DON'T Ditch That Tech: Differentiated Instruction in a Digital World

by Matt Miller, Nate Ridgway, Angelia Ridgway

Daunted by differentiation and devices?Ditching tech isn’t the answer—understanding how to find the right tool, for the right teacher, for the right moment is!Don’t Ditch That Tech, provides practical ideas to help you find the sweet spot where classroom devices meet students’ needs. In this teacher-tailored guide, you’ll find tips on how to handle cart/lab scenarios, develop attention-grabbing strategies, build metacognitive practices, and more—all with differentiation in mind. Whether you're a tech newbie or the school’s device guru, you’ll walk away with new understandings and strategies for transforming and diversifying your approach to teaching in a twenty-first-century world.

Authors Matt Miller, Nate Ridgway, and Angelia Ridgway, PhD, bring a diverse range of perspectives to this useful guide. From their own classroom experiences they share practical suggestions for working within your classroom walls—and ultimately, transforming your students’ lives beyond it.

You’ll find ideas for how to use tech to . . .Personalize learning and add authenticityPromote metacognition and student agencyIncrease students’ and stakeholders’ access to your classroomAnd more!DON'T Ditch That Tech!Use it to transform your classroom!“Don’t Ditch That Tech is a rich resource for understanding ways technology can be a thoughtful tool for reaching the complex range of learners in today’s classrooms. It is grounded, smart, clever, conversational and practical.”—Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, author of The Differentiated Classroom

“This guide is chock full of tools/apps, graphic images, classroom examples, methods, and practical tips for any classroom educator looking to try new things or further strengthen their current differentiation practices. And it’s differentiated for teachers, too!”—The HyperDoc Girls (Sarah Landis, Kelly Hilton, and Lisa Highfill)

“Do yourself a favor and buy this book! You won’t be sorry! Be prepared to see smiling faces on students and engaged classrooms when you do!” —Holly Clark, author, The Google Infused Classroom

“Anecdotes, exemplars and examples abound in this easy to read how-to for any teacher!”—Jon Corippo, Chief Learning Officer, Cue, Inc.

Genres: Education

225 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2019

About the author

Matt Miller is the author of four books. He has spent more than a decade teaching technology-infused lessons in public schools. As an author, blogger and education speaker, he encourages teachers to free their teaching and revolutionize their classrooms with mindset, techniques and curriculum to serve today's learners. With thousands of subscribers and visitors from more than 100 countries, Matt's blog, DitchThatTextbook.com, is a well-respected source of ideas and insights about educational technology and creative teaching.

Reviews

[Dalley Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intent of the authors of Don’t Ditch that Tech is to provide teachers a handbook that allows them to identify their comfort level with using technology to differentiate and how they can move towards creating a classroom environment that is student-centered, differentiated, where technology is integrated with purpose. The authors seek to guide the reader to understand how differentiating with technology is not something that is done “on the fly,” rather it is done with intention and purpose, with the students’ specific needs are always at the center of the design process. This theme is visible throughout the text and is seen in each chapter as the authors always refer to lessons designed by the authors and in the way that they describe how to utilize different technology applications to differentiate for students. Rather than talk about the tool in isolation, the authors describe how that tool can best be used for differentiation and how it can best benefit learners based on their individual needs.
While reading this book, it is clear that the authors want the reader to understand how to differentiate instruction with purpose and intention and how technology can be the vehicle to do so. A big takeaway is that “Differentiation isn’t about making a hundred versions of every assignment,” which is a common misconception when designed differentiation (Miller, et al., 2019). Rather, all differentiation takes is variation in process or product, choice in content and process, and personalization to the unique 21st-century learners that are in our classrooms today. The authors stress that it is important to take things poco a poco or to take small steps in the process of adjusting from the guide to the facilitator in the classroom. Instead of trying to do many new things, it is more effective and doable to try one new strategy at a time which is much more sustainable and prevents students from becoming overwhelmed

[Shelby Schreiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Book Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y87f...

Review:
Don’t Ditch that Tech, by Matt Miller, and Nate and Angelia Ridgway, aims to illustrate the benefits and significance of integrating purposeful and meaningful technology and learning into today’s 21st-century classroom. Organized into nine chapters, Don’t Ditch that Tech illustrates a variety of important factors when it comes to teaching, instructional design, and differentiation. Within each chapter, the authors identify different tech tools that teachers may integrate or want to consider integrating into the classroom. There are five types of teachers that are identified in the text when it comes to usage and differentiation of technology: the pilot, museum exhibitor, restaurant owner, councilmember, and the creative art coach. Don’t Ditch that Tech illustrates each type of teacher and the decisions that may be made in regards to technology, encouraging readers to be willing to try something new and challenge themselves as educators.
Students are at the heart of this book as technology choices are described in order to enhance the learning and learning experiences of the students. Educators have an amazing opportunity to empower students in their classrooms. This empowerment can come from a variety of methods, but when considering emerging technology and the 21st-century classroom, technology and the purposeful integration of it is one powerful tool for student empowerment. This book is filled with practical examples, tools, and strategies for educators to use in their own classroom and is a must read for any teacher or aspiring teacher who wants to know more about how to integrate technology and the importance of its purposeful integration.

[Rosalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t ditch that tech is a great read for educators who would like to take their teaching and technology integration to the next level. It begins with a survey to help you discover your current level of technology integration. A chart explains the five roles identified along a continuum created by the authors which is similar to the SAMR model. Each role has characteristics which reflect their level of technology integration along a continuum. According to your score and what role matches your situation, the authors offer ideas and guidance. These ideas include how to adapt your lessons to include apps or software in order to meet your level of comfort and to help you progress to the next role. Along with improving your level of tech integration, the main goal of the book is to encourage teachers to differentiate their instruction by leveraging technology.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter where you are in the journey of integrating technology in the classroom I would strongly recommend this book.

The authors encourage small steps you can take based on where you currently are to use technology to further your lesson and teaching goals.

There are examples of resources and sites to use but the focus is how can we use technology to strengthen what we know will help students engage with material and learn.

Again whether you are just starting to use tech in your classroom or are the go to tech person in your building this book offers ideas differentiated to where you are to further your growth.

Quick read with easy steps to begin implementation.

[Michael Tompkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Miller, Nate, and Angelia Ridgway do a great job with this book. It was very easy to read and a terrific resource for any teacher. Explaining differentiated instruction in the digital world was extremely helpful. Their examples were practical and thoughtful for any subject. I will most definitely try many of the ideas they shared and will most likely open the book back up as a resource for myself during the school year.

[Mike Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful guide to differentiation in the classroom using technology that practices what it preaches. It speaks to teachers with different levels of tech & different lesson goals. It understands that not every lesson will be student created or tech centered and gives ideas for the whole spectrum!

[Heather Stringham · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a way to purposefully add technology to your classroom, read this book first. The authors cleverly and consciously speak to each teacher in a way that is easy to understand and will make you feel capable of adding the tech to your classroom.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read! Practical applications for Instructional Technology at a variety of practitioner levels! I finished it in an afternoon, so it’s a well planned easy read. Many ready to use ideas and exemplars were provided by all three authors. I was very impressed.

[Todd Gragg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very very basic. This book would be great if you have never used a single piece of technology before. However if you know how to teach and can turn on a laptop then look elsewhere for better information. Highly disappointed that I wasted money on this book.

[Jennifer Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Great ideas to differentiate with tech as a TOOL - and the book itself is differentiated for different teacher comfort levels!

[A. Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas for upper elementary through high school.

[Dawn Reeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Miller does not disappoint with this book. So many ideas to help differentiate using tech in the classroom. Many examples to help understand how and when to add technology to your classroom.

[Kate Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has SO many great resources! I absolutely enjoyed this book and all of its different approaches to all different learning styles.

[Ceilidhchaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Highly recommend.