A Differentiated Activity and Technology

 

A Differentiated Activity and Technology

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Abstract

Every student in the classroom has a unique learning style, so no two are alike. Differentiated education gives learners with unique needs an array of choices to choose from in the classroom (Hall, Strangman, and Meyer, n.d.). It enables teachers to recognize students' talents and learning styles. Content, process, and products are the three classroom components of differentiated instruction (Tomlinson, 2000), and are more qualitative than quantitative (Tapee, 2018). Technology makes differentiated instructions more effective. The technology eliminates accessibility gaps by fostering learning through collaboration and experience (Office of Educational Technology, 2017). Thus, using the "Learning Station" technique and technology for an effective learning outcome, this paper discusses one differentiated activity for teaching the topic "Plate Tectonics" in the human geography lesson. The following three stages will be followed to complete this activity:

Phase I of the Activity (Content)

Comprehension of the prior knowledge of the students is crucial before beginning the activity, because some students may just have a cursory understanding of the subject. As a result, teachers had to distinguish the material by offering straightforward exercises based on student's abilities and the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (Weselby, 2021). Before beginning this activity, the teacher will require the students to read the text and respond to a few straightforward questions about the subject. Second, by giving students the worksheet, the teacher will have them match the key terms from the text with their definitions. The teacher will then ask them to contrast their ideas on the subject with the information they learned from the text.

 

Phase II of the Activity (Process)

The teacher will use the “Learning Station” Strategy in which the teacher will create four stations in the classroom and divide the class into four groups of seven students each. While working in their respective station, students will be asked to work based on questions such as, "What is a tectonic plate and how does it move?" and "Why does the Earth have tectonic plates?" "What will happen if Earth has no tectonic plates?", "What is the scientific theory on major landforms and Earth's subterranean movements?”, “What are the types of tectonics? Is plate tectonics necessary for life? In the course of the activity, students will report to their assigned station and begin working with their group members. At Station 1, they will watch videos, at Station 2, they will listen to audiobooks, at Station 3, they will create artwork, and at Station 4, they will read articles with pictures. They will be required to switch to the other station and learn the material after finishing their chores at their respective stations. They keep going till they have finished the four specified stations.

Phase III of the Activity (End Product)

Learners Station is an illustration of a typical differentiated activity frequently used in the classroom to improve students' learning, according to the "Differentiated Instruction Educator's Guide" (2010). Each station has a different approach to teaching and mastering the concepts or skills associated with the subject matter. In the aforementioned activity, we observe that the teacher is instructing the same content to the pupils using several instructional styles (Weselby, 2021). Additionally, each station in the aforementioned activity runs separately from the others. By experimenting with various methods of learning the same material through numerous, naturalistic, and intrapersonal intelligence, they develop new skills and experiences.

Technology has a special and advantageous function in the aforementioned activity since it satisfies the learners' urge to differentiate through various technological mediums. We observe those students using technology to learn the material as well as using it creatively to produce video interviews that call for technological expertise; converting the knowledge learned from audiobooks into oral reports that call for comprehension and creativity; and using the "Padlet" platform to share their work, which will allow them to get the immediate experience of simple sharing and viewing through the use of technology. As a result of this experience, they will be better prepared to tackle future technology issues.

Even though differentiated exercises are more efficient, they are time-consuming and require students to learn the same material repeatedly in various ways. Because most schools only have 50 to 55 minutes every period, it can be challenging to finish the assignment, and the teacher may need to repeat the activity the following day. By that time, the students may forget all they learned in the prior class. On the other hand, any school may be constrained by poor internet network connectivity, a lack of training, and inadequate computer resources (Ghavifekr, Kunjappan, Ramasamy, and Anthony, n.d.). Finally, not all teachers may have the necessary technical skills, which will continue to be a problem.

Conclusion

When differentiated instruction and the use of technology are coupled, the teaching and learning process will always be meaningful and effective because it enables any instructor to fulfill the demands of varied students with varied learning styles and skills. It satisfies their demands by being integrated into the educational process. It also helps children to develop their independence and learn with curiosity.

 

 

 

 

References

Ghavifekr, S., Kunjappan, T., Ramasamy, L., and Anthony, A. (n.d.). Teaching and Learning with ICT Tools: Issues and Challenges from Teachers’ Perceptions. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1096028.pdf

Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (n.d.). Differentiated instruction and implications for UDL implementation. National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. https://sde.ok.gov/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/DI_UDL.pdf

Reimaging the role of technology in education: 2017 National education technology plan update. (2017). Office of Educational Technology. https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf

Student success: Differentiated instruction educator’s guide. (2010). Reach Every Student.  http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesDI/EducatorsPackages/DIEducatorsPackage2010/2010EducatorsGuide.pdf

Tapee, K. (2018). Differentiated Instruction using Technology. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Iy_CR6nco

Tomlinson, C. A. (2000). Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-differentiated-instruction#:~:text=Differentiation%20means%20tailoring%20instruction%20to,a%20successful%20approach%20to%20instruction.

Weselby, C. (2021). What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/