Differentiating Instruction through Technology

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, missing a couple of classes and not understanding
the aspects of a classroom doomed students into a state of failure to the point of potentially
repeating a class. Students who misunderstood what was once taught only one way can now find
solace in the fact that teachers can differentiate their methods to best suit the needs of their
students. Teachers better than ever before are using technological tools to reach and teach
students who may learn differently than the norm. The tools teachers are using to reach students
in ways they never have before are augmented reality, timelines, and YouTube.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Augmented Reality: In this day of technology, history can come to life in the very hands of
students in the form of augmented reality. Teachers are using sites like www.aurasma.com to
bring photos to life. John McCarthy of www.edutopia.com says to, Imagine it like the framed
pictures in Hogwarts, from the Harry Potter movies, in the way they come to life (McCarthy, J.
(2015, January 16). Teachers are using this tool, which uses I-pads or smart phones to bring up
photos/videos of historical significance, to allow students to view key information about the
subject in a beautiful and fun visual way. Those teachers who use this tool are inviting the
International Society for Technological Education (ISTE) standards of creativity and innovation,
research and information fluency, and technology operations and concepts into their room. This
tool allows teachers to reach students in an inventive way that allows research to be done for an
extensive variety of subjects. Doing this provides for those students who need a more visual
lesson as well as giving them a great way to put their smart phones to use.
Timelines: Another technology put to great use by teachers is the use of timeline makers such as
the ones found on www.dipity.com. Timelines allow students another visual aide in learning

history but can also help in understanding concepts like cause and effect. [Students] Use them
to categorize similar or related events into themes, eras, and topics, and to help compare
elements in different time periods Fillpot, E. (2008, April 13). Along with all of these concepts,
students learn how to use a new, online, technological tool. This tool applies the ISTE standards
of creativity and innovation, research and information policy, and critical thinking-problem
solving-and decision making.
YouTube: Everyone knows what YouTube is and what its purpose can be in the classroom.
Despite its popularity as a site for those wanting to view cat videos, YouTube offers a lot of good
resources for classrooms. In each conceivable classroom it is easy to think of a way to use a
video to enhance and or differentiate learning. It makes it so easy to show how the water cycle
works in a science class, how the North won the war with the south in a history class, how to
properly use the Pythagorean theorem in a math class, or how Shakespeares writings have
forever influenced the ability to tell a story. In practice, it involves offering several different
learning experiences in response to students' varied needs (Ravitch, D. (2014, May 1). In reality,
everyone can get bored in a classroom and the mind becomes not as active. Using videos can
stimulate the brain even while sitting and engage students in ways that a teacher cannot at times.
Using this tool applies the ISTE standards of research and information fluency and digital
citizenship.
Pros and Cons (150-250 words)
As with each kind of instruction used in the classroom, there are pros and cons to using
technology as a tool. Many will advocate that in this minor debate, the ever growing use of
technology in a proper way is a major pro that outweighs any cons that could protest said use.
The major pro is that the technology being used opens up a variety of instruction that students

would not be privy to without. Since there are lots of videos, graphics, and text that may be
found in your computer, more students would feel the excitement in studying through the use of
the gadget (Minnigerode, L. (2014, May 26). Although there is an infinite amount of
information available via technology, having it all immediately available does change study
habits. Even simple problems and homework that they need to answer; they are more of seeking
the assistance of computers already (Minnigerode, L. (2014, May 26). This is seen as a problem
in the realm of laziness by the majority of the teaching community. Many fear students may be
getting too comfortable using technology to think for themselves. If teachers can appropriately
use technology in its correct moderation, they can usher in a new way of learning while still
cultivating young thinkers who come up with their own, unique ideas.
Cultivating students who think on their own with new and unique ideas is the dream for any
teacher. That dream has changed over the last twenty years with the addition of the informational
society. Having this information is not a detriment as it has allowed all students a path to learn in
their own specific way. Teacher can now differentiate lessons to best fit the individual student.
Students can have the best of both worlds in creating new ideas through broader, more integrated
research with such technological tools as augmented reality, timelines, and YouTube.

References:
Fillpot, E. (2008, April 13). Teaching History.org, home of the National History Education
Clearinghouse. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
McCarthy, J. (2015, January 16). 50 Tools for Differentiating Instruction Through Social Media.
Retrieved August 21, 2015.
Minnigerode, L. (2014, May 26). Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Education.
Retrieved August 21, 2015.
Ravitch, D. (2014, May 1). Membership. Retrieved August 21, 2015.