2.

5 Differentiation

Model and facilitate the design and implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences
making appropriate use of differentiation, including adjusting content, process, product, and learning
environment based upon an analysis of learner characteristics, including readiness levels, interests, and
personal goals.

This artifact is a write up for one of the professional development sessions I completed during my
studies at KSU. It was all about using formative instructional practices to differentiation instruction to
best meet the needs of all students. For this artifact, I prepared a variety of screencast videos before
conducting the actual workshop. These videos covered things like using our school’s learning
management system to create assessments with release conditions to group and direct students to
further learned based on their need for remediation, extension, or further practice.

This artifact demonstrates my mastery of this standard because it shows my ability to design and
implement a professional development session that models best practices with using the learning
management system to design lessons that allow for true differentiation. By creating the videos ahead
of time teachers were able to preview or review the content as often as they needed or wanted to.
While teachers worked with their teams during the professional development session, I was able to
facilitate the teachers as needed as they developed a formative assessment that they could use for
differentiation in their classroom right away. Since teachers were able to walk away with something
they could use immediately they were then able to focus on adjusting the content, process, product, or
learning environment based on the data collected from their students. Because part of the professional
development included teachers taking a formative assessment and their further professional
development during that session depending on their score, I was able to model the use of adjusting the
content, process, or product for the duration of their time in the session. During the professional
development, teachers learned how to observe and analyze learner characteristics based on their
formative assessment responses and how to modify their instruction or the individual student’s learning
path based on those characteristics.

In the creation of this artifact, I learned a lot about how to communicate with teachers about
professional development opportunities. I learned that teaches do not like to be told that they are
required to attend or implement anything they do not fully understand. If I were to recreate this
professional development, I would probably send teachers a “preview” in which I explain “the why” on
the strategies I would show them in the session. Additionally, I would probably create a self0paced
online version so that teachers who are more advanced with instructional technology would be able to
work on their own to implement the strategies.

The work that went into creating this artifact impacted our faculty in a variety of ways. Teachers were
introduced to me in the capacity of instructional technology coach which allowed them to become more
comfortable with the idea of me guiding them. Teachers also began thinking about the various ways
they can use our learning management system to improve their instruction and to promote student
achievement overall. This also allowed me to demonstrate my professional abilities to my administration
who allow me to serve in the role as an unofficial technology coach. The impact of this can be assessed
through classroom observations and student data. Our teachers’ use of formative assessment has more
than tripled over the past two years.