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Chasatie Strickler
EDU 225: Instructional Technology
July 5, 2015
Randal Yard

Differentiating Instruction through Technology

When looking at differentiating instruction, educators must look at the students, their
needs, and the different learning styles represented in his/her classroom. When differentiating
instruction, educators are not only allowing all students to access the information, but with the
appropriate implementation of differentiation, students will be motivated and engaged in learning
the content. In the realm of todays classrooms, differentiation is easily achieved through the use
of technology. The following essay is going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of using
technology to differentiate instruction, the use of technology and other means to differentiate
instruction, the impact technology has on student achievement, and the importance of studentcentered technology in the classroom.
When using technology to differentiate instruction, there are many advantages and
disadvantages to using technology. Technology provides many advantages to differentiated
instruction as it supports learning for those students who are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic
learners. The integration of technology into the classroom allows students to get comfortable with
the uses of technology, prepares them for the future, provides motivation and engagement to the
students, allows for easy access to assessment for intervention, and gives students wider access to
many different research practices and information via the web. According to Kara-Soteriou
(2009), when teachers develop different activities (content) for all students, allow students to
learn through different methods (process), and encourage students to show their understanding

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through different means (product), they will be able to better retain the information being
conveyed to them.
However, just as there are advantages to the use of technology, there are also some
disadvantages. Technology is continuously changing. As soon as educators and school districts
incorporate the use of technology, something bigger and better becomes available. As this
happens, educators must be prepared to integrate the cost and maintenance into the use of
technology in the classroom. As educators integrate technology, they must ensure they are
proficient and understanding of the use of technology before implementation; if not the teacher
can lose detrimental instruction time that is needed for the students. According to Hofer and Swan
(2007), the integration of technology to align with district standards can cut the instructional
time for another subject area. Often times, students respond better to direct and explicit
instruction from the teacher. Technology should be used to enhance instruction, not replace it.
Through the use of classroom websites (such as http://myawesomeaces.weebly.com/), educators
can include tips and tricks to assist parents and students with the use of different tools and
websites to assist with understanding of an assignment, as well as keep parents and students upto-date with different assignments and easy access to communication.
When creating a lesson plan, one must ensure they are incorporating differentiated
instruction into the curriculum to ensure that all students can access and retain the information.
The introduction of applications on the iPad, tablets, and computer allows for easier
communication between special needs students, peers, and teachers; as well as applications that
promote and support student learning. Some applications allow for the teacher to tailor the
questions, games, or information to the needs of different students, making the information easier
to access. However, with the integration of technology into the classroom, students may begin to
lose the face-to-face learning skills that are needed to communicate and socialize appropriately.

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In the realm of differentiation, educators must ensure they are providing a learning opportunity in
which every student can achieve and master the content. Differentiation goes beyond the
integration of technology; the use of manipulatives, one-on-one instruction, and small group
teacher-directed instruction support and enhance differentiation as well (VanSciver, 2005).
When students are given the opportunity to utilize technology to enhance and support
learning, achievement gaps are closed and students are able to connect what the teacher is trying
to convey through the use of games, tools, and websites. While most students use technology for
entertainment purposes, the integration of engaging activities via technology has shown evidence
for improving math and science scores for students (Delen & Bulut, 2011). Technology allows
for more practice, differentiated instruction methods, and engagement on behalf of the students.
When engaging in a student-centered technology classroom, research shows that students
are more emotionally engaged, display higher evidence of cognitive thinking, and more positive
behavior than in that of a teacher-centered classroom (Wu & Huang, 2007). As educators allow
students to be active in their own learning and make choices, they will be more apt to engage in
learning and become responsible learners. Incorporating student-centered technology in the
classroom instills confidence and shows improvement in emotional behaviors and test scores.
In conclusion, the integration of technology into the classroom allows for differentiation
and accessibility for the students with special needs. Technology allows for student engagement,
behavior management, and improvement in achievement gaps for students in difficult subject areas
such as mathematics and science. Integrating technology into the curriculum allows for students
to learn responsibility about their own learning and helps to prepare them for the future. Overall,
technology is an excellent source of enhancement and differentiation for instruction.

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References
Delen, E., & Bulut, O. (2011). The relationship between students' exposure to technology and
their achievement in science and math. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology
- TOJET, 10(3), 311-317.
Hofer, M., & Swan, K. O. (2007). Standards, firewalls, and general classroom mayhem:
Implementing student-centered technology projects in the elementary classroom.
Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education, 7(2), 42-58.
Kara-Soteriou, J. (2009). Using technology to differentiate instruction across grade levels. New
England Reading Association Journal, 44(2), 86-90.
VanSciver, J. H. (2005). Motherhood, apple pie, and differentiated instruction. Phi Delta Kappan,
86(7), 534-535.
Wu, H., & Huang, Y. (2007). Ninth-grade student engagement in teacher-centered and studentcentered technology-enhanced learning environments. Science Education, 91(5), 727-749.