Chapters 10 and 11

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” The same can be said for education. If a student does not keep pace with his or her peers, perhaps it is because he or she learns a different way. Let that student learn the way he or she most clearly benefits, however different it is. Regardless of the class you teach, general ed, ICT, self-contained, elementary, adolescent, etc. your students are individuals with individual learning needs and preferences. As educators, it is our responsibility to respect and acknowledge these differences within our instruction. Technology is a great tool to assist in differentiation of instruction. There are a number of digital tools and apps that allows students to learn the same content through different methods of instruction. For example, the SMARTBoard can be used to assist those students who thrive on visual cues and on sensory-motor involvement. It is also possible to use technology within the classroom to allow students to create and publish work as extensions to already developed lessons and as a means for increased assistance for those students who need the guidance. Technology is also a way for students to work together and provide peer-to-peer assistance and guidance in mixed-ability groups. It is important to reach all of the students, and although it requires more planning and a larger time investment, the goal is for each student to reach his or her potential. 

 Reflective thinking is an important skill to develop whether or are a student or a professional. Reflective thinking allows you to assess what worked and what needs improvement, what you understand and what you need clarification on. Without reflection, the information you have learned and the lessons you have implemented have no meaning, they are simply things that happened. Reflection gives purpose and meaning to tasks and information. It allows you to contextualize information and come to conclusions about the importance and relevance of the information in terms of your own personal experiences. Professionals need to be engaged in reflective thinking in order to assess whether or not their instruction was valuable and effective, to plan for the future, and in order to model the process for their students. Students should think reflectively in order to better understand what they need as learners and to assess their own development. Digital technology can be incorporated to facilitate reflective thinking activities. Portfolios and student participation systems are just two examples of this. The development and maintenance of a portfolio will allow a student to see his or her progress over a period of time, evaluate his or her strengths and weaknesses, and encourage the student to think about what could be done to improve in the future. Student participation systems, such as handheld and wireless tools for interactive learning, allow individuals and the class as a whole to reflect on their commonalities and differences in comprehension and opinions. Teachers may be able to use these tools as a way to gauge student understanding of a concept and visually represent to the class the breakdown of information.

Questions: 

1. What are some specific tools that are good for differentiation? 

2. How can we promote an understanding of the benefits of reflective thinking to our students? 

3. How can younger students (ie, K-2) engage in reflective thinking in an age appropriate manner?