Differentiation is a huge buzz word in education - as it ought to be. We don't have cookie cutter students, so we can't have cookie cutter activities. If we're in the habit of differentiation, we need as many tools and resources as possible to help students succeed. We need to provide opportunities to students to work to their strengths, but also balance it with activities and assignments that make them think. The apps below give students a chance to use tools they may feel more comfortable with. These apps are supported with the iPod Touch and students have access to them at home as well as in school.
The voice memo app provides an alternative way for students to communicate. Writing requires good fine motor skills. When a student's fine motor skills prevent them from communicating through writing, it can be difficult to assess the student's work. Voice memo allows students to respond to literature in a way that is more comfortable for them. Voice memo is simple to use and can be a personal communication tool between the student and the teacher. Below shows you how voice memo can help a student achieve. On the right side is a written sample of the student's work. In this case, a written reading response. On the left, is the same student recording their response.
Example of DG's written reading response:
DG's oral reading response the same day in response to the same pages read:
Much more meaning and reflection was noted in the oral response than the written response. When I asked the student why the responses were so different, she indicated that it took too long to write her thoughts, and she was fine with getting a "1" (on a 4-point scale) on the assignment because she "just didn't want to write it." Now, this could be a case of the student being a bit defiant to the assignment, but I would address that with behavior characteristics rather than giving her a 1 for her thinking. She clearly demonstrated better thinking when given the option to talk about it.
From the personal technology survey results, 87% of the students indicated they would like to see eReaders used in the classroom more. The Overdrive app allows students to check out books from the public library for 14 days at a time. Students can choose from eBooks or Audiobooks, which adds to differentiating learning. Overdrive allows students to highlight important passages, type notes about the book, and is in a preferred format for students. Students can use Evernote in tandem with Overdrive as they get comfortable with switching between apps. When they are done reading the book, they can rate it and include a book review.
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