Supporting Differentiated Instruction and Learning Styles with Technology

Differentiation is crucial in classroom instruction. Differentiation refers to teachers attending to students' individual needs by adjusting instruction. For example, the classroom teacher can differentiate instructional content students will be learning, giving students choice for how to make sense of new content, and products students will use to demonstrate their knowledge (Tomlinson, 2000). With the use of technology, students are given the opportunity to receive individualized instruction accommodated to their needs (Stern, 2015).

3 Technologies Supporting Differentiated Instruction

1. i-Ready 

i-Ready is an online program developed by Curriculum Associates that offers differentiated instruction for students in both math and reading (Smart Ed, 2020). At the beginning of each trimester, students take the adaptive i-Ready Diagnostic, which offers teachers rich data to better understand their students' individual needs. For students, the adaptive diagnostic ranges in difficulty based on their previous answers. Therefore, more correct answers leads to more difficult questions and vice versa. 

The instructional portion of i-Ready provides students with online lessons driven by the diagnostic data. The lessons take students on a "path" to developing grade level skills, as well as keep them engaged, encouraged, and motivated (Smart Ed, 2020). The instructional lessons are interactive and provide example and practice problems. The problems are cast by colorful and diverse digital characters. At the end of each lesson, students earn tokens which can be used while playing the platform's learning games. In addition, the classroom teacher can adjust the individual lesson path for students at any time. i-Ready is available for download on the iTunes Store and accessible via web browsers.

Licensure for i-Ready is available in two formats. The i-Ready Diagnostic license is priced starting at $6/student, per subject, per year. The combination of the i-Ready Diagnostic and i-Ready instruction begins at $30/student, per subject, per year. Schools purchasing licenses must purchase at least 150, and could potentially receive a discount if purchased for district-wide use (EdSurge, 2022).  

i-Ready is used in my classroom daily. At the beginning of each week, students set a goal for themselves regarding how many lessons they will pass. During our Differentiated Engagement Block each day, students engage in their individualized lessons. In addition, students work on their i-Ready Math lessons during our math block if they complete their work early. This ensures that all my students are receiving instruction that addresses their learning needs. 

2. Google Classroom 

Google Classroom is powered by Google and free to use within reason. A class cannot be created without the school or district signing up for a free Google Workspace for Education account, ensuring students' safety and security (Edwards, 2022). Student accounts, as well as their privacy and security settings, are setup before they have access. Students can access their Google Classroom account on any device. However, the platform is best accessible on students' 1:1 Chromebook devices. 

The platform provides students with a private and safe space for them to demonstrate their knowledge. Students can ask their teacher questions, see assignment due dates, and access all posted materials. Also, teachers have a host of tools at their fingertips to create assignments, as well as publish materials, that are differentiated to any student of choice (Lynch, 2018). In addition, teachers can leave feedback on students' assignments, send announcements, and invite parents to connect to their child's Classroom account. 

For a school to add its teachers and students, they must first sign-up for the service. This ensures that only members of the institution have access to the information. However, there are two packages available for purchase. The first package is Standard Google Workspace for Education, which is priced at $4/student per year. This package offers services such as a security center, advanced device/app management, log exports for analysis on Gmail and Google classroom. 

In my classroom, Google Classroom has been used since the pandemic began. Each student in my school district is assigned a 1:1 Chromebook device automatically linked to their Google Education account. During remote learning, students accessed their daily schedule, virtual meeting links, assignments, and necessary materials using Google Classroom. When students login, they are automatically taken to the stream, which hosts all announcements, posted materials, Meet link, and due dates. Then, students can access all current and previous posted assignments and materials by clicking "classwork" at the top of the screen. The mentioned tools Google Classroom provides kept my students' engaged in their learning, as well as helped them gain technological skills. 

To eliminate paper usage and maintain organization, I still use Google Classroom in my teaching practices. Each day, my students login to their Chromebook devices and access Google Classroom via the Clever Portal. Under the "Classwork" tab, I post a morning check in assignment that I created using Google Forms. Students fill out and submit the form, then turn in the assignment on Classroom. Other assignments students complete throughout the school day include journal writings, read alouds, essays, tests/quizzes, etc. Utilizing the online platform ensures all my students' individual learning needs are met. Also, my students are held accountable for their learning as they can see when their work is missing or incomplete. Google Classroom assignments have helped my students become more responsible with their schoolwork. 

3. Learning Ally 

Learning Ally is a nonprofit organization that focuses on educational solutions that will transform reading for early and struggling readers (Learning Ally, 2022). The organization is committed to helping students who are blind, dyslexic, and visually impaired. The platform offers students with human-read audiobooks that are based on their Lexiles, as well as interests. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is designed to help struggling readers, and those with reading deficits, to become more engaged in their learning. For students to have access to Learning Ally, they must be observed to determine eligibility. Eligible students are those who struggle with decoding, fluency, and comprehension (2022). 

Once students are determined eligible and are provided an account, the classroom teacher can assign individual audio books. Each student can adjust the pace of the book and size of the text displayed, as well as highlight and bookmark any new words they encounter while reading. This gives students control of their reading and learning. Students also have free access to a variety of books on the digital library, which can be added to their own "bookshelf." 

Learning Ally has an annual membership fee of $135 for qualified members. However, only those with documented disabilities can qualify for membership to comply with federal copyright law. Learning Ally is offered to educational institutions, as well as families at home (Rippel, 2021). The organization provides a Symptoms of Dyslexia Screening Checklist for parents/guardians to complete for their child. Then, the checklist is submitted via email to Learning Ally for review.

References

EdSurge. (2022). i-Ready - product reviews. https://www.edsurge.com/product-reviews/i-ready#:%7E:text=Licenses%20for%20the%20i%2DReady,a%20minimum%20of%20150%20licenses.

Edwards, L. (2022). What is google classroom? TechLearningMagazine. https://www.techlearning.com/features/what-is-google-classroom

Learning Ally. (2022). Step 1: Understand | learning ally. https://learningally.org/Implementation-Success-Plan/Implementation-Leader/Understand#eligibility

Lynch, M. (2018). Using google classroom to differentiate instruction. The Tech Edvocate. https://www.thetechedvocate.org/using-google-classroom-to-differentiate-instruction/

Rippel, M. (2021). Learn how to get help for a struggling reader with learning ally. All About Learning Press. https://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/learning-ally/

Smart Ed. (2020). iReady. SmartEd, Inc.｜SmartEd, Inc. for Consultation on Overseas Education and Learning. https://www.smarted.jp/en/item/iready/

Stern, J. (2015). Enhancing learning through differentiated technology. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/enhanced-learning-through-differentiated-technology-julie-stern

Tomlinson, C. (2000). What is differentiated instruction? Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-differentiated-instruction#:%7E:text=By%3A%20Carol%20Ann%20Tomlinson,a%20successful%20approach%20to%20instruction.