Dana Elias

http://eliasgoteach.weebly.com
EDU-225
07NOV15

Raft Task Card

This RAFT Card is designed for __6th__ grade level.

ROLE (student)
A student assigned to

AUDIENCE
The teacher and

FORMAT
A classroom

TOPIC
What are the

researching proper

your peers.

briefing.

proper techniques

techniques in

that should be

academic writing.

used when

Row 1
drafting an
A sentence

The writer

A research paper.

academic paper?
How should
sentences be

Row 2
structured in
Punctuation

The writer

A paragraph

academic writing?
What are the

explaining proper

proper uses of

sentence structure.

punctuation in

Row 3
academic writing?

RAFT Row 1
Objective: You will be able to identify what the proper techniques are for use in academic
writing.
Student Role: A student assigned to researching proper techniques in academic writing.
Audience:

The teacher and your peers.

Format:

A classroom briefing.

Topic:

What are the proper techniques that should be used when drafting an academic

paper?

Directions:
1. Visit http://www.academictips.org/acad/atipsforwritingresearchpaper.html for good
2.
3.
4.
5.

tips in drafting your academic paper.

Choose a topic and draft a paper according to your research.
Create a presentation to brief the class on what you have learned.
Conduct your briefing.
ISTE STANDARD 1. Creativity & Innovation (a, b); 2. Communication &
Collaboration (a, b); 3. Research & Information (a, b, c, d)

Resources: Websites to visit.

http://www.academictips.org/acad/atipsforwritingresearchpaper.html
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2013/05/twenty-top-tips-for-academicwriting.html
www.xtranormal.com

Assessment: Conduct a 15-minute briefing to your classmates on academic writing. You will be
graded on your accuracy in your research, and the creativity of your presentation.

RAFT Row 2
Objective: Students will be able to identify and use proper sentence structure in academic
writing.
Student Role: A sentence
Audience:

The writer

Format:

A research paper.

Topic:

How should sentences be structured in academic writing?

Directions:
1.Research proper sentence structure in academic writing. At least three solid resources
will need to used and cited in APA format.
2. Submit your thesis statement.
3. Draft your paper in at least 300 words, and have it reviewed by three different peers
before final submission.
4. Submit your research paper.
5. ISTE STANDARD 1. Research & Information (a, b, c, d)
Resources:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/sentence-structure.html
http://study.com/academy/lesson/how-to-write-better-by-improving-your-sentencestructure.html

Assessment: Submit your 300-word essay. You will be graded on the accuracy in your research
and proper writing techniques and sentence structure.

RAFT Row 3
Objective: Students will be able to explain proper sentence structure in academic writing.
Student Role: Punctuation

Audience:

The writer

Format:

A paragraph explaining proper sentence structure

Topic:

What are the proper uses of punctuation in academic writing?

Directions: Draft a paragraph explaining proper sentence structure, using the techniques that you
learned. Make sure your paragraph is at least 4-6 sentences long.
ISTE STANDARD 1. Creativity & Innovation (a, b); 2. Communication & Collaboration (a,
b); 3. Research & Information (a, b, c, d)

Resources:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
http://www.grammarcheckforsentence.com/?
gclid=CMnIgbnlhckCFZcYHwod0cQJ4Q#.VkHaboQSHww
http://esl.fis.edu/learners/advice/syntax.htm
http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html

Assessment: Students will be graded on the accuracy of their research and the sentence structure
used.

Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

There is an integral need for teachers, across year levels; to cater for students of different
ability levels, learning profiles and interests, through the use of differentiated strategies (Round,
P. Subban, P. (2015) p. 117). Differentiating Instruction is very important for teachers in knowing
each and every student and their individual needs in how they learn. Not every student learns the
same. Standing in front of a class and delivering a lesson through strictly a lecture or even
discussion format may not work for all students. Some students may retain the information being
given more, by watching a video or playing a game. Role-playing may be more effective for
students who learn better through hands on type approach. Each student has independent needs
in their learning and technology is becoming better rounded in catering to each of those needs in
every student.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Using technology to differentiate instruction is a great way to reach all of your students.
Some students learn best by simply listening to a lesson or a set of instructions. In this case,

perhaps having the students listen to a simple podcast may be best. Other students may not
understand the concept being given until they see it for themselves. In this case, perhaps a video
explaining a lesson and demonstrations would be beneficial. Other students may actually need to
put the lesson being given, to individual or group practice. In this case, perhaps an interactive
game would be best to reach those students. Whatever it is, there is sure to be some type of
technology to aid a teacher in ensuring that each student benefits from the lesson. The teacher
must first, identify each classification of students, and may have to compromise and design a
type of lesson that will reach all of these students at once, using technology.
Name of Technology Tool: Video streaming websites, most notably, YouTube can be a great tool
to use in differentiating instruction and is an effective tool to use for students who learn more
through visual demonstration. This tool can be used to target student achievement by visually
stimulating the student. A lot of children, especially teens in the secondary school system like to
be entertained while learning. Visual media can be considered a form of entertainment, and still
hold educational value. Some visual learners also benefit from interacting with their lesson. A
great website for use is Xtra-normal.com. With this technology, students can create and direct
their own movies. This would be an advantage for a student who needs to prepare a presentation
to give to the rest of the class.
ISTE Standards Creativity and Innovation (a,b,c,d) from the website iste.org.
Name of Technology Tool: Websites that support podcast streaming is a great tool for students
who learn best by listening. Teachers could differentiate instruction by splitting the classroom
into groups and assigning them each a different technology to assist the lesson. The audio
learners in particular could be assigned a specific podcast to listen to and take notes. Once the
lesson is complete, each group could present what they learned to the entire class for further

explanation of the lesson. Teachers would need to research and assign appropriate podcasts using
websites like itunes.com for their lesson.
ISTE Standards Research and Information fluency (a,b,c,d) from the website iste.org
Name of Technology Tool: Consider using games like those from http://classroom.jcschools.net/basic/la-grammar.html to help students who learn best from actual practice. These
learners can be considered kinesthetic learners. Again using the example of a classroom split into
separate groups, these games can be assigned to them. While the entire class is essentially
learning the same thing, each group is learning differently, that caters to their specific style.
ISTE Standards Creativity and Innovation (a,b,c,d) and Research and Information fluency
(a,b,c,d) from the website iste.org
Pros and Cons
Students

tend to comprehend little and lose focus of classroom instruction when their

teachers fail to use instructional strategies that match students learning styles. Differentiated
instruction can alleviate or eliminate this disengagement. (Morgan, H. (2015) p. 34)
Differentiating instruction is not only a way for all students to benefit from a lesson, but also a
great way for students to understand that the teacher is putting thought into their best interest. It
shows the student that the teacher cares about their education. Using examples like those given
above can really set your classroom apart from others. Using technology is a great way to aid a
teachers instruction in almost every subject, at every grade level and for every learning style.
One drawback from using technology in the classroom is of course misuse of the specific
technology. Technology in the classroom can be a great distraction if not monitored properly.
Teachers should review and test all technology before it is presented in the classroom.

Concluding Paragraph
Using technology to differentiate instruction is very important, especially in this day in
age. Almost all students are familiar with technology and in fact, in most cases, are more
comfortable using it than listening to a standard lecture in the classroom. Teachers should always
take this into consideration because technology in the classroom will only continue to grow.
Students individual needs will only continue to grow more diverse as well. A good teacher will
identify these needs quickly, and shape their classroom to fit those needs.

References:
Morgan, H. (2014). Maximizing Student Success with Differentiated Learning. Clearing
House, 87(1), 34-38. doi:10.1080/00098655.2013.832130
Subban, P. K., & Round, P. N. (2015). Differentiated Instruction at Work. Reinforcing the art of
classroom observation through the creation of a checklist for beginning and pre-service teachers.
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(5).
Retrieved from http://ro.e Campbell, T., Shaing Kwei, W., Hui-Yin, H., Duffy, A. M., & Wolf, P.
G. (2010). Learning with Web Tools, Simulations, and Other Technologies in Science
Classrooms. Journal Of Science Education & Technology, 19(5), 505-511. doi:10.1007/s10956010-9217-8 cu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss5/7