Tools for Differentiated Learning

 

    Lately, I have been delving into the science behind creating and using WebQuests and Instructional Websites within the classroom.  I like these tools because they lend themselves to differentiated learning goals and outcomes for students.  I am always on the lookout for new ways to help differentiate learning within my elementary classroom.  Another cool tool that I came across while checking my EdSurge RSS feed this week is called TeacherMate.  It is a cloud-based learning management system created by Innovations for Learning.   It is a differentiated instruction system for elementary-leveled reading and math; it allows educators to target (differentiate) instruction for individual students in the class via the use of laptops and hand-help devises.  TeacherMate gives continuous support, reinforcement, and feedback for students as they progress through content and difficulty levels at their own pace (as decided upon by their teacher and the TeacherMate program); at the same time, the teacher is in control of what content and difficulty level each student is working on and is given immediate feedback on student performance.   

     The overall goal of TeacherMate is to help teachers differentiate learning more easily by using laptops and handheld devices.   TeacherMate seems like a great idea/product because it appears to be user-friendly and enables teachers to easily better individualize instruction (as mentioned by a first grade teacher in an interview about using the product in the classroom).  Teachers are able to maintain control of the curriculum by managing what content and levels of difficulty individual students are working on and receive real-time result data; student scores and voice recordings are wirelessly synced to and from the online management system in order to create summaries and detailed performance reports that can guide future instruction.  Students are eager to use this piece of gadget technology because it delivers the content through a mix of videos, animation, and games (all things that kids love); the program is also enticing to students because they can earn points while completing assignments/games that can be redeemed at a virtual store.

      I think TeacherMate would be a great tool to have in the classroom and would be a great addition to my guided reading/center time.  Continuously differentiating instruction is not an easy task, but TeacherMate seems like it could definitely help that!  I also think students would be more likely to use it independently (without the need for constant redirection from the teacher in order to stay on task) because it makes learning fun with videos, animations, games, and options to record and listen to themselves read.  TeacherMate has the potential to majorly change the concept of individualized instruction.  I’d love to try it out!