After completing this course, Reaching and Engaging all learners through Technology, my understanding of how I can become a more effective teacher and how to help my students can get the most out of their learning has become much clearer. Previous to this course, I thought differentiating instruction meant creating different lessons for different students. I now understand that differentiated instruction is a way of thinking. It involves creating opportunities for all students to utilize the way they learn best. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model fits well the the concept of DI because they share the same philosophy of creating flexible lessons that allow students to explore information in a variety of ways. UDL adds the element of technology and the key role it can play in creating these opportunities.
I have gathered information that will help me create lessons and experiences using technology that will allow students to develop an understanding based on how they learn. My previous misconceptions about Differentiated Instruction included the misconceived idea that it would mean more work for me. This simply is not true. When paired with technology there are a variety of options for developing lessons where students are allowed the flexibility they need to how they gather, interpret information, and produce a final product that demonstrates understanding.
The beginning of the new school year will be a perfect time to incorporate some of the things that I have learned about DI and UDL. Research tells us that learning style, gender, and culture, impact student learning (Tomlinson, 2009). Therefore, I plan to make use of the online tools that were posted on our Differentiation Station group site http://groups.google.com/group/group-5-reach-and-engage-through-technology?hl=en
to help me collect information about my students interests, learning styles, and intelligences so I can create meaningful learning experiences.
I also plan to utilize several online tools to help differentiate my lesson plans. Some of these tools include voicethread:http://voicethread.com/, Little Bird Tales: http://www.littlebirdtales.com/, and Kidblog: http://kidblog.org/home.php. All of these tools offer the flexibility that students need to create and demonstrate their understanding of content in a variety of ways.
Technology will also play an important role in how I assess my students' progress and learning. I plan to utilize clickers to check student understanding about key points as we work our way through lesson. The information that I gather will help me make decisions about how to improve instructional programs (Salend, 2009).
As my comfort level increases and the integration of these tools evolves, I will create a learning environment that includes UDL and Differentiated Instruction on a daily basis. I am anxious to utilize what I have learned about UDL and DI. The benefits of this type of classroom will be seen in the success of each and every student.
Resources:
Salend, S. (2009). Technology-based classroom assessments. Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(6), 48–58.
Tomlinson, C. (2009). Learning profiles and achievement. School Administrator. 66(2), 28–33.
