Differentiating Instruction with Technology in Middle School Classrooms

Middle school is a time of growth and change for students, with each student changing and growing in different ways and at different rates. These students, like the rest of us, have different interests, different backgrounds, and different goals for their lives. Educators have a responsibility to treat and teach them as individuals. Differentiated Instruction (DI) makes this possible, and technology makes DI easy, effective, and engaging.

Recognizing a need for change in middle school instruction, the authors wrote Differentiating Instruction with Technology in Middle School Classrooms to show educators the benefits of combining DI with technology, encouraging educators to re-engage students by bringing lessons out of the past and into the student-centered reality of digital-age learning. This book offers an overview of research on the uniqueness of middle school students and illustrates the importance of using technology to create differentiated lessons, especially with this age group. It lists the fundamental components of DI, student traits that guide DI, and Web 2.0 resources that can help make DI a reality in the middle school classroom. It also includes sample activities for incorporating DI in multiple subjects: math, science, social studies, and language arts. The strategies and lessons in this book will ensure that students receive a tailored education that also prepares them with the technology skills they need for a successful future.

Features:

* Lists of resources for Web 2.0 tools that support differentiated instruction
* A chapter on using DI for student assessment
* A survey of research on middle school students

Topics include:

-differentiating instruction
-Web 2.0
-technology integration
-math
-science
-social studies
-langauge arts
-assessment

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy and leadership for innovation. ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and ISTE's annual conference (formerly known as the National Educational Computing Conference, or NECC), ISTE represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of transforming education.

Some of the areas in which we publish are:
-Web. 2.0 in the classroom-RSS, podcasts, and more
-National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)
-Professional development for educators and administrators
-Integrating technology into the classroom and curriculum
-Safe practices for the Internet and technology
-Educational technology for parents