Differentiation with Technology

 

Using Technology to Support All Learners in the Classroom 

As teachers, we know that every child learns in their own unique way. Some students thrive with hands-on activities, while others enjoy listening to stories or watching videos. That’s why using technology in the classroom can be a powerful way to reach all learners. When used thoughtfully, technology can help us differentiate instruction, keep students engaged, and introduce them to new cultures and perspectives.

Moody & Morrow (2017) emphasize the importance of designing individualized learning spaces that are rich in literacy. Their approach focuses on providing students with access to resources, strategies, and instruction tailored to their needs, helping them develop the necessary skills to read proficiently and think critically. By creating a literacy-rich environment, students have opportunities to engage with meaningful texts, practice comprehension strategies, and build their ability to analyze and evaluate information effectively.

Research suggests that interactive tools, structured digital environments, and gamified learning experiences can enhance student learning by offering individualized pacing, predictable interactions, and immediate feedback; all of which contribute to greater accessibility and engagement (Molloy & Farrell, 2024). 

Making Learning Personal with Interactive Programs 

One of my favorite ways to meet students is through programs like Khan Academy, Nearpod, and IXL. These tools let kids work at their own pace, so no one feels left behind or rushed. For example, in a math lesson, some students might need extra time practicing number recognition, while others are ready to explore addition and subtraction. With a program like IXL, each child receives exactly what they need! To ensure everyone stays on task, I check in regularly and celebrate their progress.

Encouraging Collaboration with Fun Digital Tools 

Young children love to share ideas, and tools like Padlet, Flipgrid, and

Google Docs make it easier. In our classroom, we might use Flipgrid to record and share short videos about a favorite family tradition, enabling us to learn about each other's cultures. This not only builds communication skills but helps create a classroom where everyone’s voice matters. To keep things safe, we always talk about respecting online, just like we are in person. 

Exploring the World Without Leaving the Classroom 

Since we cannot take a field trip every day, virtual tools like Google Earth and National Geographic’s Virtual Explorer bring the world to us! When we learn about different habitats, we can “travel” to the Amazon Rainforest or the Arctic to see animals in their natural homes. These experiences spark so much curiosity and help students see how big and amazing our world really is. Afterward, we always have a discussion about what we saw and how it connects to our own lives.  

Adding Playful Learning with Games 

Kids love learning through play, and tools like Kahoot!, Quizizz, and Minecraft: Education Edition make lessons even more exciting. A quick Kahoot! game can turn a simple review session into a fun challenge, and Minecraft can be a great way to build and explore concepts in a hands-on way. To keep things balanced, I use these tools as a way to reinforce learning rather than just as extra screen time. 

 

Enhancing Global Awareness Through Technology in the Classroom 

Technology has transformed the way educators create meaningful, engaging, and culturally diverse learning experiences. By integrating digital tools into lesson plans, students gain global perspectives, collaborate beyond their classrooms, and develop essential 21st-century skills. Research highlights the importance of equipping students with the knowledge, skills, mindset, and social abilities needed to navigate and thrive in today's interconnected world (Dwyer, 2016). In my differentiated lesson plan, I incorporate several technologies to enhance student learning, increase engagement, and promote global awareness.

Overall, offering students differentiated, engaging activities that incorporate global awareness and cultural perspectives allows them to learn at their own pace while fully experiencing the classroom in a safe and inclusive environment.

Engaging Every Learner: Differentiation and Technology in Phonics Instruction

Using Differentiated Instruction to Support All Learners

Designing the Short and Long Vowel Sounds lesson allowed me to incorporate differentiated instructional strategies, varied assessment methods, and technology to meet my students' diverse needs. Here is how I approached these essential components:  

Evaluating and Choosing Instructional Strategies:  

For this lesson, I based my instructional strategies on my observations and my mentor teacher's feedback. She noted that her students excel when learning activities involve gameplay and chants, which guided my decision to include vowel sound chants, a bingo game, and engaging songs about vowels. Differentiation is widely recognized as a key strategy for nurturing gifted and talented students (Opoku et al., 2025), and I aimed to ensure all students felt challenged and supported.  

I differentiated instruction by addressing student readiness, interests, and learning styles. Starting with an initial diagnostic vowel sound identification test, I was able to assess phonemic awareness levels and tailor activities accordingly. Students who demonstrated higher readiness were given complex decoding tasks, while those who needed more support received scaffolded instruction using Elkonin boxes and visual aids.  

To cater to various learning styles, I included kinesthetic activities like Body Spelling (stretching for long vowels and quick motions for short vowels), visual strategies like color-coded vowel sound mapping, and auditory reinforcement through vowel sound chants. Incorporating these diverse methods ensured that all students, including ELLs and those with IEPs, could engage meaningfully with the content.  

Differentiating Assessment  

Assessments were designed to meet specific learning goals while addressing individual and group differences. Formative assessments, such as thumbs up-thumbs down, whiteboard responses, and exit tickets, provided ongoing insights into student understanding, allowing for real-time instructional adjustments.  

Summative assessments included a written evaluation where students identified and decoded vowel sounds, alongside a performance task where they created a vowel sound "gallery." This gallery allowed students to visually and verbally explain vowel sounds, offering multiple ways to demonstrate understanding.  

To ensure all students could succeed, I differentiated assessments for specific groups:  

1. English Language Learners (ELL): I provided bilingual glossaries, sentence frames, and visual aids. ELL students could opt for oral presentations instead of written tasks, ensuring they could express their understanding without language barriers.  
2. Students with Special Needs: These students received alternative formats like audio responses and extended time. I incorporated manipulatives for tactile learners and broke tasks into smaller, manageable steps to reduce cognitive load.  
3. Gifted Students: Advanced learners were challenged with multi-syllabic word activities and encouraged to design their own vowel sound games. They also had opportunities to lead peer-teaching, deepening their understanding by explaining concepts to classmates.  
4. Early Finishers: Students who completed tasks early were provided extension activities such as writing stories featuring specific vowel sounds, exploring irregular vowel patterns, or engaging in peer-teaching opportunities.  

Technology Integration  

Technology played a pivotal role in enhancing engagement and differentiation within the lesson. Chromebooks were used for vowel sound matching games, offering interactive, self-paced learning opportunities. These digital activities provided immediate feedback, which is essential for reinforcing correct vowel sound identification. Additionally, students accessed IXL, an online platform that allowed them to practice phonics skills while receiving instant feedback, turning learning into a fun, game-like experience. “As educators, we need to create classrooms that will maximize the success of all students, and will accommodate a diverse range of skills, needs, and interests" O’Donnell (2017). We also incorporated YouTube songs that promoted movement and sound recognition for short and long vowels. These multimedia elements kept students engaged and catered to auditory learners. 

When selecting technology resources, I carefully evaluated their appropriateness based on usability, accessibility, and alignment with learning objectives. For example, the vowel sound matching game on Chromebooks allowed for differentiated levels of difficulty and included visual and auditory cues, making it particularly suitable for all types of learners including ELL and special needs students. 

Hanifah Insani, Suwarna, & Triyono (2024) stated, the recent studies exploring how educators integrate technology into online teaching have highlighted varied outcomes, particularly in language instruction. This insight guided my careful selection of digital tools to ensure they aligned with student needs and lesson objectives.  

Conclusion  

This lesson plan reflects a deliberate effort to create an inclusive, engaging, and effective learning environment. By thoughtfully integrating differentiated instructional strategies, assessments, and technology, I ensured that all students had the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their individual learning needs. 

 

Learning Styles Analysis

 Learning Styles Analysis

Student	Learning Style	Preferred Learning Strategy
Student A  (FS)	Kinesthetic	thrives when using manipulatives, physical activities, or hands-on tasks.
Student B  (DM)	Visual	best with colorful visuals, number charts, and diagrams.
Student B  (ST)	Auditory/Visual	excelling when engaging in verbal explanations, math songs, and oral discussions.

Interconnection of learning styles and cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development

The VARK learning style model focuses on how students prefer to receive and process information (Moazeni & Pourmohammadi, 2013). After reviewing the learning style inventory and analyzing the data, each student has a distinct learning preference. Research suggests that a student’s preferred learning style significantly impacts their ability to process information and their overall engagement in learning. Understanding students’ learning styles is crucial for shaping effective teaching strategies and optimizing the learning process (Antelm-Lanzat, Gil, Cacheiro-González, Pérez-Navío, & Fonseca-Pedrero, 2020).

Student A primarily learns through kinesthetic input, while Student B exhibits a strong visual preference and student C, on the other hand, is predominantly an auditory learner but also demonstrates some visual learning preferences. These interconnected styles suggest that incorporating a variety of instructional approaches will be essential for meeting their diverse needs. 

All three students are in Kindergarten, GenEd classroom. Student A is very shy and tends to engage more one-on-one support, while Student B is vocal but timid to be asking or being wrong during learning activities. Student C is social and often fidgety. All students prefer peer interactions. All three students are physically capable of accessing all areas of the school and independently managing age-appropriate tasks.

 The learning styles inventory to influence or affect planning

Learning styles are valuable tools for understanding how students engage with material, allowing educators to tailor instruction to meet diverse needs. In math, specifically with decomposing numbers and number bonds, a learning style inventory can help identify whether students prefer hands-on activities, visual aids, or verbal explanations. For example, kinesthetic learners may benefit from using physical objects (like blocks or counters) to break down numbers, while visual learners may grasp concepts more effectively through diagrams or color-coded number bonds. Auditory learners may engage best with verbal instructions or discussions about how numbers break apart. Understanding these preferences can guide math instruction to be more inclusive, ensuring that students can access and comprehend decomposing numbers in ways that best support their learning style. 

Additionally, incorporating diagrams and videos benefits visual learners, while discussions and read-alouds are helpful for auditory learners. Kinesthetic learners thrive with movement-based activities and hands-on experiences, while reading/writing learners excel with structured notes and written assignments. This data-driven approach ensures that instruction is engaging, accessible, and tailored to maximize student success. 

Evaluation and use of students’ strengths, interests, and needs for growth to influence instruction

Understanding students' growth needs is essential for effective math instruction, especially when teaching decomposing numbers and number bonds. By identifying challenges, educators can tailor learning strategies. For example, a kinesthetic learner struggling with number decomposition may benefit from using manipulatives like counters or base-ten blocks to break apart numbers. A visual learner may find success with color-coded number bonds and diagram representations to observe how numbers connect. 

Differentiated instruction ensures that all students receive the support they require. Small group activities, peer discussions, and guided practice can enhance numbers of decomposition skills. Multi-sensory approaches, like using number bond songs for auditory learners or interactive whiteboards for visual learners, enhance engagement and understanding. 

Regular assessments and progress monitoring let teachers adjust instruction. Observing students’ strategies in solving number bonds and analyzing errors helps educators provide targeted support. By focusing on students' strengths while addressing their growth areas, educators create an inclusive and effective learning environment where all students can develop strong sense and problem-solving skills. 

Incorporating all learning styles when developing and implementing assessments for students

Assessment is essential in education, allowing teachers to evaluate learning progress and make informed decisions about student development. Additionally, evidence of learning can serve as a tool for accountability purposes (Slingerland, Weeldenburg, & Borghouts, 2024). Incorporating all learning styles when developing and implementing assessments ensures that every student can demonstrate their understanding in ways that align with their strengths. A well-rounded assessment approach includes visual elements like charts or diagrams, hands-on tasks for kinesthetic learners, and verbal components like discussions or recorded responses for auditory learners. For example, in math assessments on number bonds, students could use manipulatives, draw number bond charts, or explain their reasoning aloud. Offering a variety of assessment formats fosters engagement, provides a more accurate assessment of student learning, and supports diverse learners in attaining their full potential.