversity.  

Book Nook will be used for small group instruction, allowing students to work collaboratively on word mapping and the different syllable types.  This tutoring platform allows teachers to build groups and conduct guided reading lessons via student iPads.  Students are quizzed on vocabulary and the focus skill through game-like assessments and data is tracked and stored within the program.  

Lastly, students will record themselves reenacting the jobs of the vowel teams in books they read based on the secret stories using SeeSaw.  The secret stories are Rooted in the science of reading and cognitive neuroscience research, Secret Stories target backdoor learning channels to accelerate phonics mastery for reading (Garner, et al., 2020). Students will make connections between books, secret stories, and phonemic awareness while demonstrating their learning using technology.   

The use of this technology helps to make students aware of cultural differences through experiencing the different sounds of other languages.  This exposure helps students understand that many of their peers are learning new languages with vast differences in their sounds and why some have difficulty reading a new language.  Students can also be engaged with literature from other cultures and from around the world. Differentiated instruction with technology offers the opportunity for teachers to engage students in different modalities, while also varying the rate of instruction, complexity levels, and teaching strategies to engage and challenge students.  Technology can also help teachers transform their classrooms, enabling them to customize the curriculum to the needs of each student, and technology provides opportunities to differentiate homework and motivate students to learn and grow (ASDC, n.d.)

References: 

ASDC. (n.d.). Using technology to differentiate instruction https://pdo.ascd.org/lmscourses/PD11OC109/media/Tech_M4_Reading_Using_Technology01.pdf 

Garner, K., Charlson, D., & Raimondo, A. M. (2020). Cracking the reading code with the brain in mind: Accessing the brain's backdoor for reading, learning, and teaching. Secret Stories. 

Stanford, P., Crowe, M. W., & Flice, H. (2010). Differentiating with technology.TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 6(4), Article 2. 

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ907030.pdf