Differentiation through Technology

The effective teacher balances the demand of a standards-based curriculum and the individual needs of each student by incorporating technology into their instruction. Technology allows for multiple modes of instruction and for various ways for students to show what they have learned and express themselves. For instance, Roblyer and Hughes in “Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching” from 2019 discuss UDL (Universal Design for Learning). They talk about multiple means of representation and multiple means of expression. Multiple means of representation are different ways to teach students the information that they need to learn. Some students learn more visually while others may learn with reading or doing. Multiple means of expression are ways that students can show what they have learned. Some students may do better with a choice, such as writing an essay in word, or recording a skit and posting it to a class site. Roblyer and Hughes, 2019, say that personalized instruction is made more possible with the use of technology in the classroom. Technology makes it easier to teach students where they are at and use how they individually learn to engage them.

Some tools that are listed by Roblyer & Hughes in their 2019 book “Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching” that we have at our disposal to help us comply with both demands of standards and individual needs are games, virtual reality, and personalized learning systems. Games that are educational and virtual reality are a great way to engage with students because students can have fun while also learning. Personalized learning systems monitor students learning and adjust instruction to meet them where they are at and push them further. Some other tools that I have found on TeachThought in the article “15 Technology Tools to Engage Students in the Classroom” from 2020 are Flipgrid, Venngage, and Prezi. Flipgrid is a site that students can use to share videos in a safe way. This would be great for students who want to record their assignments instead of writing an essay. Venngage is a site to make infographics. This would help visual learners. Students can also create their own infographic and apply what they have learned. Prezi is another site that students can present what they have learned in a different way.

In my own classroom some best practices that I have incorporated are using technology to promote engagement and using technology to informally assess my students. I have used Kahoot! which allowed me to engage students with learning. I not only used it for assessing students’ knowledge, but also used it to teach. I would reteach material that I thought students were not understanding between questions. I have also used virtual field trips and BrainPop in my classroom as another way to engage students. From what I have learned, I would like to incorporate even more into my instruction. I love the idea of using Venngage and Flipgrid. They are something that I had not even heard of, which goes to show how ever-changing technology is.

        Hughes, J., & Roblyer, M. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: Transforming learning across disciplines (8th ed.). Pearson.

        15 technology tools to engage students in the classroom. (2020, April 29). TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/technology/technology-tools/