Assessing Technology-Based Resources for Differentiation

 

    A modern-day classroom environment requires that students are provided with equitable and invigorating learning experiences which enhance their academic and social-emotional potential. The question in education is no longer if technology should be implemented into a classroom learning environment, but rather, it’s a matter of assessing how technology is best implemented into daily instruction to better meet the diverse learning needs of our equally diverse student population. Technology in the classroom creates engaging and relevant modes of learning and “helps students take a more active role in their learning” (Torchia, 2022). Flipgrid, Jamboard, I-Ready, and Interactive whiteboards are all current technologies that can be used to appropriately support differentiated instruction and enrich student learning styles.

            Flipgrid is a digital tool that allows students to create video responses to prompts created by teachers. This digital tool is highly convenient and practical as it is user friendly for both student and teachers, it’s free of cost, can be utilized as an interactive way to engage in various curricular subject areas, and the platform is also created in a way which appeals to student’s creativity. Jamboard is a “digital whiteboard” which allows students to be visually creative when developing their work; Jamboard allows users to add text, images, digital stickers, etc. This digital tool is very practical as its’ features are user friendly, is free of cost, can be utilized as an interactive way to engage in various curricular subject areas, and the platform purposefully creates opportunities for students to engage with their peers. I-Ready is a mathematics digital assessment tool utilized to assess student learning by means of a computer adaptive test which helps measure students’ level of proficiency in mathematics. I-Ready offers many conventional features; it’s free of cost, is user friendly for students, teachers, and parents, can be easily downloaded from home onto a Chromebook or laptop, its vivid colors and features are appealing to students’ attention, and offers a more hands-on and engaging approach for students to immerse themselves in mathematics. Interactive whiteboards are an innovative and engaging form of technology in the classroom which enhance students’ focus in their learning and build opportunities for students to be active participants in their education by collaborating in classroom instruction. Although they can be costly, they are a strategic technological investment for the classroom and are easy to use for both educators and students, provide student-appealing touch-screen features, and can be used as a form of interaction with various subject areas during instruction and classroom “brain-breaks.”

            Each of these technologies differentiates readiness, interest, and learning styles by providing accessible, relevant, engaging, and targeted digitally supported modes of learning for students according to their individual needs. Flipgrid and Jamboard enhance students’ interests by providing opportunities to be creative with their assignments and exercise their individuality and critical thinking skills. I-Ready differentiates learning for students according to their learning needs and whether they need intervention or enrichment support. Interactive whiteboards differentiate instruction by accommodating instruction to best meet learners’ visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic individual learning styles. Technology in the classroom “provides them [students] opportunities to learn at their own pace, increases their engagement and participation, helps build their skills in operating devices and software, creates fun learning moments, and prepares them for future careers” (Simpson, 2023).

            There are many instructional strategies that are supported by using each of the technologies listed to enrich learning experiences and account for individual student differences and learning styles. For example, Flipgrid, Jamboard, I-Ready, and Interactive whiteboards technology tools “provide forms of artistic communication for those students who have been constrained by the traditional options of verbal and written communication” (Gupta, 2016). From incorporating student movement, implementing higher order thinking questions/skills, targeting learners’ senses, using digital programs that adjust to meet the individual learning needs of students; all these instructional strategies are supported by using digital resources, such as the ones noted, in the classroom.

            I-Ready and Flipgrid each promote learning and create ownership of learning among students by differentiating instruction and creating engaging ways for students to connect with the learning material. For example, I-Ready enhances students’ learning experiences by creating modified lessons which target students’ individualized learning needs. After engaging in a diagnostic assessment, students’ lessons are scaffolded to meet their learning needs. Flipgrid creates opportunities for learners to express themselves creatively, express their individuality and have fun in the process. Digital platforms like I-Ready and Flipgrid provide students with non-traditional ways to immerse themselves into their learning experiences in a fun and interactive manner.

 

 References

Gupta, P. (2016, January 13). 5 teaching strategies to engage students using technology. EdTechReview. https://www.edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/effective-teaching-strategies/

Simpson, A. (2023, January 30). How to use technology in the Elementary Classroom. Nearpod Blog. https://nearpod.com/blog/how-to-use-technology-in-the-early-elementary-classroom/

Torchia, R. (2022, April 18). Benefits of technology in the classroom for K-12 schools.

          Technology Solutions That Drive Education.

          https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/09/benefits-integrating-technology-todays-k-12-classrooms-perfcon