I have chosen this topic because I wanted to familiarise myself with some concrete examples of how digital ecologies can support differentiated instruction (DI).

According to the Oxford Dictionary the definition of software is, ‘The programs and other operating information used by a computer’ (Oxford Dictionary 2016). Differentiated Instruction is somewhat more complicated to explain, however. Probably the best way is that provided by the course, namely, ‘Where individuals and groups of learners can work at a pace that suits their needs...readily and conveniently managed by teachers’ and that ‘...all learners are able to make progress measured against common goals’ (Cope and Kalantzis 2016). This recognises the uniqueness of each child and their life experiences (ibid.). The same classroom might contain Special Education Needs (SEN) students and Gifted and Talented Students (Hobsgood and Ormsby 2014). In general there are four ways teachers can differentiate, differentiation by process (teaching), differentiation by content, differentiation by product (evidence of learning), the learning environment, and each of them can be supported by software (Hobsgood and Ormsby 2014 and Carolan 2014)

Although DI has been practiced at least since the late 1940s, Digital Ecologies (DEs) make it make easier to manage and implement (Cope and Kalantzis 2016) In the words of Michael Petrilli, it enables ‘Differentiation on steroids (Stern 2015).DEs make it easier to tailor learning experiences and instructions for students as well as having different students on different activities at the same time. Several studies have shown large obstacles working against teachers adopting DI more widely in a traditional classroom, such as feeling the need to teach to the test and lack of confidence and time (Hobsgood and Ormsby 2014) which certainly chimes with my own teaching experience. Probably the main way that digital ecologies including software can assist differentiated instruction is through differentiated ways of enabling students to input content, learning activities and ways to demonstrate comprehension (ibid).

Software supportive of DI need not be created specifically for the purpose. Quizzes on VLEs can support multiple attempts for examples and Microsoft Word enables the highlighting of particular words for non-native speakers for example. For students who work better presenting their work in different ways screencasting software like Jing enables them to narrate and record their presentations and Glogster allows them to create posters (Hobsgood and Ormsby 2014).

Some examples of software specifically created to support DI include Kiddom

, SAS Curriculum Pathways  , a series of differentiated teaching resources (Stern 2015) and the National Virtual Library of Manipulatives for Kinaesthetic learners (Hobgood and Ormsby 2014)

References

Carolan J (2014) How Software Can Make a Differentiated Difference in Edsurge. Available at https://www.edsurge.com/news/2014-09-16-opinion-how-software-can-make-a-differentiated-difference [Accessed Sep.18, 2016]

Cope W, Kalantzis M (2016) E Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age. Available at https://www.coursera.org/learn/elearning [Accessed Sep.18, 2016]

Hobsgood B and Ormsby L (2014) Inclusion in the Twenty-First Century Classroom: Differentiating with Technology in Learn NC. Available at http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776 [Accessed Sep.18, 2016]

Stern J (2015) Enhancing Learning Through Differentiated Technology in Edutopia. Available at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/enhanced-learning-through-differentiated-technology-julie-stern [Accessed Sep.18, 2016)

Unknown (2016) Software in Oxford Living Dictionaries. Available at https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/software [Accessed Sep.18, 2016]