Advances in the way technology was used in the classroom played an instrumental role over the 2020-2021 school year and has changed how many educators use technology in today's classroom. Experts recognize that technology has become more custom to the consumer, to include the classroom consumer (Birch & Sparangis, 2018). As educators continue support their instruction with technology, a strategic implementation of sites and platforms should enhance all levels of learning to promote differentiated instruction (DI) (Birch & Sparangis, 2018). These platforms, paired with best pedagogical practices, provide variance in presentation, engagement, and expression (Murawski & Scott, 2019). By analyzing the sites and applications in this lens, technology becomes a tool that builds autonomy of skill and offers students a choice in the ability to demonstrate knowledge (Murawski & Scott, 2019).
“Technology will never replace great teachers, but in the
hands of great teachers, it’s transformational.”
George Couros
(Keodara, 2019)Learning Tools and Websites to Promote Differentiation
Zearn
Is your school is teaching K-5 math through the Eureka Math / Engage NY Curriculum? If so, Zearn follows Eureka Math lessons as the lesson content is being explored in the classroom. This free tool allows educators create classrooms with individual student profiles. Teachers assign specific lessons that assist the students' ability to revisit lessons and master the progression of skills. Lessons are supported with notes, lesson practice, and exit tickets that teachers can print form the curriculum materials section found in each lesson. Zearn is designed to give instruction that assists students across learning styles while teachers conduct small group mini lessons that further each student's success proregression of math skills.
Differentiation
Zearn Math is a digital tool that serves all levels of learning from fluency drills, anticipatory sets/"warm up," direct instruction/"math chat," and independent practice "tower of power." The direct instruction component models lessons and incorporates interactive lessons which allow students to practice the content in real time. Lessons provide the opportunity for students' independent practice with direct feedback. This approach allows students to correct misunderstandings in real time. An additional bonus to the platform is Zearn's home resources/"parent packs" for parents to understand the steps behind the lessons in common core math. Access to Zearn and its resources heightens the parents' ability to assist their child's academic application and understanding.
Learning Experiences and Ownership
The learning experiences offer both learning through games, direct instruction, optional additional problem sets, and assessment. The varied engagement opportunities allow assigned work to be an individualized learning experience. Each lesson states the lesson's objective and provides a series of experiences in support of the objective. Students can work through the lesson's segments while teachers are able to track the students' progress by specific assignment, pace, progress, or alert. Alerts are provided for students who need further support for skills and/ or fluency.
Nearpod
Nearpod is a tool that offers K-12 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) learning activities for English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Health, Social Emotional Development, Art and Music, and Spanish. Nearpod's content is easy to navigate by searching by subject, theme, content, or by standard. Searching by standard is even further finetuned by allowing the educator to select their state. This for instance is helpful when navigating state specific content or strand.
While Nearpod's library of lessons, activities, and videos are robust, Nearpod also has templates and tools allowing educators to create their own interactive lessons and quizzes. The Teacher "Resources" tab provides Nearpod trainings and "How To" videos to help each educator create lessons that support all learners.
Nearpod does offer serval membership levels making it a resource for every educator. There is an option for a free membership that allows for the exploration and use of the Nearpod content. The downside to the free membership is the limited ability to save multiple lessons that educators may want to have on the "My Lessons" home page. Another downside of the free membership is the limited ability to save the educator created lessons. To upgrade, a $159 membership level allows for 75 students to access the lesson content as well as the ability to save up to 1 GB of either Nearpod or educator created lessons. The next level membership climbs to $397 with the ability for 90 students to access the account and 5 GB of storage.
Differentiation
Once students are logged in, lessons offer activities that are conducive to many learning styles. Auditory learners may choose to have the text read as the student follows along with directions or informational text. Visual learners are offered videos, models, flash cards, and pictures to enhance and support learning. Lessons offer kinesthetic learners, or hands-on learners, the opportunity to collaborate with peers for group work and projects. Additionally, all Nearpod activities allow for students to complete tasks at their individual rate of learning.
Learning Experiences and Ownership
Since Nearpod is a K-12 learning program, teachers can access all grade level standards to assign lessons for students to master skills. Whether a student is working on skill development, extension activities or preparing for application through Project-Based Learning (PBL), Nearpod offers a variety of ways for students to choose how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge. Teachers can evaluate student progress with the submission of assignments, group work, and assessments.
Happy Numbers
Are you looking for a way to assess gaps in your K-5 students’ math CCSS? Happy Numbers may be the right place for you. Free access is currently available until June 30, 2021. Otherwise, memberships are $14.50 per year, per student. The platform allows teachers to build their K-5 classrooms with a user-friendly classroom set up for class rosters, user names, and passwords. Introductory letters to parents are also available in both English and Spanish.
Differentiation
Happy Numbers crates a customized learning plan for each student that allows for student self-paced learning. Happy Numbers builds concept fluency and autonomy by requiring a set time to correctly answer questions. Unlike programs that may have students try a problem again or state an incorrect response, Happy Numbers' interactive dinosaur provides one on one support as students attempt exercises. As the lessons progress, Happy Numbers allows for further differentiated learning as the dinosaur returns to model lessons, works step by step through new math concepts, or allows students to solve problems independently.
Visual models, concrete and abstract representation, application games, read aloud features, and Spanish voice over features are also available in support its learners.
As teachers track their students’ progress, they can fine tune individual lessons by customizing areas that students need additional practice and support. Teachers also have the ability to activate Mid-Year and End of Year Assessments to collect additional data for math growth.
Storybird
Storybird is a global writing platform and interactive library of stories that have been created by scholars of all ages. Educators provide a digital workspace for students to create their own stories or poems while offering images, illustrations, and characters to bring stories to life. This platform does have a cost for its use. Access to Storybird starts as low as $8.99 per month or $59.88 per year.
Differentiation
Full access to Storybird allows teachers to access lessons and quizzes for students to identify the literary skills needed to be proficient and effective writers. As teachers guide students through learning, differentiation is a click away as teachers fine-tune the added support in skill development through the access of differentiated lessons. Once students are ready to practice their skills, students have access to creating their own literary works such as poetry, short stories, comics, or long stories. Students can choose a genre, theme, or setting that fits their idea with the image gallery.
Learning Experiences and Ownership
Students, now becoming authors, and teachers collaborate to fine tune skills in creating a hook to capture the reader’s attention, articulate events in time order, use sophisticated word choice, conclusions, and editing. Upon completion, the student-author's books and poems are available in the class virtual library for classmates to read and enjoy.
References
Birch, P., & Sparangis, T. (Academics). (2018). Patricia Burch and Themistocles Sparangis discuss the importance of education technology as a tool for improvement in the k-12 ed tech space [Video]. SAGE Knowledge. https://www-doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.4135/9781526444066
Cross, T. (2017, November 7). What is Zearn math [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWOCozNqpDQ
Happy Numbers. (2022, February 23). What is Happy Numbers? [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x85XV_yiueA
Happy Numbers. (2021, March 28). Happy Numbers. https://happynumbers.com/
Keodara, K. (2019, November 12). Collection of the 10 best edtech quotes. Visuon. https://visuon.com/s/collection-of-the-10-best-edtech-quotes/#:~:text=%20Collection%20of%20the%2010%20best%20Edtech%20quotes,in%20another%20time.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%93%20Chinese%20Proverb%20More%20
Murawski, W., & Scott, K. (2019). What really works with universal design for learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. ISBN: 9781544338675
Nearpod. (2022). Nearpod. https://nearpod.com/
Nearpod. (2021, October 20). What is Nearpod? [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anTtMRaQLsM
Storybird. (2021, March 29). Storybird. https://storybird.com/
Storybird. (2015, August 28). Storybird for educators [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ9ycfrCR44
Zearn. (2022). Zearn. https://about.zearn.org/
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