eSpark - a fun and engaging way to differentiate reading and math instruction for students in preK-5th grade

eSpark is a fun and engaging way to differentiate reading and math instruction for students in preK-5th grade. It is completely web-based. They have just released a free, one-year trials of eSpark as well. Sign up free here: https://www.esparklearning.com/#signup-modal

eSpark automatically differentiates for PreK - 5 students based on their current needs with targeted instruction in reading and math. It includes games, videos and other resources to help students while they have fun. It is adaptive based on each student and helps students with self-paced pathways to assist them in mastering new standards and receive immediate feedback. 

eSpark also has great teacher tools including a dashboard to track progress and see where students are. Teachers can receive weekly, actionable emails that share suggestions to work with small groups and 1:1 interventions. Teachers can also use on-demand assignments to assign targeted skill practices to students.

eSpark has an engaging variety of resources to keep students engaged and on task, while automatically meeting each student at their own level. 

You can learn more with this walk through video and below.

Disclaimer - eSpark is a paid advertiser on ETG.

Personalization vs Differentiation vs Individualization comparison chart for educators

This is a great chart from Kathleen McClaskey and Barbara Bray showing some of the differences between differentiation, personalization and individualization. It's a great resource for educators who are looking for ways to do any  of these three things with their students.

Personalized Learning Chart

View more documents from Barbara Bray

Related:

Tools for Differentiation - helping teachers meet the needs of all learners

Differentiation - tools, tips and resources

Differentiating with Web 2.0 Technologies

Great LiveBinder on Differentiation for High Ability Students

Differentiator - free web app to help teachers differentiate using Blooms Taxonomy

Differentiation - tools, tips and resources

Differentiation is an important aspect of education. Students learn differently, have different needs, different backgrounds, different skills, different ability levels, different interests and more. As educators, we try to create engaging lesson activities that provide a variety of learning experiences and allow students to demonstrate their learning in different ways.

Differentiation should occur in both how students learn and gain knowledge and skills, and in how they demonstrate and are assessed on what they have learned.  

“In the practice of education, differentiation is defined as working to address the abilities, interests, and needs (both perceived and real) of individuals. Differentiation provides students with opportunities to approach curriculum from their strengths, as varied as these might be.” (Sondergeld and Schultz, 2008).  

Here are some resources, tips, and tools on differentiation:

Digital Differentiation - ideas and tools for differentiating with digital resources

Tools for Differentiation - helping teachers meet the needs of all learners

Differentiating with Web 2.0 Technologies

Great LiveBinder on Differentiation for High Ability Users

Differentiating Using 21st Century Tools

Differentiator - free web app to help teachers differentiate using Blooms Taxonomy

The How's, Why's and Value of Educational Technology (including differentiation)

References:

Sondergeld, T. A., & Schultz, R. A. (2008). Science, standards, and differentiation: It really can be fun! Gifted Child Today,31(1), 34-40. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/203260422?accountid=31683

Great LiveBinder on Differentiation for High Ability Students

Differentiation is a very important part of education. Students are different, learn differently, show their learning in different ways and have different abilities.

I recently found a great LiveBinder on "Differentiation for High Ability Users" that has some great ideas, links, resources and lesson resources for differentiating lessons, assessments, and more for high ability learners. The ideas are also great for differentiating for every learner.



Related:

LiveBinders - organize any materials in an online binder

Differentiator - free web app to help teachers differentiate using Blooms Taxonomy

The Differentiator is a simple web app that helps you create objectives based on Bloom's Taxonomy. You simple click on the thinking skill, content, resources, product, or group tabs and then select what you want the student to do by clicking on the sub categories.

For example, on the Thinking Skill tab, you can chose Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, or Creating and then a sub-term. Product tab has visual, multi-media, oral, written, and construct tabs as what the student would create as a product to demonstrate their learning.

I think this is a great tool to help teachers come up with different objectives and some different activities for students to do in class.

Related:

Differentiation Using 21st Century Schools

Differentiation with Web 2.0 Technologies

Tools for Differentiation - helping teachers meet the needs of all learners

Differentiating Using 21st Century Tools

Differentiating Using 21st Century Tools is a site created by an educator that has resources and information for using technology and new tools for differentiating in the classroom.

There are some great ideas for using tools like Google apps, blogs, wiki's and more in the classroom as well as information on differentiating and how to differentiate teaching and learning in the classroom. 

This is a great resource for all educators.

Related Articles:

Differentiation with Web 2.0 Technologies

Tools for Differentiation - helping teachers meet the needs of all learners

Tools for Differentiation - helping teachers meet the needs of all learners

Tools for Differentiation is a collection of resources for teachers to help them differentiate teaching and learning to address the needs and learning styles of all of their students.

The site has tips and resources to help teachers differentiate based on student readiness, student interest and student learning profiles. The resources help you differentiate content, process, and products.

This is a great resource for all educators to use in their classrooms.