Using Technology to Strengthen Reading and Critical Thinking for All Students

Discover a technology-based approach to strengthening students’ reading and critical thinking skills through differentiated instruction, creating an equitable learning experience for all students. This session showcases a suite of interactive videos that explicitly model disciplinary literacy strategies for students while tracking and adapting to individual student performance. These built-in formative assessments provide real-time feedback and personalized practice, allowing students to build skills at their own pace. This approach enhances student motivation, supports individual needs, and improves learning outcomes for students at all ability levels.

To extend learning beyond the videos, participants will explore a reliable, classroom-ready process that guides students in analyzing informational text, assessing sources, and evaluating credibility. Structured annotation activities reinforce these strategies through targeted practice with authentic texts, promoting transfer across content areas and future learning experiences.

Participants will leave with practical tools for modeling reading and critical thinking skills through differentiated instruction. They will take home materials, including a flowchart of the reliable process and a guide for annotating informational text. At the conclusion of the session, participants will discuss how these tools can be used and adapted in their ELA classrooms to improve learning outcomes for all students.