In the article, To Differentiate or Not to Differentiate: Using Internet Based Technology in the Classroom, Aries Cobb, of Baldwin Wallace College, investigated the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) use of differentiated instruction with technology based software. Cleveland Metro is an urban school district with a diverse student population. It is the largest school district in Ohio with a high percentage of minority students. The CMSD utilized Compass Learning, an internet based software program designed to enhance the reading achievement of minority students who live in poverty, in conjunction with cooperative learning groups.
As background information, Cobb reported some sobering figures about student achievement in reading. "43% of eighth graders who qualified for free lunch scored below the basic level, compared to only 19% of eighth graders who did not qualify for free lunch. Among African American eighth graders, 48% scored below the basic level, and among Hispanic students, 44% scored below basic. Only 18% of White student scored below basic in reading (2010, p. 38).” These findings were evident in the CMSD and they choose to incorporate more differentiated instruction in the classroom as a means of addressing this problem.
The Compass Learning software could be tailored to fit each individual student’s needs according to their reading, writing, and listening skill levels. Students worked cooperatively in groups of two to five and were provided with three 40 minute Compass Learning sessions per week. Each lesson was thematic and included a pre-reading activity to introduce new concepts, a digital presentation of a story, and comprehension exercises. Studies indicate significant gains in reading comprehension for these students.
Cobb further reported that teachers benefited from their participation in CMSD’s use of the internet based software tool. There was an increase in teachers’ effectiveness using and incorporating technology in the classroom. Once trained, teachers who formerly expressed discomfort utilizing the software and other digital tools such as web-authoring -software (e.g. e-Portfolios) were much more comfortable and willing to incorporate technology into their instruction.
While I am unfamiliar with the particular tool the CMSD uses in their classrooms, I was interested to learn that cooperative groups enhanced the learning process. I would have expected differentiated instruction to focus on individuals rather than groups, especially when it comes to internet based software. This article also reiterates what we have seen over and over again: the more familiar teachers become with technology and its potential uses in the classroom, the better they are at incorporating it in ways that enhance their lessons and promote higher order thinking. Clearly we, as educators, need to reach our students, especially minority students and those who live in poverty, in ways that will help them bridge the gap of academic achievement.
Cobb, A. (2010). To Differentiate or Not to Differentiate? Using Internet-Based Technology in the Classroom. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 11(1), 37-45.
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