Final Reflection

The course, "Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology," has taught me so much about the endless possibilities that I have inside of my classroom with the help of technology. More than that, however, it changed the way that I think about differentiated instruction. I always knew that we needed to stop "focusing on changing the child or fixing the child to changing or fixing the broader educational environment to help all children maximize their access and opportunities to learn" (Educational Laureate, 2009), but I was not sure how to do it, and was overwhelmed by the sheer thought of it. By learning about Universal Design for Learning and how technology can help teachers enhance their classrooms for all learners, the idea of differentiating in the classroom seems less daunting.


Now that I better understand how the three brain networks and movement of information work together, it makes sense that no two students are alike. In order to reach each student's recognition, strategic and affective network, teachers will need to think about how they present information, give students multiple ways to express themselves and allow students to engage in their work in a way that is most productive. I look forward to building my classroom this year to be more differentiated for my students. Although I have always done a good job of presenting information in a varied way, according to the survey that was done, I need to do a better job with assessment and varied student expression of work.

One adjustment that has already been made, is that I now have four additional computers in my classroom for student use. Although they are old, they will be able to connect to the internet, and be able to be used for programs such as Jing, Inspiration, Audacity, and PowerPoint. I hope to have student stations where they can choose how they express what they know, or can work in small groups to learn together. I know that this is a work in progress, but we have been told that "many teachers successfully start differentiating instruction with small, well-organized changes” (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 96).

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). Differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.