Assessing Technology-Based Resources for Differentiation

 

Assessing Technology-Based Resources for Differentiation

LaTasha Brownlee

Grand Canyon University

EDU 551: Differentiated Instruction

Dr. Patricia Thirey

March 26, 2025

In every classroom worldwide, there exist children with unique learning approaches that require appropriate accommodation and effective guidance. Learning styles encompass a range of characteristics, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities. Technology serves as a valuable resource that offers methodologies applicable across various domains, facilitating the process of learning. In the context of differentiating and enhancing the educational experience for children within the classroom, technology serves as a crucial element.

Technology offers a framework that can engage students at their respective levels while considering their prior knowledge, thereby facilitating further development and presenting appropriate challenges (Richards, 2019).

 Technology can benefit students across various types of classrooms, regardless of age, grade, or disability. Three technology-based websites that promote differentiation and enrichment are Boom Cards, Kahoot! and Starfall each offering distinct and essential resources for this purpose.

Boom cards represent a pioneering technological approach that is crucial for differentiating product offerings and improving customer experience. Boom cards represent a technological platform that provides educators with an extensive array of academic activities designed to promote the cultivation of standardized competencies across diverse subject areas. This platform provides a diverse array of stimulating and interactive lessons that educators can select from their own repository. Furthermore, educators possess the capacity to design their own instructional materials and assign them in order to meet the distinct educational needs of their students.

Boom cards:

 * Educators have the option to download an application for an annual fee, with the basic version priced at $25. A class code is subsequently generated, facilitating easy access for students.

* Integration during classroom rotations for independent group work can be effectively implemented across various subjects, as Boom Cards offer opportunities for engagement in mathematics, language arts, science, and other disciplines.

*Educators have the capability to establish various group configurations and efficiently assign tasks to each group via the application.

*The utilization of Boom Cards lacks inherent intuitiveness regarding readiness, as educators are required to design and assign specific Boom Cards to individual students or classes.

*Students typically exhibit a keen interest in boom cards due to their visually appealing and engaging nature, which facilitates the review of essential concepts.

*The diverse learning styles of students can be effectively accommodated through the use of boom cards, which offer a wide variety of assignment types.

*Learning styles of students can be accommodated through the use of boom cards, as they offer a diverse array of assignment types.

The second technological strategy essential for differentiation and enrichment is Kahoot! Kahoot! is an innovative game-based learning platform that enables educators to design interactive quizzes, facilitate discussions, and conduct surveys. The material captivates students by utilizing vibrant graphics, music, and auditory effects. This approach is ideally suited for learners who engage with material through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities. Kahoot! is characterized by its ease of use, practical applicability, and user-friendly design, benefiting both educators and learners. It possesses the capability to be applied across multiple disciplines, thereby rendering it cross-curricular. The expense is contingent upon the selected subscription plan; however, a complimentary version is also accessible.

 Kahoot!:

* The utilization of Kahoot!, facilitates the differentiation of instruction based on students' readiness, interests, and learning styles. To enhance preparedness, one may develop quizzes or activities of differing levels of complexity utilizing platforms.  

*It incorporates both visual and auditory components, thereby accommodating students with diverse learning preferences and facilitating their engagement with the material.

*In order to enhance educational experiences and accommodate individual differences, it is advisable to implement instructional strategies that include student choice, flexible grouping, and a diverse array of reading materials.

The third technological strategy essential for differentiation and enrichment is Starfall. Starfall offers students assistance in locating various games, songs, activities, and stories that focus on specific areas requiring further review. This platform addresses a variety of subjects and facilitates student learning through the use of engaging visuals and auditory elements.

Starfall:

*The application is available for teachers to download at no cost, albeit with limited access, or they may opt for a yearly membership fee of $70 for full access. The application must be downloaded onto the student's device, or it may be accessed via the web.

*This application is intended for independent use by students, as educators do not designate specific concepts or games. Instead, it facilitates student engagement through its intuitive program.

*Starfall provides an engaging and visually appealing platform that facilitates learning across various subject areas, including social-emotional lessons for students.

*Starfall demonstrates an intuitive approach to assessing student readiness, as it progressively advances or reviews concepts contingent upon the students' performance in each lesson.
Students possess agency in Starfall, allowing them to engage with the sections or subjects of their choosing for review purposes.

*Starfall provides a diverse array of opportunities that cater to various student learning styles, allowing for choice through different visual and auditory elements.

 In every classroom it is vital that different instructional strategies take place to ensure students are given all the resources they need to succeed. By utilizing all the technological resources noted such as boom cards, Starfall and Newsela many learners can be reached and educators can provide productive learning through utilizing different instructional strategies (Community Literacy of Ontario, n.d.). Some appropriate instructional strategies that are supported by using each one of those technological platforms are direct, independent and interactive instruction. Boom cards provides teachers with the ability to give independence to students to work on tailored goals and concepts on their own device. Starfall provides an interactive platform for students to grow in different concepts. 

 The two technologies I would select for implementation in a classroom setting are Boom Cards and Starfall. Both technological platforms offer students an enjoyable, engaging, visually stimulating, and focused learning experience that demonstrates significant progress. (Sutton 2021) elucidates that the provision of engaging materials for students enhances academic performance, fosters a deeper connection with their educational environment, and cultivates a more positive perspective, thereby contributing to improved social and emotional well-being. Boom Cards offer learners the opportunity to engage independently with the target concepts that require their attention. The approach is engaging and fosters a playful environment in which participants are unaware that they are actively working on concepts such as letter sounds through enjoyable games. Learners exhibit independence and assume responsibility for their educational journey through the use of Starfall. This program effectively enhances students' independence by consistently offering a variety of lessons across diverse concepts, thereby engaging learners and providing them with choices. In summary, both programs offer significant advantages to educational environments by fostering learning and encouraging a sense of ownership in the learning process through the use of engaging and innovative technological platforms.

     References

Community literacy of Ontario. (2018.). Instructional strategies. Literacy Basics.      https://literacybasics.ca/training/instructional-strategies/

Richards, K. (2018). How to use technology to differentiate instruction. Education and Learning Technology Company | HMH. https://www.hmhco.com/blog/how-to-use-technology-to-differentiate-instruction-in-the-classroom

Sutton, E. (2022). Student engagement: Why it’s important and how to promote it. RTI Program - MTSS Program - MTSS Platform - RTI and MTSS Software. https://www.branchingminds.com/blog/student-engagement-remote-in-person