What do I want to walk away with after learning about methods and tools I can use to differentiate the classroom environment?

One of the biggest challenges to introducing new methods of teaching (pedigogy) is the students struggling to accept it and becoming successful with its use.  I’ve found baby steps to be the common denominator with the introduction of anything new.  Regular classroom use of computers (assuming that technology is available to teachers) is a good starting point so students become familiar with working on them and submitting work through them.  With every new item introduced to the teaching arena, parents also need to be informed and on board as much as possible to avoid any conflicts.  Parents are more likely to dig their heels into any changes than students.
Another immediate challenge is students who don’t have access to any technology at home.  As fast as our society has grown in the past 20 years, in terms of the use of technology, not all of our students will have a computer at home.  Some might but don’t have access to the web.  We even have students without computers or cell phones, though they are few.  With this in mind, teaching needs to include various mediums by which to complete assignments and sumbit them, including traditional pencil and paper.
The list of challenges is a long one.  Every day that I use computers in my class, I get various tech problems, from students unable to log in, to laptops that aren’t working properly, to there not being enough laptops.  The teacher needs to be well informed of the support sites being used by students.  Khan Academy and Classzone are good ones that I use regularly, but almost never have the specific URL of the video tutorial on teaching a specific math concept, so there is considerable time spent searching for it.  A well equipt teacher will be able to give the URL for every lesson taught so students are spending a lot of time searching for it.  The easier the teacher makes it for the student to access the site, the better chance that student will actually go there and engage in learning.  Online web experts are available (askanexpert and mathforum) and should be investigated before students are referred to them.
Making changes in teaching methods to the magnitude we’re discussing here will be a work in progress.  There will be considerable IT support needed and administration needs to be in the loop on all parts of it, but the long term benefits far outweigh the initial costs of time and money.  When students begin to take control of their learning, real differentiating will take place naturally.
In the end, I want to have efficient communication with and engagement of my students, and a more streamlined method of gathering data. 

What technology tools can I use to manage and track differentiated student progress in my class?

There are several good sites for tracking and monitoring students in a group project capacity (Wiggio, Zunal, and Edmondo), all offering tools like calendars, messaging and file sharing.  Since I don’t teach a lot of curriculum that involves group projects, these are almost worthless to me.  The closest tool I’ve found that could work for me would be electronic portfolios.  Weebly offers a what seems to be a simple means to uploading syllabi, PowerPoint presentations, instructional videos and examples of acceptable work for students to reflect on and compare their work to before submittal.  
Ignoring the fact that half my students do not have web access at home, and the time constraints to attempting to incorporate this into my 45 minute teaching time, this seems like a good way to allow students to begin to take control of their learning.  In my time as a teacher (10+ years), I’ve seen amazing evolution in our technology, which has already changed our learners.  If we, as teachers, don’t remain on the learning curve of this technology, we simply won’t meet our learners at their needs.  Right now our school is using SuccessMaker, a math program that initially tests students on very basic math and continues to progress them at their own rates.  Some students will progress 7 months in one quarter, while others will only progress 3-4 months.  If students continue to struggle with a math concept, the program will reteach it to them and give them practice before progressing them.  Due to budget constraints, students do not have access to this at home, so their use is limited to 20 minutes per class period.  These program has only been offered as remedial support to students who either failed math the year previous, or scored below proficient on the SBA test. Ideally, a program should be offered to all students.  It is usually the student who is already getting good grades and has a solid work ethic that might progress faster than his or her peers.  In my opinion, these are the students left behind that NCLB is failing.

Blog 2: What tools might provide me insight into the learners in my classroom and how might I use this information?

I took some of the learning styles and personality tests in the resources link to determine what type of learner I am and what type of personality I have.  I figured I were to ask my students to take these tests, I should do the same.  I learned my personality type is “Guardian/Supervisor” and my intelligence strengths are evenly dispersed between several that are mainly logical in nature.  I’ve never asked my students to take such tests, as I never really placed high value in the data acquired from them.  Considerable time could be spent on determining personality types and intelligences, and in the end, how will it change my teaching?  If I don’t have faith in something, especially if that something is time consuming, I doubt my teaching will be affected by it one way or the other.  As a student of the teaching profession, I realize that goes against the philosophy of an open mind to new ways of teaching, but I’m being truthful and reflective.

Week 1 Essential Question

I’m a little behind the curve in understanding whats necessary to be successful in this MOOC.  So my characteristics are to be willing to try new things, but when those new things don’t work, be willing to chase down my instructor and get some answers.  Another characteristic is the willingness to share my experiences with my peers to gain an understanding of what’s necessary to complete tasks and how to complete them.  Have a willingness to pass on what I’ve learned to my other peers who are struggling like me.  Above all, make sure that communication is established between me, my instructors, and my peers so there are no surprises regarding expectations of the class.