Anita Olson

http://advancingspecialeducation.weebly.com
EDU-225
April 17, 2016

Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Introduction (4-6 sentences)
Differentiating instruction through technology is important when teaching children,
especially children with developmental disabilities. The most conventional form of
teaching is to introduce the content during class through a lecture and worksheets, then
followed by a homework assignment. Although this may have worked for previous
centuries; teachers today are discovering that this is not the most effective method to use
if they are choosing to integrate technology into their pedagogy. Today, teachers are
choosing to flip their classroom setting and teaching methods so that the goal is to flip
attention away from the teacher and onto the student (Spencer, n.d. as cited in Siegel,
2014, pg.51). Taking this method into consideration, teachers in the Special Education
field need to use differentiated instruction because students with special needs require
different tools to assist them in learning and using 21st Century Critical Thinking Skills.
Technology tools such as PowerPoint, podcasting, web applications and instructional
videos will allow students with special needs to compete in a world that thrives on the use
of technology.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction (300-400 words)
PowerPoint: PowerPoint is a Microsoft Software program that is used to enhance a
presentation. It promotes the ISTE standards of innovation and creativity because it
allows the teacher to create and present educational material that is animated or has

special sound effects to engage student learning. This software, when used as a
differentiated instruction method can be beneficial to special needs students who are
learning literacy skills. Teachers, who used Ready-To-Go PowerPoint templates to
support their instruction of literacy skills such as alliteration, rhyming, and initial sound
fluency, noticed an increase in their students ability to use these literacy skills. Teachers
attributed this increase in ability because the PowerPoint slides incorporated age
appropriate clip-art, monosyllabic names of common objects, animation, sound, layout
designed to complement use of direct instruction strategy, and accompanying
instructional scripts (Parette, Hourcade, & Blum, 2011, pg. 60). PowerPoint is both
teacher and student centered as it allows both users to bring special attention to specific
aspects of the lesson being taught and learned.
Podcasting: Podcasting is a valuable tool to use for differentiated instruction in the field of
Special Education. Students who have audio and visual impairments can use an iPhone,
iPad or iPod Touch to receive the teacher recorded information. This tool is student
centered since it permits the student to playback, forward or pause the information. This
capability allows the student to learn and take notes at their own pace. Podcasting
connects with the ISTE standards because teachers are adapting specific forms of
technology to assist their students with specific developmental needs. Through
podcasting, teachers are addressing the fact that not all students will learn the material by
the same method. Podcasting promotes student and teacher collaboration, closing the
communication gap between teachers and students with special needs. Podcasting
increases our opportunity to respect diverse talents and pathways to learning. The process

provides opportunities for increased student engagement and ongoing access to valuable
resources (OBrien, Aquinaga, Hines & Hartshorne, 2011, pg.37).
Web Applications: Web Applications can be used to differentiate instruction in children with
Special Needs because there are so many different types that could suit the different
developmental needs of a child. Teachers in the Special Education Field must develop
individual educational plans for their students, therefore student management web
applications can assist them in developing, maintaining and altering plans as the student
meets specific goals. Using web applications to differentiate instruction connects ISTE
standards because teachers can use hands-on apps to give children the ability to mix
tactile play with a digital experience (Farber, 2015, www.edutopia.org/). This hands-on
approach makes web applications student centered and addresses critical thinking,
problem solving and decision making aspects of ISTE standards for students with diverse
learning capabilities.
Pros and Cons (150-250 words)
Integrating technology into the classroom has a positive and a negative impact on the
presented educational material. To some teachers and students, the benefits of technology
integration outweigh the negatives which is why it is important to point out the pros and
cons. Technology in the classroom provides teachers with the ability to present
instructional material in a more creative fashion. Through the use of 3D and virtual
gaming lessons, students can have a more interactive role in their learning; thereby
processing and remembering the material at a faster rate. A study performed by North
Central Regional Educational Library (NCREL) gave three of the most notable benefits
of integrating technology. These benefits are:

1. Technology drives change. As a result, success in society will require skill sets in the 21st
century significantly different from those of the past (Smith & Throne, 2003, pg.9).
2. Technology serves as a bridge to more engaging, relevant, meaningful, and personalized
learning, all of which can lead to higher academic achievement (Smith & Throne, 2003,
pg.9).
3. Technology provides a platform for using timely and relevant data to shape personalized
learning (Smith & Throne, 2003, pg.9).
Relying heavily on technology in the classroom does have its drawbacks, specifically in subjects
such as Math. Incorporating too much technology when teaching Math concepts can lead
to technology becoming the focus of the mathematics lessons instead of the mathematics
itself (Attard & Northcote, 2011, pg.29).
Concluding Paragraph (4-6 sentences)
Teachers, ultimately have control of what, how and when a specific content will be taught to
their students. Integrating technology and its accompanying tools allows teachers to
create an organized and thought provoking lesson. Using interactive computer software
like PowerPoint, captivates a students eagerness to learn and retain new concepts. Using
podcasts as a form of instruction enables both teachers and students to communicate in a
manner that will benefit those with visual and audio difficulties. Web Applications that
are used in conjunction with lesson plans, keep students actively engaged because of the
game-show style of learning that is provided by these applications. In closing, using
technology in the classroom creates a lively atmosphere, which benefits both the teacher
and the students because the desire to teach and learn will not fade away.

References:
Attard, Catherine & Northcote, Maria (2011). Teaching with Technology. Australian Primary
Mathematics Classroom, 16(4), 29-31.
Farber, Matthew, (2015). Hands-On Apps for Diverse Learners/ Retrieved from:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/hands-on-apps-diverse-learners-matthew-farber
OBrien, Chris, Aguinaga, Nancy, Hines, Rebecca & Hartshorne, Robert (2011). Using
Contemporary Technology Tools to Improve the Effectiveness of Teacher Educators in
Special Education. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 30(3), 33-40 8p.
Parette, Howard, Hourcade, Jack, & Blum, Craig (2011). Using Animation in Microsoft
PowerPoint to Enhance Engagement and Learning in Young Learners With
Developmental Delay. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(4), 58-67.
Siegle, Del (2014). Technology: Differentiating Instruction by Flipping the Classroom. Gifted
Child Today, 37(1), 51-55.
Smith, Grace & Throne, Stephanie (2003). Differentiating Instruction with Technology in K-5
Classrooms, pages 4-17./ Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/docs/excerpts/DIFFK5excerpt.pdf