# data[].attributes.body
ISTE Standards FORSTUDENTS. (n.d.).

Retrieved March 14, 2017, from
https://www.iste.org/standards/
standards/for-students-2016

Robert Maloy, R.-E. V. (2017). Transforming
Learning with New Technologies (3rd
Edition). Pearson.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate
Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms
2nd Edition.

# data[].attributes.body
After viewing the ISTE standards, I realize that I needed to incorporate more creative thinking and collaboration into the small groups. I could have had one station answer a real world question and work together to figure it out. They could have explored specific websites to figure out the answers. This would have made the math skills more meaningful to them. I could have easily viewed their responses by using Seesaw for students to turn in their findings, instead of just providing students with programs that gave them instant feedback and just provided me with whether students were correct or incorrect. There are multiple other resources available to promote student exploration on a skill. On page 147 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies by Robert Maloy et al., it states there are educational websites for student to expert communications and real time recorded data. "Student-to-expert communication websites feature exchanges of ideas and information between students in K-12 schools and adult experts sin colleges, museums, businesses, and other organizations.....Real time and recorded data websites include information about scientific, governmental, economic, and mathematical topics." By using websites like these, students can find resources on their own to help them solve the problem, making the math skill much more engaging and meaningful for students.

# data[].attributes.body
I found that incorporating technology into my instruction enabled students to work at their own individual pace and it provided me with a great deal of feedback through the progress reports from the programs. I was still able to pinpoint what each student was struggling on, as well as what skills they showed growth. In addition, students received small group instruction from me on their Individual Education Plan goals, where they had more opportunities to respond and ask questions without feeling pressure from other students in the group. The way I differentiated specifically focused on readiness of the skill being taught. "When teachers use readiness level as a focus for differentiating content, process, and product, their aim is to push students just a bit beyond their particular “comfort zones” so that student work is a little too hard. They then support students in stretching to achieve a next level of competency with important skills and ideas," (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 51).

# data[].attributes.body
Empowered Learner
"Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. Students:

a. articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes

c. use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways"

Some components of the "Empowered Learner" ISTE standard were incorporated into my classroom in my story described. Students had specific goals on their Individual Education Plans and would use IXL, Mobymax, and Frontrow Facts to try to achieve the percent. Students would set goals each day to try to increase their percentage on a regular basis. Feedback was provided to them instantaneously if they would get an incorrect answer. They were all provided with rationale behind why their answer was incorrect, which allowed students to take charge of their learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Uploaded by Kirsten Rosol on 2017-03-16.

# data[].attributes.body
In my story, I explained a dilemma I had during my first year of teaching. I am a special education teacher and had taught both 5th and 6th grade students that year with learning disabilities. I taught small groups of students in both math and reading. For my story, I describe my 5th grade math group of seven students that each have a learning disability. A group of seven was difficult for me to teach the whole group at a small table on one skill and I didn't feel that I was meeting individual student needs as much as I should. It made me realize that I needed to make a change.