Entry 3: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Introduction (4-6 sentences)

Educators have 25 students in a classroom to teach to, how will they be effective enough to
reach each student? Putting assigned reading on tapes or downloading them from auto books to
enhance the take away an understanding for students, is a great way to tailor the instruction with
the aid of technology. The use of digital media through keynote/PowerPoint are ways introduce
new concepts and ideas to the students this also makes it easy for students to re-visit the
document when needed. Educators can incorporate differentiating instruction through
technology by tailoring the lessons/instructions to meet the individual learning styles and needs
of students. Interactivity is an essential feature of digital media applications because it allows
for individual instruction and exploration, both of which enrich the educational experience.
(Gunter & Gunter pg 205)
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Audio Book is a story that has been narrated and is being read to the listener. Students are
required to do readings and many times in elementary school the teacher will read a specific
book that has a lesson incorporated. While the teachers read the students are supposed to listen.
This can be hard for some students as the learning style they have may not allow them to focus.
Using Audio Book the student can hear the book if they choose to, or select to have the audio
stopped. Students are also be able to follow along and read with the book on the device.
Differentiating the instruction of story time and assigned readings is a simple yet, unique way to
ensure the success for all students by meeting diverse learning styles. (Gunter & Gunter pg 207)
The use of audio books follows the ISTE standard for teachers #2- Design or adapt relevant
learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning.

(Name of Technology Tool):

Spread sheets and data collection tools for integration in math and science. As educators
knowing students learning styles can help to choose the differentiating instruction that is chosen.
Knowing that some students are logical and mathematical thinkers, it is known that they like
numbers, problem solving, and reasoning. Students may also like calculating, measuring, and
organizing data. To incorporate instruction that allows and encourages student to collect data,
sequence information, solve problems, experiment, predict and classify they will take more for
the instruction, learn from it and build on it. The spread sheet tool can be formatted in numerous
ways to incorporate all the tasks that logical-mathematical thinkers need to really take more from
lesson and grow on it. ISTE Standards for teachers 2d) Customize and personalize learning
activities to address students diverse learning styles working strategies and ability using digital
tools.
(Name of Technology Tool):
Virtual Story boarding and organizers are a good way for educators to check for students
knowledge and understanding. ISTE: promoting student reflection using collaboration tools to
reveal and clarify students conceptual understanding thinking planning and creative process. An
educator can read a story to the students, after which the students can be grouped to complete the
virtual story board and organizers. Students will need to place events as they happened in the
story. This differentiating instructional technique is a way to asses students concept knowledge
and retell of events. This tool can be used in many forms, for target grade level of second grade
using it for story enhancement is a very interesting way for students to show how much they

grasp. Improvements have been found through comprehension strategies, mastery of phonemic
and decoding skills and attributes towards reading. (Rock, Gregg, Ellis & Gable 2008)
Pros and Cons
Differentiating instruction is a technique used be educators to reach all children at the
level they are at and contribute lessons to the learning styles of the students. This can help to
reach students, gain the interest in the topic and spark the want to learn and research more.
Digital media is defined as those technologies hat allow users to create new forms of interaction
expression communication and entertainment. (Gunter & Gunter 2014) Differentiating
instruction is ensuring that what a student learns, how he/she learns it, and how the student
demonstrates what he/she has learned is a match for that students readiness level, interests, and
preferred mode of learning. (Rock, Gregg, Ellis & Gable 2008) As educators there should be no
rational for not wanting to do the best that can be done for students, this technique is just that. (I
can not write cons for this subject. )
Concluding Paragraph
Differentiating instruction is a technique used by educators that want to make a difference and
help the students succeed. All students learn at different paces and have different learning styles,
finding away to reach all students levels is hard. As an educator it is important to do whatever it
takes to reach students on all levels and enhance the information learned on each topic. Tailoring
the lessons with differentiating instruction is education in the 21st century. This is how educators
will uphold the No Child Left Behind Act.

References:

Ex. Author Last, First (year). Title of the Article. Title of the Journal should be in italics, volume
number should be in italics (issue number), page numbers only.

Gunter. R. E., & Gunter. G. A., (2014) Teachers discovering computers: Integrating technology in a
changing world. 8th edition. Boston, Ma. Cengage Learning

ISTE Standards for Students

http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students
Rock M, Gregg M, Ellis E, Gable R. REACH: A Framework for differentiating classroom
instruction. Preventing school failure [serial online]. Winter2008 2008;52(2):31-47.
Available from: Education Research Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 30, 2015
Sesta, J. (2010). 10 ways I bring a variety of texts into my classroom. Practically Primary,
15(3),20-24.
Washington State Content Learning Standards
http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/EALRs-GLEs.aspx