Differentiation with Technology

     Teachers have always been encouraged and often required to differentiate curriculum and instruction to meet the individual needs of their students. As technology has advanced and become more common place in the classroom, differentiation and accommodating students is easier than ever. While there are many things and ways teachers can differentiate, they all fall under three main categories: content, process, and product. 

Content

When teachers differentiate content, they are differentiating how a student accesses material. Some ways that this can be done are:

  • Use websites such as Moby Max, IXL, and iReady to provide additional support to students. 
  • Sites like NewsELA allow teachers to assign students the same text on a variety of Lexile levels to meet the needs of individual students. 

Process

When teachers differentiate the process, they differentiate the activity the students are doing. Some ways that this can be done are:

  • “Create a Google Document, Edmodo Group or Padlet Board where students who are working on similar topics can share their findings with each other. This encourages collaboration and increases the amount of research students have access to (Raki, 2016).”
  • Students can use speech to text devices to complete “written” assignments

Product

When teacher differentiate the product, they allow students to display their knowledge and mastery of standards and objectives in a variety of ways.  This can be done in the following ways:

  • Differentiated project options
    • Allow students to create a skit or song and record it
    • Create slide shows and videos 

Reference:

Digital Promise. (2022). Digitalpromise.org. https://microcredentials.digitalpromise.org/explore/technology-for-differentiation

Ferlazzo, L. (2018, June 22). Response: Ways to Use Tech to Differentiate Instruction (Opinion). Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-response-ways-to-use-tech-to-differentiate-instruction/2018/06

Raki, H. (2016, May 24). 10 Ways to Differentiate Instruction with Technology. Whooo’s Reading Blog. http://blog.whooosreading.org/10-ways-to-differentiate-instruction-with-technology/


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