50+ Tools for Differentiating Instruction Through Social Media | Edutopia - 21 views
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Selecting the Right Tool
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mkm420fritz on 17 Nov 15Very important - don't just choose technology for "technology's sake". -Dr. Fritz -
ryanjburks on 22 Nov 15To me this is the most important aspect of incorporating technology into the classroom. Many teachers don't fully understand the technology that they are using and then the effectiveness isn't there.- Ryan Burks -
mrslynn1321 on 23 Nov 15I agree! We must seek out the tools and techniques that work for our students, but also add to the lesson. We should not feel that we must use technology for "technology's sake".
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Very true! Although we may feel some social media projects would be fun for our students, we need to make sure there is a clear purpose that students of the intended age will comprehend (Shannon Feerrar
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Zoom, a video conferencing tool that includes recording, enables students to connect with field experts on relating content to the world outside of school.
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I just viewed a workshop through Zoom last night, it was AWESOME! It would be a great way to collaborate with students in other classrooms either in the district, state, country or worldwide. Students can either type in responses or even use a microphone to verbalize their questions or comments. Great tool in my eyes!
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Sounds like a great way to easily communicate with other students. I will check out how this works-thanks!! (Dawn Lynn)
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While working on our current program, we are often using Zoom with our professor's. I have enjoyed being able to stay in contact with my professor while working on my dissertation. It's a great way to be in touch and to feel in touch. It took me a bit to get use to, not always wanting to do the video part, but have found it to be a very useful and necessary tool.
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We truly are in a brave new world -- the good kind -- where differentiation opportunities evolve due to the variety of social media tools available
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In this brave new world, we are fortunate to live and work in an environment where the possibilities are endless for getting students what they need when they need it, and in a format that works best for them.
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So true! As I was drafting my final project AUP, I touched base on this, as I think students need to be aware that we are lucky to have all these tools to enhance our learning. (Shannon Feerrar)
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Good point, Shannon. That is especially true when working in a more affluent public school or an independent school where there is more funding for tech resources. -
Also - to look at how it makes learning different - what can we do with social media that we couldn't do with traditional pen/paper? -Dr. Fritz
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For me that is always the question- how is using social media or technology allowing me to do something that traditional pen/paper doesn't? How will students benefit from this? What tools am I giving them? -
I think this is a great question and always something to consider when using social media inside of the classroom. What activities or ways can the use of social media enhance learning? Sometimes, a more traditional way of learning would be more appropriate.-Ryan Burks
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Piktochart lets you create infographics to offer a visual explanation of a concept or idea.
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I like the idea of Piktochart, but I wonder how age-appropriate this is for elementary. I can see secondary grades using this, but not elementary. (William Schumacher)
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Imagine a world where resources were limited to what was found in the classroom or the school closet known as the "Curriculum Materials Room." Picture a world where students wrote letters with pen and paper to communicate with other students and adults outside of the building. Due to postage costs, the teacher either sent the letters in bulk or paid for stamps out of his or her own pocket. Can you recall a time when student interests like skateboarding or video were never used as part of learning curriculum because the tools needed were either too expensive or not yet conceptualized? Do you remember a time when non-traditional learners struggled, and absenteeism meant a high likelihood of students doing poorly in school, and possibly having to retake the course?
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I find this hits close to home. I remember in Elementary school writing letters to a pen pal with paper and pencil. We used chalkboards for our work and would love going up to write on them. Now everything is on the computer and Smart Boards. Students don't have to do any work in their head. Sort of sad in a sense. (E. Soble) -
In the school where district where I work we still use many of the "traditional tools" in school. We wrote pen pals this year and we still wrote them on paper and mailed them. In my district, high absenteeism still means a liklihood of not doing well in school. Technology is great, but it does not solve all of the problems that we still see in today's rural schools. (Dawn Lynn)
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When students address concepts from diverse perspectives, especially in collaborative groups, it can lead to in-depth understanding. Learning profiles are about providing each student with experiences that incorporate a variety of learning style elements, not just one. Such activities help students find deeper connections, especially if they share points of view via peer reflection and dialog.
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I like the idea of using learning profiles for students. It will help them develop a better understanding of the topic but also see how well they are progressing. (E. Soble)
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I also agree. We used these here at Drexel so why not use them for young kids?! Love it. -Jeannine
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Allowing students to tackle work based on the option that makes the most sense to them is crucial for cognitive connections. Seeing a concept in context of a topic in which the learner has great interest -- and possibly expertise -- can help him or her turn abstract ideas into concrete purpose.
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I struggle with finding ways to incorporate this idea into the classroom. I need to think "outside the box" when developing lesson plans that allow for additional choices of how students can complete the task at hand. (Dawn Lynn)
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Create playlists (like this one) to provide that variety.
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One thing that can help make these playlists even more enriching is another application known as educanon, which I have recently discovered. Here questions can be inserted into Youtube videos that will assess student understanding for what they just watched. This way they aren't just watching a video, but are engaged with it as well. (John Bugay)
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media is most effective when we plan learning experiences based on content, process, and product (our lesson structure) and incorporate readiness, interests, and learning profiles (student voice).
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We constantly need to remember that social media by itself is never enough, we need to bend it to our uses and create experiences that benefit ourselves and our learners.
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I agree! It is important to use technology, but we must choose what works best for our students and what adds to the lesson. We should not use technology for "technology's sake". (Dawn Lynn)
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Yes, every student is different. I like Power Point but that might not be best for everyone.
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Be clear about the academic learning outcomes. Assess what students know and don't know.
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I think it's very important to let the students know what the learning outcome is when technology is introduced. Certainly there are tools that can be used to just bring more "fun" into the classroom, but most of the time the tools are used for a specific purpose.-Ryan Burks
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Just like any other lesson, the learning objectives need to be clear and explicit. Many times when technology is used, students think it is some sort of game. We need to teach our students that technology in the classroom is to help them obtain the learning objective, not just to see how many points they score in "First in Math". (Dawn Lynn)
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Teaching students how to use technology appropriately is key to successful implementation of the a tool. For example, setting clear expectations on the purpose of using a blog for reading responses is appropriate so students are not using them for social networking purposes. (Felicia Ulsh)
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Readiness focuses on a student's current academic skill level. Work is structured to help them address any gaps or needs for enrichment. Students work in like-skill groups for specific, targeted support to address a common need, such as guided reading or tiered (leveled) activities. They also collaborate in mixed-skill groups to support struggling students with needed skill development. Additionally, experiences can stretch the advanced students in a mixed-skill group -- they may have the core skills, yet the critical thinking challenges them and their teammates.
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I love teaching guided math and reading groups. I love to push those students that are learning the material quickly and I love to figure out how to best help those students that are struggling. I have two students in my class that receive learning support services. I always mix up the small groups to include varying academic levels and I love to see the kids helping each other.
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Good post Dawn, What I appreciate most about your comments is that you state that you "love" teaching, and especially math, which was definitely one of my greatest moments in education for me. In reading your post I can sense you enjoyment for teaching and your ability to be creative, which I think is so important in education of others. I have so much respect for teachers who really love what they do. I recently observed a math class, middle school, recently and it's not easy work. But, like you, this teacher made it interesting, and I thought, she has to do that a few times daily, weekly and yearly. This was truly a "wow" moment and an impressive one.. So thanks
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Use fog-free assessments that track learner progress.
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I never heard of "fog free" assessments before. I thought this was interesting because as a special education teaching this is something I do all of the time. You look for specific academic needs through various assessments so you provide the specially designed instruction that is necessary to meet the needs of a student with a disability. Fog Free assessments are simple like this. If you click on the link it takes you to another article that explains what they are. The author of that article basically said that these are the kind of assessments where you need to look for the information and the data. (Felicia Ulsh)
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Youtube Playlists: There are many videos that address content from different perspectives, including the one way that a particular student or teacher needs to see it.
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I use Youtube playlists all of the time. These are great for lesson openers to catch the interests of the children. It is a great way to differentiate for your visual learners. Actually not only visual but all learners. This is a way to incorporate 21st century media into the classroom. Again, as I mentioned on someone else's comment, students need to learn how to use the technology tool appropriately. I can not stress that enough.
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In the past, limited access placed a hardship on teachers to meet the diverse needs of their students, especially when school resources are limited.
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Being a child of the 60's and not having this new age of technology to meet our needs, "back in the day" would you say my education was not as "complete" as the education of others? When I think about this I think I preferred my education then. It may not have been huge in content, but it was personal and I felt more socially connected. There is much I could discuss on then and now education.
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As more schools review their cell phone policy and allow students to use their "internet devices," learning options increase with access to social media apps and other online tools such as those mentioned above.
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In sticking with reality, this also brings in the negative, and I feel this is where we fall behind with this continual surge of technology. We are moving so fast and not considering the "bad" that comes with this. As it's a brave new world for students, others, with other agenda's are also sharing this brave new world. Even on school levels, with the use of social media to promote negative behaviors, let's talk about them.
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Survey Monkey is one of many online survey tools for capturing pre- and formative assessment of students' progress. This one is also a good tool for student feedback on the helpfulness of the intervention used.
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In during research, I truly enjoy this tool and use it often. It was great in my masters thesis,and will probably use this in my doctoral dissertation. Easy to use and collect, analyze data, getting consent, and maintaining ethics.
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Survey monkey is so easy to use and can create a quick, fast assessment for a student. It can track results and can be done in the class or at home. It's a great tool!
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Differentiating with social media is most effective when we plan learning experiences based on content, process, and product (our lesson structure) and incorporate readiness, interests, and learning profiles (student voice). The following guidelines can help any classroom teacher ensure that the tool used will address students' needs:
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One way differentiation is made possible w social media is that some intelligences are less outgoing than others. Rather than learning face to face and feeling pressure answer questions, children can learn face to face in an online setting. -Jeannine McGoldrick
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Imagine a world where resources were limited to what was found in the classroom or the school closet known as the "Curriculum Materials Room." Picture a world where students wrote letters with pen and paper to communicate with other students and adults outside of the building.
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People can stop having ideas and stop at a paper and a pen but if we keep applying creativity to the way we communicate, we can apply social media to learning and go beyond what we knew. There are always more ways. -Jeannine McGoldrick
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This is so important for students because the more students feel to classroom the more comfortable they'll be. By identifying a students background connections you can also bring context to learning and engage students
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John McCarthy Education Consultant, Advocate for Student Voice in Learning Imagine a world where resources were limited to what was found in the classroom or the school closet known as the "Curriculum Materials Room." Picture a world where students wrote letters with pen and paper to communicate with other students and adults outside of the building. A class room doesn't have to be limited to just pens and paper. -Jeannine McGoldrick
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http://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-eliminating-assessment-fog-john-mccarthy Is a great article on differentiating instruction! Eliminating Assessment Fog based on these three guidelines; identifying clear learning targets, separating logistical from academic, and providing different options/opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of the content is a great way to filter out unnecessary details that may confuse our students and distract them from learning objectives and what we as teachers truly expect from them. Marissa J. Williams -
* "Survey Monkey is one of many online survey tools for capturing pre- and formative assessment of students' progress. This one is also a good tool for student feedback on the helpfulness of the intervention used" I have used Survey Monkey in the past to create company-wide surveys to capture my colleagues ideas on diversity, company processes and best practices in nonprofit. Never have I thought about using survey monkey as an assessment tool for students....and the fact that it can be used for differentiation is even more exciting.
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Learning how to comment here! Differentiation with technology is excellent!
