Differentiation

Differentiation Defined
Differentiation involves determining individual student needs and then leveraging teaching and learning strategies and tools (including technology) to best support student achievement of learning goals (Edutopia, 2010). Differentiation of instruction, instructional goals, and learning strategies and tools ensures equity of educational opportunity and, thus, ensures that each student gets what they need to be successful in their learning environment.

How Technology Assists Differentiation Efforts
In general, technology can help teachers differentiate instruction by:

• giving teachers pre-instruction information about individual student knowledge and skills (Edutopia, 2010)
• giving teachers post-instruction information about individual student knowledge and skills (Edutopia, 2010)
• offering opportunities for student collaboration (Edutopia, 2010)
• empowering and engaging students' creativity 
• offering diversity in students' learning output
• allowing diversified pacing of learning and instruction (Edutopia, 2010)
• promoting student autonomy (Edutopia, 2010)
• promoting curriculum rigor (Layton, 2017)
• offering flexible grouping options (Layton, 2017)
• honoring student interests, talents, and skills (Layton, 2017)
• allowing teaching and learning to remain teacher-centered (Layton, 2017)

Sample Technology-Based Differentiation Activities

1. Turn students into teachers with technology presentation tools: Have students use Prezi, PowToon, Google Slides or other technology tool to create a video or slideshow or project that helps students understand a concept (like osmosis or meiosis and mitosis) (Raki, 2016).

2. Provide writing feedback to two peers' drafts: Have students use TurnItIn.com or Google Docs to provide feedback using guiding questions (provided by teacher) to student drafts (Raki, 2016).

3. Students create video tutorials for next year's or next semester's students: Have students create video tutorials using PowToon, Screen-Cast-O-Matic, or iPad functions for things like MLA or APA formatting, how to submit their work to TurnItIn.com or Google Classroom or Edmodo, or other classroom expectations or routines (Raki, 2016). 

Sample Technology-Based Assessments

1. A survey data collector such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey can capture soft data about students' learning or hard data by creating tests or quizzes (ASCD, 2011).

2. Student blogs: Students can contribute to a blog or maintain their own blog to show their mastery of concepts and skills in varying levels of public availability (ASCD, 2011).

3. Flipgrid: Students can make short video clips to demonstrate their learning and respond to others' video clips. I have seen this used as a way to practice learning foreign languages and ASL or as a way to extend and deepen a Socratic seminar.

References:
ASCD. (2011). Using technology to differentiate instruction. Retrieved from https://pdo.ascd.org/ lmscourses/PD11OC109/media/Tech_M4_Reading_Using_Technology01.pdf

Edutopia. (2010, May 25). Use formative assessment to differentiate instruction. Retrieved by https://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-learning-styles-video

Layton, S. (2017, July 20). 9 tips for using technology to differentiate instruction. Retrieved from https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/9-tips-using-technology-differentiate-instruction

Raki, H. (2016, May 26). 10 ways to differentiate instruction with technology. Retrieved from http://blog.whooosreading.org/10-ways-to-differentiate-instruction-with-technology/