I observed an exemplary use of differentiating instruction with mobile technology today and have to share!
This was in a middle school math class. The textbook series the teacher was using had an online test that produced a report for students with a list of skills they were proficient in and what they hadn’t mastered and needed more practice with.
At the beginning of this class (a short 45 min.), the whole class went to the lab to take their test. Then, as they finished, they gradually returned to the classroom with their reports. There they were told to look at their reports and identify a skill they needed to do more work on. We had a set of mobile devices there (they were handhelds, but laptops or other resources could also be used) that had a library of math instruction and practice materials loaded on them. Students were directed to resources that fit their needs and given some choices to get more instruction and/or practice.
This worked wonderfully! Here are some reasons I think this was so successful:
- The assessment was easy to administer and produced immediate and useful results.
- The mobile technology tools lent themselves to use in the lab or in the classroom and were easy to use.
- There was a rich library of curriculum resources (both instructional and practice opportunities) that fit the skills and were easy to access and use.
The students were engaged in this, because 1) the technology was appealing to them; 2) they had choices; and 3) they could (and did) control their own learning. Fabulous!