My session will show how I have incorporated technology to facilitate differentiated instruction in a student-centered science classroom. I will discuss how I use pre-testing, multiple learning modalities, student choice, and varied assessments to reach a diverse range of learners. By moving away from the traditional lecture format, my students are able to learn the material in a format that works best for each of them, including watching videos, reading text, attending a mini-lecture, or working with hands-on activities. In this format, I am not directly instructing the whole class but meeting with students individually or in small groups to provide more nuanced feedback. Students are able to take the assessment at any point in the process and can retake it up to three times to encourage mastery of the material and a growth mindset. In addition, those who master the material quickly can pursue independent extension projects. Every student in the classroom is unique and our instruction should match this diversity rather than attempt to conform it to one model.
