Differentiation is something that is vital in every classroom. As educators, we are challenged with a wide variety of learners in our classrooms, which change each year. We are always looking for ways to teach more effectively and meet the needs of each individual student. When reviewing the articles for Voice Thread this week, it became apparent that it is an excellent tool to help students who were not eager to learn or have a distaste for school. These articles led me to research in regards to using technology to differentiate instruction. I found an article that lists multiple websites which can assist teachers in helping students of all learning abilities by engaging the students in new and creative ways. The websites are broken up by subject area and each have a brief description listed. I found this literature helpful in my continued search for new resources for my classroom.
Are there any sites that you recently learned about? Do you use technology to differentiate instruction in the classroom?
I am using VoiceThread components to create an online language arts course for my district. We are aiming to have full cyber curricula available in the next few years, and I think this is a big part of differentiation. For example, I know one student who is on homebound who has to take all cyber classes, but he still wants to remain in the district. These technological capabilities allow him to be "taught" by the teachers without having to leave home. If I were a parent and in a situation where my child needed such a high level of differentiation, I know I would be so, so thankful that media literacy had come so far.
ReplyDelete