Mobile Technology – A Strategy for RtI
It’s about Equity
by: Tracey L. McCully
It is widely accepted that children learn at different
rates. Some students understand a concept at first
presentation; other learners need to practice the
skill or concept many times over. “... every child
is an individual and individuals exhibit differences
in growth due to many factors...,” say Fisher and
Frey, 2010.
today’s average student has played 10,000 hours
of video games and sent 250,000 emails. They
have talked for 10,000 hours on the phone. Most
have watched 20,000 hours of TV and viewed
500,000 commercials. School occupied less than
9,000 hours of their time, and they read for fewer
than 4,000 hours.
Educators believe all students should have access
to rigorous and relevant curriculum. “Too often,
lower achieving students are
relegated to a steady, curricular diet of low-level skill drills
and rote learning of facts.”
(Tomlinson and McTighe, p. 85) Often
students needing more time
to learn, practice rote skills
and are not encouraged to
access the interesting, motivating rigorous work of their
classmates.
Since their youngest years, children’s brains were
bombarded by digital input. They learned that
screens are to be manipulated and interacted with
rather than passively consumed (Jukes, p 3). They
access, consume, process
and use information and
communicate with the world
far differently than most of
us.
Metaphorically, low-achieving students practice
the drills in isolation many times over with no
opportunity to combine drills, rules, and relationships to play the real game. Tomlinson and
McTighe (p. 68), remind, “Both drills and authentic application are necessary in the classroom.
Students need to master the basics, and skill drills
support that need. But learners also need a
chance to use their knowledge and skills--in other
words, to “do” the subject.” They further state,
“Virtually all students should consistently experience curricula rooted in the important ideas of a
discipline that require them to make meaning of
information at higher levels” and “...meaning-driven, thought-based, application-focused curriculum cannot be reserved for only a small
proportion of learners.” (Tomlinson and McTighe; p. 84)
Twenty-first century learners are bombarded with
so much technological stimuli; their brains are
different than brains of other generations.
Ian Jukes (p. 21) reports that by the age of 21,
Humans are born with about
50% of their brains’ wiring in
place allowing us to accomplish critical survival
functions like respiration and circulation. The
other 50% of our brains’ connections develop after
birth. (Jukes, McCain, Crockett; p. 12)
It was thought a child’s brain was established by
three years old, and the brain wouldn’t change
much thereafter. New scanning technologies,
however, show the human brain is highly adaptive
and malleable throughout life. Brain cells constantly die off and are replenished. Depending on
the input or experiences we have and the intensity
and duration of those experiences, our brains reorganize and adapt. Underutilized neural pathways
die off while heavily activated pathways are
coated with myelin, a fatty substance that speeds
the transmission of signals in the brain. The connections most used develop into complex, highspeed neural networks. (Jukes, McCain, Crockett; p. 13)
Constant exposure to technology contributes to the
fact that today’s children are more difficult to
engage at school. Educators know that engagement and motivation are critical for learning. Without motivation, there is no learning; a teacher must
instill the desire to learn in his or her students.
their own connections. “Digital Natives” want
learning that is relevant, active, instantly useful
and fun while teachers are compelled to cover the
curriculum. (Jukes, 2008, p. 2)
With the immense gap between students’ digital
and learning preferences and styles and education’s non-digital teaching practices, huge numbers
of students are dropping out of school. (Jukes, 2008,
pp. 6, 7) Our schools
were not designed
for the children of
the 21st century,
and these children
are not the students
today’s teachers
were trained to
Self-Correcting
teach. (21st Century
Our students have access to the newest technologies at home; so also do they need access to the
newest technologies at school. iPods, iPads, and
other mobile devices can be loaded with a multitude of applications
that allow students
to practice basic
skills in an engaged, fun manner.
Students can develop basic skills
while solving rigorVarious Levels of Play
ous, real-world
problems that make
learning meaningful and motivating.
Students who need
to practice basic
skills no longer
need to participate
in a dumbed-down
Engaging
curriculum while
developing basic skill fluencies.
Fluency Project, 2010)
Due to digital bombardment, most
learners are visual
or kinesthetic learners rather than the
auditory learners
Various Ways to Play
more familiar to
teachers. Their eyes
move across a page of print much like their eyes
scan a video game, virtually ignoring the right side
and bottom of a page. The colors stimulating their
brains are different, too. While adults are accustomed to black print on a white page, 21st century
learners prefer blue or black backgrounds and bold
red, pink, neon green or burnt orange text.
(Jukes, p. 21)
Because brains are neurologically different, our
classrooms must be different. Their brains process
information in a parallel or simultaneous manner.
They prefer to work in groups rather than independently and crave the instant gratification of
pushing a button and seeing a response. Today’s
student likes to learn what he or she needs at the
moment (“just-in-time learning”) while we teach
“just-in-case” that knowledge is needed for an
exam or for a career in the future. Linear, sequential learning is boring to students who prefer random access to information from which they make
Response to Intervention, or RtI, is a perfect venue
for using mobile technology to provide practice to
students needing more time to develop grade-level
skills. RtI is a framework for providing a student
with what he or she needs instructionally, when he
or she needs it, and for only as long as he or she
needs it. The student continues to engage with the
instructional core. A maxim in special education
states equity is giving each student what he or she
needs to learn to his/her potential. Fisher and Frey
(p. 1) explain, “This Response to Intervention (RtI)
system is designed to change learner performance
as a function of targeted instruction. The use of an
RtI model is desperately needed to ensure that
equal access to learning is available for every
child.”
Response to Intervention (RtI) is a systematic,
data-driven approach to instruction that benefits
every student. RtI is meant to provide a full con-
tinuum of instruction, from the general core to supplemental or intensive levels--instruction to meet
the academic and behavioral needs of students. RtI
integrates resources from general education, categorical programs, and special education through a
comprehensive system of core instruction and intervention. The goal is to meet the learning needs
of each student to reach high expectations, ensuring equity of access to a quality public education
for all students. (O’Connell, 2008)
The core components of RtI include:
• high-quality classroom instruction
• research-based instruction
• universal screening
• continuous classroom progress monitoring
• research-based interventions
• progress monitoring during instruction and
interventions
• fidelity of program implementation
• staff development and collaboration
• parent involvement
(O’Connell, 2008)
Response to Intervention is a comprehensive,
school-wide process of early intervention and
prevention of academic and behavioral difficulties.
It is a process that utilizes all resources within a
school in a collaborative manner to create a single,
well-integrated system of instruction and interventions informed by student outcome data. Positive
outcomes for all students are a shared responsibility of all staff members.
RtI is a multistep process of providing high-quality,
research-based instruction and interventions at
varying levels of intensity for students who struggle
with academics or behavior. The interventions are
matched to student need, and progress is closely
monitored at each level of intervention to make
decisions about further instruction or intervention
or both.
RtI is not a program but rather a framework or
process collaboratively identified by each school
or district to meet the needs of ALL students. RtI is
typically a three-tiered intervention model that
starts with and emphasizes instruction and intervention in the general education classroom.
Schools identify at-risk students, regularly monitor
student learning, provide research-based, and utilize a systematic approach to ensuring academic
success for all students.
(Academic and Behavior Triangle; Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education)
Tier One focuses on preventing learning difficulties
and providing the best first instruction of all students. It is the primary academic program available for all students with a focus on best first
instruction, common assessments, and data analysis within grade levels or departments. Tier One instruction meets the needs of 80% of the students.
Mobile technology with supplemental, educational
applications is used as practice and motivation for
students.
Tier Two interventions are designed to meet the
needs of students who are one or two years below
grade level, near 15% of a grade level’s students.
Tier Two is an additional opportunity for students
to learn missing prerequisite skills required to master grade level standards. Most Tier Two interventions last three to eight weeks with multiple data
monitoring points throughout the intervention.
Student’s response to these interventions is monitored closely to determine if additional interventions are needed. Students continue learning the
core curriculum in Tier Two. Mobile technology
with apps chosen to specifically meet a student’s
current need is an appropriate Tier Two intervention.
Tier Three intervention is designed to meet the
needs of students requiring intensive intervention:
students are usually more than two years below
grade level.
Students at this level are seriously at-risk as indicated by extreme and chronic poor performance.
Intensive interventions are instituted when a
student is not responding to Tier One and Tier Two
interventions and will be best served by providing
more intensive interventions or placement in alternative instructional materials rather than the core
curriculum.
ments for students needing more time and practice
after best-first instruction.
Fischer and Frey (2010, p. 15) state, “A core
assumption of RtI is that all students can reach
high levels of achievement if the system is willing
(and able) to vary the amount of time students
have to learn and the type of instruction they receive.” Mobile applications are a good solution
for providing the skills practice students’ need in
an engaging manner.
Collins, Allan & Halverson, Richard; Rethinking Education in
the Age of Technology — The Digital Revolution in the Age
of Technology; Teachers College Press; 2009.
“It is difficult to overstate the value of practice. For
a new skill to become automatic or for new knowledge to become long-lasting, sustained practice,
beyond the point of mastery, is necessary.”
(McEwan-Adkin, p. 29) And, some students need more
practice than others. Practice in a fun environment is what today’s learners crave.
To help all students learn at high levels, we must
first believe they can learn at high levels. Then we
must explicitly teach students at high levels giving
each the time and practice needed while simultaneously engaging all students in rigorous, relevant
problem solving. “With appropriate instruction and
intervention, virtually every student is capable of
learning challenging content.” (Fisher and Frey, p.2)
Technology, particularly mobile technology, is a
cost-effective, engaging way to build the academic
skills students need. Students will practice and
develop fluency in basic skills while simultaneously involved with high-level problem solving
with their peers. All students will have the time
and materials to learn what they “need”.
e Skills Learning creates software for iPods and
iPads, technologies today’s students are so familiar
with. Minimods are designed for practice in building automatic or fluent skills in reading, language
arts and mathematics. e Skills’ Minimods provide
perfect Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 learning enhance-
REFERENCES
21st Century Fluency Project; Understanding the Digital
Generation; Keynote Presentation; 2010.
Brooks-Young, Susan; Teaching with the Tools Kids Really
Use; Corwin; 2010.
Fischer, Douglas & Frey, Nancy; Enhancing RtI — How to
Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction and Intervention; ASCD; 2010.
Jukes, Ian; Understanding Digital Kids: Technology and
Learning In the New Digital Landscape; The InfoSavvy
Group; May, 2008.
Jukes, Ian; Closing the Digital Divide: 7 Things Education &
Educators Need to Do; e; The InfoSavvy Group; Prepared for
the Teacher Mass Lecture;
Singapore; Sept. 2006.
Jukes, Ian, McCain Ted, Crockett, Lee; Understanding the
Digital Generation — Teachingand Learning in the New Digital Landscape; Corwin; 2010.
McEwan-Adkin, Elaine K.; 49 Reading Intervention Strategies
for K-6 Students — Research-Based Support for RtI; Solution
Tree; 2010; p. 29.
Missouri Department of Education and Secondary Education;
Academic
and Behavior Triangle (PDF); Dec. 2010; dese.mo.gov.
O’Connell, Jack; Response to Instruction and Intervention,
memo to County, District, and Charter Superintendents; California Department of Education; Nov. 14, 2008.
Rosen, Larry; Rewired — Understanding the iGeneration and
the Way They Learn; Palgrave Macmillan; 2010.
Sprenger, Marilee; Brain-Based Teaching in the Digital Age;
ASCD; 2010.
Sylwester, Robert; A Celebration of Neurons — An Educator’s
Guide to the Human Brain; ASCD; 1995.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann & McTighe, Jay; Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design: Connecting
Content and Kids; ASCD; 2006.
This Mobile Application Selection Rubric is
helpful in evaluating mobile apps for schools.
About the Author
In 22 years of teaching,
Tracey has taught preschool through college students in California. Most
of her teaching was devoted to children with
learning disabilities.
Tracey provided individualized direct instruction
and skill-building for children in kindergarten
through eighth grades.
Besides her teaching experience, she has served in a
number of leadership and administrative positions at the
site, district, and county levels. She currently works at a
California County Office of Education in the Curriculum
and Instruction department. Tracey’s responsibilities range
from managing categorical
programs for several school districts, to implementing Professional Learning Communities, to coaching
instructional strategies for teachers working with the
county’s most at-risk high school student population.
Tracey’s education includes a BA in Child
Development from the University of California, Davis and
Masters Degrees in Education in both learning
handicaps and administration from Fresno Pacific
University.
For more information about
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iPod/Pad apps for the classroom
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