Reflection on Reaching and Engaging all Learners Through Technology

As I finish out the final week of the course, I look back at the path of some very interesting concepts. Concepts such as UDL, Universal Design for Learning and DI, Differentiated Instruction brought a new perspective to how my classroom could reach all learners. Communicating with my classmates on a weekly basis through our Differentiation Station Network helped tremendously with those new concepts. As I explored the websites that we shared, large amounts of information were gathered. As a Science "Specials" Teacher, I found an interesting article from The Access Center called Differentiated Instruction for Science, that can be found at http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/sciencedifferentation.asp. The article basically gave me a clear picture of how DI could work in my Science classroom.

Some immediate adjustments that I am making toward my instruction are what I refer to as the beginning phases of DI in my classroom. With the knowledge gained from the course and some assistance from a colleague next door, I am giving students more options to succeed in Science. I am starting with a 4th Grade class by creating groups based on their academic strength. The advanced students will have a choice board of activities to choose from. The middle range students will have their assignments and will work independently with some assistance. My lower students will have constant assistance to guide them along.

The integration of technology into the class has been a slow process. I do use my laptop computer to bring up various educational websites plus, powerpoint presentations. I was promised an interactive white board, which has not been delivered yet. Having one desktop computer for thirty students to use will be quite a challenge. I may be able to use other computers in neighboring classrooms and those in the media center. At least, we are heading in the right direction even though we are moving at a slower pace.

References
The Access Center. Differentiated Instruction for Science. Retrieved February 6, 2010 from http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/sciencedifferentation.asp