Department of Education, University of the People
EDUC 5271 - Advanced Practices for Teaching Elementary and Middle School Literacy
Dr. Amanda Nugent
Oct 2, 2022
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Introduction
Teaching effectively with technology and differentiating instruction are very meaningful to me
as a teacher. I believe that as a teacher it is imperative that I understand how to integrate
technology into the teaching and learning process so that students will be engaged and motivated
to learn. It is also important that I cater to the different learning needs, styles and preferences so
that all my students will be successful and have positive learning experiences.
Inquiry 1: Teaching Effectively with Technology
Watts-Taffe, et al (2010), believe that "Technology can be a valuable tool for supporting and
enhancing literacy instruction.” This inquiry is meaningful to me because it is important to
understand how to integrate technology into literacy instruction. The benefits of using
technology to complement students’ reading are outlined by IMSE Journal (2020):
● I can provide my students with additional opportunities, repetition, and extension
activities to enable them to review and practice concepts that have been explicitly taught.
● I can use Integrated Learning Systems to assess students’ performance, ability, or
understanding of information and provide networked data for analysis and monitoring.
● I can provide students with increased accessibility to challenging text (read aloud) for
practice with comprehension and vocabulary.
● I can assign, supportive activities that can help students gain additional time working
within their zone of proximal development.
● I can use digital tools as supplemental resources for differentiating literacy.
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Inquiry 2: Differentiating Instruction
This inquiry is meaningful to me because it is important to always differentiate instruction.
Differentiated instruction is beneficial because it enables me to connect with the different
learning needs, strengths, styles, interests, and preferences. Not all students will respond to a
lecture so providing them with a game or a video may work better. Some students may learn
better by reading while others might learn using a computer. When students are provided with
choices about how they learn helps them to meet learning objectives in the best way for them.
(Learning A-Z, 2022).
Differentiated instruction enables me to learn with my students. Although I might be an expert in
some subject matter, I am continuously learning about how my students learn. It is important to
always have ongoing collaboration with them in order to refine their learning opportunities so
that they will be effective for each student. (Tomlinson, 2017). There are many other benefits of
differentiating instruction as outlined by Sprig Learning (2021):
● It provides appropriate instruction to students with a wide range of abilities.
● It considers active and passive learning.
● It uses a variety of teaching styles and strategies.
● It caters to the individual strengths of all my learners.
● It is student-centered as it considers individual interests and abilities.
● It uses both qualitative and quantitative data to teach and assess students.
● It boosts student engagement.
● It provides me with the opportunity to design lessons for particular groups of students.
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● It provides students with a high quality of education so that they will have the
opportunities and resources to succeed regardless of their background or circumstances.
● It uses formative assessments to monitor the growth and development of students.
● It is enhanced using technology.
● It accommodates students who have IEPs.
My Journey With Technology
I have been on the journey of integrating literacy and technology for a while now. I use
technology in my classroom on a daily basis to help to support instruction and learning as well as
to keep students motivated and engaged in the learning process. I use technology to assist my
students with all subjects and to help with classroom behavior management. I also use it to
supplement instruction and differentiate instruction so that all my students can reach their full
potential regardless of their differences. I am now at a point where I am using technology in my
classroom on a daily basis to support my instruction and engage my students in their learning.
The Way Forward
Looking forward, I plan to continue using technology to enhance teaching and learning as well as
to assist me with managing students' behavior. I also want to learn new ways of integrating
technology into the classroom so that all my students will become proficient and will always be
motivated and engaged in the learning process.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the ability to integrate technology into my classroom and differentiate instruction
are meaningful to me as they enable me to enhance the teaching and learning process by ensuring
that students are motivated and engaged in the learning process. I am also able to cater to the
varied needs of my students regardless of their differences so that all students can achieve their
full potential regardless of their differences. Technology is a big part of my classroom and I
will continue to use it to enhance teaching and learning.
References
ISME Journal, (2020). Using Technology to Complement Literacy Instruction
https://journal.imse.com/using-technology-to-complement-literacy-instruction/#:~:text=The
%20potential%20benefits%20of%20using,that%20have%20been%20explicitly%20taught.
Learning A-Z, (2022). Differentiated
Instructionhttps://www.learninga-z.com/site/company/what-we-do/differentiated-
instruction#:~:text=Differentiated%20instruction%20is%20beneficial%20because,they%20do
%20using%20a%20computer
Sprig Learning, (2021). Benefits of Differentiated Instruction in Early Learning—The
Comprehensive List [With Matching Strategies]https://www.spriglearning.com/benefits-of-
differentiated-instruction-in-early-learning-the-comprehensive-list-with-matching-strategies/
Tomlinson, C. A. (2017). 7 Reasons Why Differentiated Instruction Works.
https://www.ascd.org/blogs/7-reasons-why-differentiated-instruction-works
Watts-Taffe, S. M., & Gwinn, C. B. (2007). Integrating literacy and technology: effective
practice for grades k-6. The Guilford Press.
