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.