Differentiated Instruction is a phrase that is quite well-known and common in the field of education, and for a good reason. It is an invaluable method used by effective teachers everywhere. The diverse knowledge level of each individual student makes the thought of one single, successful teaching for every learner seem ridiculous. Each student is different from the next, so it makes sense that we would have to differentiate in the way that we teach each one. The field of education is rich with ideas and methods in which to apply the ideas behind differentiated instruction to your own classroom.
No student is the same and no student learns in the same way as the next. Take time to get to know your students, what helps them learn best, and what makes them tick! I have collected fifteen of the best tools I could find to help facilitate differentiated instruction in any classroom.
1. GroupMaker
GroupMaker is a very useful app developed by Richard de los Santos to help teachers to effectively assign students to various groups with classmates who are like them, will challenge them, or will need help from them, depending on the teacher's goals for the groups. This app is neat and allows the teacher to enter information about each student in a confidential way. When it is time for the teacher to assign groups, the app will take into account the students' personal information, and will put the class into differentiated groups, leaving out the students who may be absent. This app is very useful for differentiating students into various levels and also for having the advanced students help the ones who seem to be struggling, if that fits the teacher's goal.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/groupmaker/id577475707?mt=8
2. Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a great site where teachers or students can create interactive quizzes based on a variety of different information. This is one of the best tools for differentiated instruction, in my opinion, because it allows students to be interactive. If the teacher sees that some students are more behind than others, he or she can individualize Kahoot! quizzes for specific groups. Having the learners create their own quizzes for their peers is also a great idea, because the students use what they have learned but also have fun quizzing their friends.
https://getkahoot.com/
3. Tagboard
Tagboard is a great way to channel individualized interests into one place. By searching for a specific hashtag, all tweets with this hashtag will be on one board. This is a great tool that teachers can use to differentiate instruction, especially for middle or high school students who are familiar with Twitter itself. Tagboard is a great tool for students to express their specific interests, no matter how different they may be. A neat use of this tool would be for each student to create a Tagboard and then get into diverse groups to share their boards with their classmates. This site is great for individualized learning.
https://tagboard.com/
4. Blendspace
Blendspace is a phenomenal site that helps teachers differentiate uniquely in their classrooms. It is essentially an all-purpose website where teachers can organize, share lessons, sort information, assess students through built-in tests and quizzes, stay up-to-date on student progress, and monitor each student's work individually. Blendspace is versatile, which makes it all the more useful for teachers who are using it for everything from managing a flipped classroom, to project-based learning, to differentiated instruction itself. With so many features, finding ways to make each student's experience unique to the individual has never been easier.
https://www.blendspace.com/
5. Khan Academy
Every classroom is diverse, whether it be racially, mentally, or even emotionally. With typically just one teacher per class, it can be hard for that teacher to differentiate in the most effective way for each student. This is where Khan Academy, a website that offers specific help for students, becomes very useful. Not only can students learn individually about areas in which they struggle, but they can also apply this knowledge to their homework and group projects in the classroom. Khan Academy is a great tool for teachers to introduce to all students, but especially those who are having trouble keeping up in class.
https://www.khanacademy.org/
6. Respondo
Respondo is a fun and inventive site that allows teachers to customize responsive assignments creatively for each individual student. By providing categories and ideas about what questions to ask, Respondo keeps assignments new, interesting, and differentiated for the varying needs of each student. Students can also use this site to make up their own questions to suggest to the teacher or to ask their classmates. Respondo allows teachers to see where students are and how best to assess their progress.
http://byrdseed.com/respondo/
7. Differentiator
Differentiator is a site that is very useful for teachers who have gotten to know their students and can tell what their strengths and weaknesses are. On this site, the teacher is able to make quizzes, questions, or activities in various content areas by selecting an activity option from five categories. The choices of things to do within the categories is varied which makes it easy to differentiate between levels of knowledge for each student.
http://byrdseed.com/differentiator/
8. Thinglink
Thinglink is a great resource for teachers to use as they figure out how to differentiate effectively in the classroom. The site is an interactive and unique way to organize yourself personally by layering images, videos, contact information, and various other things in a creative way. This tool is so personalized, and that is what would make it such a great option to be used in Differentiated Instruction. Whether the teacher makes a thinglink to show the class or has each student make their own with their personal interests, there are countless ways to learn with Thinglink.
https://www.thinglink.com/
9. Edutopia
Whether you're interested in Differentiated Instruction or just looking for support as an educator, Edutopia is a phenomenal tool to use. It is an irreplaceable resource for educators! There are many ways to use Edutopia to help with Differentiated Instruction in the classroom, and one of those is a page made by Mesquite Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona. The teachers at this school gathered their resources and tried-and-true tools for Differentiated Instruction all onto one page, which is extremely useful.
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-budget-resources-downloads?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=stw-downloads-differentiated-instruction-list-pencil-bubbles-repost2
10. Front Row
Of all the tools for Differentiated Instruction, Front Row stands out as a very valuable one. Front Row is an math skill-building app that is based on the Common Core math policies. This is a fantastic tool for children who are struggling with math skills and are not picking up on what they need to know. There are many activities on the app for kids of all knowledge levels from kindergarten through eighth grade, and the activities that are done in class can be regulated by the teacher. Differentiated Instruction becomes so easy when this app is used, because every individual student can work at his or her level without feeling pressured to learn at the same pace as the entire rest of the class.
https://www.frontrowed.com/
11. Stick Pick
Stick Pick is an incredible app that helps teachers run their classrooms in an orderly and organized manner. This app lets teachers differentiate in the classroom by selecting individuals for certain tasks based on their learning levels. Instead of the teacher randomly drawing names for an activity or group, Stick Pick will make an educated decision about which students should be grouped together.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stick-pick/id436682059?mt=8
12. PowToon
PowToon is a fun way to engage students in lectures and lessons by making the lesson into an animated cartoon. This is a fun way to reach students who may not be advanced or who have trouble with their listening skills. The teacher can put differentiated instruction into effect by having a lecture for students who are able to work more confidently on their own, while showing the lecture in cartoon form (via PowToon) for those students who tend to have shorter attention spans.
http://www.powtoon.com/
13. BrainRush
BrainRush is a site that provides quite a few ways for students to practice what they have learned outside of class, whether they are working to master reading, writing, math, or another subject. Teachers can also use these games as an activity for free time during class, to get students involved whether they are advanced or slower learners.
http://www.brainrush.com/
14. Edmodo
Edmodo is a great app for teachers, students, and parents to connect and form the best possible environment to facilitate learning. The app allows teachers to put assignments in an easy place for students to see, students can communicate with teachers and each other, and parents can stay up to date with students' work, which is important. Edmodo also allows teachers to differentiate instruction by watching for progress of each student and sending personalized assignments in the app.
https://www.edmodo.com/
15. Survey Monkey
Survey Monkey is a useful tool for multiple situations, but it is especially great for differentiated instruction. A teacher can use this site to create surveys with which to evaluate his or her students and their level of learning and understanding.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
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I hope you find these resources useful in your classroom and beyond! If you want to learn more about Differentiated Instruction and its benefits, visit https://twitter.com/diff_central for more information!
Citations:
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3. Messieh, N. (2013, April 3). In Search hashtags across social networks with tagboard. Retrieved from http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tagboard/
4. Hertz, M. (n.d.). In Common sense graphite. Retrieved from https://www.graphite.org/website/blendspace
5. McKeague, K. (n.d.). In Common sense media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/khan-academy
6. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://byrdseed.com/respondo/
7. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://byrdseed.com/differentiator
8. (n.d.). In What is thinglink?. Retrieved from https://www.thinglink.com/learn
9. (2011, March 31). In What is edutopia?. Retrieved from http://www.superschooluniversity.com/Super_School_University/Blog/Entries/2011/3/31_What_is_Edutopia.html
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11. Garwood, B. (2014, December 9). In Stick pick. Retrieved from http://stickpickapp.blogspot.com/
12. Pepper, J. (2013, January). In Best animation software review. Retrieved from http://www.powtoon.com/blog/best-animation- software-review/
13. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brainrush.com
14. (n.d.). In Edmodo. Retrieved from https://edshelf.com/tool/edmodo
15. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/SurveyMonkey-Reviews-E347449.htm
