6 Blog-based lessons and differentiated instruction The lessons which were conducted abided to the principles of differentiated
instruction Students did not use their textbook at all. The material they used was
audiovisual, not pencil-and-paper (Tomlinson, 2000). For example, they browsed
through different
websites attached to the researcher’s initial post in the form of
hyperlinks and watched pictures and videos posted in initial posts by the
researchers. Students had access to learning (Hall, 2002) and explored various
topics using their senses (Willis & Mann, 2000).
As far as the process is concerned, grouping was organized in a flexible manner,
either individually or in pairs. Next, students developed e-literacy skills a bit more
advanced to their cognitive level (Blaz, 2016). To illustrate this, they had to be
members of a blog community something which they had not done before. Using
the keyboard to write in English was something different, as well, since they were
used to reading on the web, both in English as a foreign language and in Greek
which is their mother tongue. The use of stations is also an example of
differentiated instruction. The researchers (who were also the teachers) wanted
to enable students to write autonomously by setting up different spots where
students had to write at the same time on a different task (Tomlinson, 1999).
The product was differentiated, too. Students were supposed to write a post,
by answering questions after having watched a video or a posted picture and after
having read a short text. Posting in a blog created the sense of community
(blogosphere). Students liked sharing ideas with others and were motivated since
their product would not be corrected and graded, as in the case of conventional
lessons. Last but not least, rearranging seats was motivating, too (Tomlinson,
1999). Unfortunately, it was not feasible to use the computer lab because of
administrative reasons. Therefore, the same classroom was used. However,
students sat where they wanted to sit and formed pairs at their own initiative.
They preferred using their computers and the whiteboard instead of their
textbooks.
