Differentiated Instruction

Last summer I finally took the Differentiated Instruction class (Edu 6305). I was really eager to learn how to effectively reach all of my students by differentiating to their unique needs. After reading Tomlinson's plethora of articles, book and commentaries, I felt that I "got it." I was now ready to differentiate by content, process and/or product. I could also provide a new "dimension" of learning by allowing my students to choose by interest, learning style and/or readiness. I felt empowered, all geared up and ready to impact.

Well, now that I am in the classroom... it is a different story. I have 19 second graders who are the very first class of the new dual language program at my district. Great program, but unfortunately these 19 kiddos have been the guinea pigs of what will eventually be a very successful program. After several teachers who were not fully trained (not their fault!), I received them on August 25th with false expectations. Out of my 19 kids... none of them are at grade level. Nine of them cannot read at all. Three of them are still at the scribbling stage of writing... weird looking letters that no one (not even them) can decode. As far as Math... the diagnostic test showed that half of them are at the "intervention stage, one grade level behind" and the other half are at the "extreme intervention stage, two or more levels behind." I also have 3 highly emotional kids- crying, yelling for attention, baby talk. Ohh and one of them refuses to talk... at all. Wonderful.

So, back to differentiated instruction. Yes, it is possible to differentiate even with such a diverse class as mine. However, I need help! All of my kids need personalized instruction. I can't just focus on a few here and there. I can't sacrifice any of them! And because I am a bilingual teacher in a newly implemented program in a rural district... there is no bilingual help. The support staff is "scared" of working with bilingual kids. I guess they think they do not speak English... although they are "BI- lingual."

So... here is where technology becomes my help. In a perfect world, I would invite my bilingual "clones" to come help me... but that would be for another year. Today, I can use the three computers available in my classroom, my Smart board and the COW (computer on wheels) laptops available at my school.  While I work with a small group of kiddos, the rest are either listening to a book being read to them, learning with a tutorial software, interacting with letter sounds on my Smart board or simply practicing skills using I-station. 

The greatest opportunitinies of using technology to differentiate instruction is that it frees me up to teach other students while the rest are engaged in an activity I trust. Also, many softwares are now available to personalized according to the student's needs- differentiation! Additionally, I can get a report of the work done and ideas for intervention (using I-station). Students love using the computers and laptops, so their level of motivation is pretty high.

Some of the challenges are that even though the softwares my students would use are fairly easy to manage, sometimes the troubleshooting can be time-consuming. Also, technology is not a magic wand, and it could always fail. So, I need to ALWAYS have a back-up plan in case one of the laptops do not work, or the program is down. Another challenge is that my little youngsters have a short attention span. I've noticed that the longest they can sit in a computer is no more than 15 minutes. If I've planned to give them an electronic assessment, it has to be done in increments of 10-15 minutes. This issue will be resolved once they feel more successful and build stamina.

So... as far as technology being used right now- I just started I-station (yaaay! It is now available in Spanish!). It promises to give me "measurable results on reading." I like that it starts with an assessment and then places each student in the level they need to start on. The program itself is dynamic and playful. The little "worm" that guides the students through their learning is funny and the kids love it. Also, the program keeps track of students "idle-ness" and also if they clicked too fast.
Finally, it gives me a report for intervention. So, if it works like it promises... this can can be a wonderful help for me.

I have also looked into Study Island for Math. I have not started using it (I have to create my students' profiles),  but have plans to do it next week. I will update you of how this goes.

Bueno, in conclusion- technology is my friend. I just need to get to know my "friend" better. I feel somewhat lacking in confidence when it comes to technology. I know it is probably a matter of time to feel comfortable. I wish I was more adventurous like other more tech-savvy teachers. Maybe some day... Since like with anything- "practice makes perfect." And.. believe me, I am practicing.