How to Differentiate with Technology

1. Using Technology for
Differentiating
Instruction
By R. C. Baker

2. WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATION?
Tailoring instruction to meet individual academic
needs of students.
Some students can
comprehend and retain
lessons quickly.
Some students need more
time and additional
resources to comprehend
lessons.

3. DIFFERENTIATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Technology allows teachers to provide more engaging
instruction to students based on:
Student Learning Profiles Student ReadinessStudent Interest

4. TECHNOLOGIES THAT ASSIST WITH DIFFERENTIATION
A website where over 49 million
teachers, parents and students,
from all over the world, connect
and collaborate on assignments,
join for support, learn new
computer technologies,
professional development,
vocational studies and more.
Teachers can create small groups
for their students for different
assignments and assessments
based on their academic level.

5. TECHNOLOGIES THAT ASSIST WITH DIFFERENTIATION
Is a program that allows students to play
games independently, practicing
mathematics to reinforce what they reviewed
during their lesson. Students are given
immediate feedback from the program,
which allows teachers to give help to those
who need additional support. Students
practice three games and must receive 80%
correct before they master a level and move
to the next one.

6. Teachers can differentiate with
technology using four main strategies
1. Content
2. Process
3. Products
4. Learning Environment

7. CONTENT
▪ Covers the standards of
learning set by state
educational standards or a
school district. Teachers
may differentiate the
content by designing
activities for groups of
students that cover
Bloom’sTaxonomy which
is a classification of
various levels of
intellectual behavior

8. CONTENT
Students with High Levels of
Mastery
Students with Mid Levels of
Mastery
Students with Low Levels of
Mastery

9. PROCESS
Where teachers deliver the
material to students in each
learning style:
▪ Visual
▪ Auditory
▪ Kinesthetic
▪ Words
Using tiered activities through
which all learners work with the
same important understandings
and skills, but proceed with
different levels of support

10. PRODUCTS
The product is what the
student creates at the end of
the lesson to demonstrate the
mastery of the content.
Teachers may show mastery of
an educational concept in a
way the student prefers, based
on learning style.
Ex: Giving students options of
how to express required
learning.

11. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Include both physical and
psychological conditions of a
students environment.
Teachers should use
classroom management
techniques that support a
safe and supportive learning
environment.
Ex: Making sure there are
places in the room to work
quietly without distraction
as well as places that
promote student
collaboration.

12. PROS & CONS
• Students are more
responsible for their own
learning when given more
options on how they can
learn.
• There are reportedly
fewer discipline problems
when students are
engaged in learning.
• Teachers find it
challenging to find the
time it requires to plan
differentiated instruction.
PROS CON

13. REMEMBER
Encourage students to use
all of the available tools
they have that will help
them learn and eventually
they will find what works
best for them. Learning
communities should be
respectful of everyone’s
different needs.

14. www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn
www.edutopia.org/blog/enhanced-learning-through-differentitated-
technology-Julie-stern
www.wcs.k12.va.us/users/honaker/Differentiation.pdf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lymwkJanNEA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZOBGXMf83U