Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Technology to Differentiate Instruction

abcmouse.com:
ABCmouse.com is a great technology tool that can be used as differentiate
instruction in the classroom. The students in the classroom are from grades
Kindergarten through fourth in special education and using an interactive website
can help the students focus on the lesson. Having an interactive website for the
students will have a huge impact on each individual student. This impact can range
from focus to consistency. Each student can be on his or her own pace of learning
and having this ability helps each student to make achievements.
This is a website that can be used as part of a tool in education. According to
Early Learning Academy (2016), step-by-step learning path presents the full
ABCmouse.com curriculum in a carefully designed program of more than 450
lessons in six levels. As your child completes each lesson, he or she is guided to the
next one and is motivated to continue learning by ABCmouse.coms Tickets and
Rewards System (Six Academic Levels). ABCmouse.com website is a great way to
intermingle a teachers lesson and technology to help students gain more
knowledge. The teacher can go onto the website and set up the students account to
make sure that the account is to that specific students learning curb.
The abcmouse website has several areas to choose from in curriculum and
the focus here will be math. According to Early Learning Academy (2016), The
ABCmouse.com Math Curriculum includes: recognizing and counting numbers 1100, basic addition and subtraction, more than and less than, identifying and
drawing simple shapes and patterns(Math). This website helps students learn math
basics and can help teachers connect the lesson to technology. The teacher can
teach the lesson and use the website to back up the teacher on the lesson. For
example: students are identifying numbers 1-10 however some students are having
difficulty identifying. The teacher can place students who understand the lesson on
the website to receive support to move forward onto the next lesson. While the
teacher is helping students who may need one on one help. Each student can work
on the website and working according to his or her own pace without any other
students knowing where he or she is at in academics.

Brainpop.com:
Brainpop.com is a great website that works for both students and teachers.
This website covers different areas of subjects: science, social studies, English,
math, arts & music, health and engineering & tech. Teachers have the option to
choose any of these areas and allow the use of the website in the classroom. The
teacher can choose specific areas on this website for example if the teacher is

teaching the class about science and the lesson is on plant life cycle. This lesson
can also be shown on the website after the teacher has covered the lesson in the
classroom.
The teacher can go into the website and search for plant life cycle and the
website brings up tools for the teacher to use to teach about plant life cycle. The
website gives the teacher lesson ideas, training material for the lesson, games, and
quizzes and how to teach the lesson. The teacher can also set up the website for
the students to watch a specific video and take a test on that video. Students would
be able to read and follow along in a regular school setting but once the teacher is
done the lesson can continue on the website. The website would reiterate what the
teacher was teaching in the classroom.
Brainpop.com can be an extension of curriculum in the classroom and help
teachers reach students in different ways. The website offers printable worksheets,
pictures, slideshows and videos. Then at the end of the lesson the student can take
a quiz on the website so the teacher will know if the students understand the
lesson.
turtlediary.com:
Turtlediary.com is another great website that can be used not only by
teachers but students and parents. This website has many sections that many
educators can look at: worksheets, games, videos, quizzes, lessons, coloring sheets,
etc. If you are a student or parent simply go to the website and click on the grade
you or your child is in then the activities page will appear. Student and parents can
work together on this website especially if a student is struggling in a specific area
the student can practice at home.
In this area the students can practice on the lesson the teacher has in the
classroom. Communication between parents and teacher is important using this
website because the teacher can send an email to parents letting them know what
lesson, worksheet, quizzes or games to complete. The teacher can find a lesson on
the website and the site will find the lesson in the subject and grade. This helps the
teacher to see what is needed for the lesson and what can be used on the website
to intermingle the technology with the classroom.
Technology is very important part of learning in the classroom. Using the
website is an important tool for the students as well as the teacher. The teacher can
find help in planning lessons and students can study and find help in areas of
struggle. In the classroom or at home there needs to be a balance where the
teacher can make sure that the lesson is being taught and understood. As a teacher
technology in the classroom opens doors and great ideas however the teacher also
needs to make sure that instruction is personal. Technology should not take over the
class but assist the class in learning.

Reference
Early Learning Academy. (2016). ABCmouse. com Early Learning
Academy. Retrieved from https://www.abcmouse.com/
HooplaKidz TV (2016, March 13). How Does Snow Form? [Video file]. Retrieved from
YouTube
website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-8ua_ZlGrI
International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE Standards for
Students. Retrieved
from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTEstandards/standards-for- students
International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-teachers
Ohio State University. (2011). Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. Retrieved from
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/teaching-about-snowflakes-a-flurry-ofideas-forscience-and-math-integration
Jr Brain Pop. (2016). Retrieved from
https://jr.brainpop.com/science/plants/plantlifecycle/sequenceorder/
Teachers Pay Teachers. (2015). Retrieved from
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
The Life Cycle of Plants. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/plants_pt2/
TurtleDiary.com. (2016). TurtleDiary. Retrieved from
http://www.turtlediary.com/game/learnhow-aseed.html

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