Monday, September 26, 2011

Oops, forgot to attach. First Time blogger...


As a first time teacher in a self-contained classroom, I am trying to explore as many possible tools to help improve my teaching for all of my students. 
            When it comes to my students, I want each one of them to have their needs met.  As almost all of my Bank Street classes have begun by telling me, each of my learners have different learning styles, strengths, and skills.  In order to provide the best education I am capable of, I must be able to reach all of my students in various ways.  One of the most powerful resources geared toward assisting the UDL model is the use of technology.  However, this is also one of the most challenging tool that I have come across.
            I’m not going to lie-technology has never been my strongest suit.  I am part of the first generation brought up with internet.  I know how to use the internet as well as most people do, and I utilize many websites on a daily basis.  I am familiar with word, and excel, and have a newfound love of google docs.  Having said all of this, I am the first person to run crying to the Apple store when my computer seems not to be working, or my phone shuts off accidently. 
            But, knowing the tech-savy generation that I teach, and also being aware of my student’s needs, I try to utilize technology as much as possible.  Thus far, I have used my smartboard for a few lessons, as an interactive protractor, or a way to show my students a website.  Last week we played a counting game using a song on Youtube.  I have also used googlemaps to show my students the globe, and teach them about using maps.  In this way, students gain a 3d view of the world, and are able to come up and actually find a continent, or spin the world on it’s axis. 
            While I do try to use technology in my everyday teaching life, I still find it difficult to navigate all areas of the tech world, and truly make use of all of the technologies available to me.  The internet, and other technologies provide a formula for accessing students who might find it difficult to focus or attend to one type of stimulation.  Using technology, I am able to engage students using visual, auditory, and physical means.  Because technology is always changing, I must continue to further my understanding of ways to use different technologies in my classroom.  

Negotiating Professional Boundaries in Teacher Blogging


One professional development need that feels pressing to me is to get a better handle on privacy issues online and my ethical responsibilities towards students and people I work with.  I am an active reader of  content on the read-write web and enjoy the many blogs that stream into my google reader through subscriptions, "bundles," and "shares" by people I follow. However after this week's readings I realize that I am not taking full advantage of the write aspect of the read-write web. Firstly, I hardly ever comment or read comment threads because they do not appear in google reader; perhaps I should investigate other options for commenting on blog posts. Secondly, in the past couple of years, I have wanted to begin reflecting on and documenting my teaching in a publicly-accessible format but have found it challenging to find the right way to do so. First I had a password-protected blogger blog. Then I made a website using google sites, but it just sits there online and doesn't help me communicate with a professional network of like-minded people. More recently I started a tumblr for my classroom experiences as a grad student and (someday) teacher. However after reading about the importance of feedback to building personal learning networks, I am not sure tumblr is the best venue. The community features are not built to allow comments or discussion. I would like to focus on identifying the right forum on the read-write web in which to continue reflecting and exchanging ideas with the support of other educators. 

There are so many things I am curious or excited about in my current fieldwork placement, and I would love to figure out how to write about and share this experience ethically and responsibly in a semi-public forum such as a tumblr or wordpress blog. Often when I am reflecting on my own practice and the growth or interactions of my students, I would like to share my thoughts and experiences on my tumblr. However I am held back by the lack of clarity as to my ethical limitations as a teacher. Should I be posting to tumblr under a pseudonym? Can I write about classroom experiences as long as all identifying information about students is removed? Is it better to limit the accessibility of blog posts or to censor the content? I love the idea of reading and writing blogs as a way for teachers to support one anothers' practice and professional development, but these kinds of unanswered, blurry questions limit my own efforts online. I was trained in anthropology as an undergrad and whenever we did ethnographic writing or anthropological research with specific subjects (i.e. individual people or groups) we were required to follow the American Anthropological Association’s guidelines for fieldwork ethics. One caveat of the ethics code I keep coming back to is the need to negotiate boundaries and information-sharing with research subjects:
Anthropological researchers who have developed close and enduring relationships (i.e., covenantal relationships) with either individual persons providing information or with hosts must adhere to the obligations of openness and informed consent, while carefully and respectfully negotiating the limits of the relationship” (American Anthropological Association, 2011).
My 6th-8th grade students in my first two years of teaching knew that I often shared their writing and comments as well as my own classroom experiences with other adults. They did not know that many of these conversations were actually happening online; I had a password-protected blog on blogger accessible to a small group of friends and family. Based on my anthropological standards for working within a community, this was unethical; I was observing things within a social setting, drawing conclusions, and then sharing my findings and observations only to people outside of my school setting rather than reviewing them with the school community (“fieldwork subjects,” as they would be known in anthropological circles). Some days I felt it was ethically okay to write blog posts that included classroom pictures as well as student writing because they were only viewable to readers I had invited (and I only invited friends from outside the school setting to become readers, preferring to keep this aspect of my personal professional development private). Although they did not have access to my blog or specifics about blog posts, I made it a point to occasionally tell the kids some of what I had learned through these adult-only conversations, and also to share the genuine admiration and curiosity other adults expressed towards the kids’ writing and work. Even though writing and posting was extremely helpful to my personal professional development and allowed me to garner the support and insight of trusted friends and colleagues outside of my immediate setting, it felt "shady" and I was afraid of being exploitative in writing down someone else's story.

Apart from these ethical concerns, I also had safety concerns about protecting my students' anonymity and ensuring their safety was not compromised through my infrequent blog posts or the password-protected Picasa photo albums of classroom projects. I was careful not to write the school’s name anywhere; because I found pseudonyms impossible to come up with and use consistently, I referred to students with the kids’ initials or first name. However I was still nervous that putting parts of my professional life online would somehow expose the kids to danger, ridicule or (more likely) embarrassment if they or their friends stumbled on it and were able to "connect the dots." I remembered too well my own embarrassment when a google search of my name turned up a silly question I posted to an early website in elementary school. Ideally if they google my name and find something I have written about a classroom experience, what they read will be both genuine and positive in tone, as well as not overly specific as to particular students’ issues or lives. However most times I would love to share a funny story or classroom picture of kids at work I err on the side of safety and don’t post.
Vis-à-vis students (particularly children), is there something akin to patient-doctor or client-therapist confidentiality that I can use to judge appropriateness? My test has been to only post things they already know or would not mind knowing, assuming they or their parents or my colleagues may one day stumble upon it. 


Teacher Blogging (with a hint of UDL)

Before discussing what stood out for me most about this week’s readings, I just want to briefly discuss Universal Design for Learning, which immediately brings me back to my student teaching days (although this was only last year) when I worked in a 5th grade classroom. In this classroom, there were 36 students. Yes, 36! Students came from all different backgrounds with different learning styles and needs. To accommodate all the students, it was important, if not necessary to incorporate universal design and the specific strategies that Firchow mentions in her article. In doing so, I also learned that while some of these strategies may have been initially intended for the select few, they actually ended up benefiting most, if not all, of the students in the classroom... a win-win situation.

One of the points in the readings that stood out for me was the discussion of teachers incorporating blogs on a daily basis. In the article, Learning with Blogs and Wikis, Ferriter states that that the general purpose of blogs is to provide a forum that would allow teachers to grow as professionals. I am always interested in the many ways of how the internet can be used as a resource, so I decided to look into this more and check out the blogs mentioned. I originally had some difficulty opening some of sites mentioned onto my computer (hooray for technical difficulties!) but I was finally able to open up the “pageflakes” blog that Ferriter specifically mentioned in her article. As one that is completely new to blog sites, I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of information on the site. There was so much that I am not sure where I should start… After looking through, I can understand what Ferriter was trying to say. This blog can certainly be used as a resource by teachers, for teachers, to reflect and learn about their profession, learn about new practices and ultimately become better educators.

While I am currently not a teacher in a classroom, I was a student teacher in two different settings last year. Throughout my experience, I have found that while teachers may look to their colleagues for support, depending on the environment, that it may not readily be accessible. It may be for a number of reasons; perhaps there aren't colleagues you feel you are comfortable with and can connect and I may be wrong but please comment if you do, but I found that some teachers can be competitive with one another and may not want to provide support and additional resources to their colleagues. It can all become very political… But here, with blogging, working with peers (however distant they may be and while it may not be face-to-face) is extended to a new level. Comments, questions, fears and worries can all be discussed in an open, honest and supportive forum.

If I was a first year teacher, I would seriously contemplate using blogs on a daily basis. I find that it will allow me to voice my opinions and concerns without the fear of embarrassment, while also being given support from others who may be or have been in my position. In doing so, I may even assist others who may be in a similar position . Essentially, I believe that if used in the right way, blogs can certainly be used by teachers to grow as professionals and one that all teachers should consider using.

Lost in Translation: UDL from Theory to Practice


The ideas and principles of Universal Design for Learning align well with the teacher I am working to become.  I hope to create a classroom environment that provides students with the encouragement and acceptance needed to discover and develop their own learning style.  As Firchow stated, “The goal for every student is to learn, but not every child learns in the same way.”  As we know UDL assists in the meeting the needs of every type of learner.

The principles of UDL include multiple methods of information presentation, various options for participation and multiple means of expression.  For the most part I was not educated under the auspices of UDL.  When I look back on my education I have to wonder how my journey as a student would have been different if UDL had been in place.  What if lessons were available in different formats or if I were given the choice on how I would be assessed?  I, as I imagine many of us, was not given this flexibility.

The biggest issue that presents itself is, how as a teacher I translate this from theory to practice?  How can we take these big ideas, these principles and insert them into our classrooms everyday? Firchow stated, “Curriculum materials in an electronic format are the cornerstone of UDL and offer a great deal of flexibility.” I believe this is one of the keys to implementing UDL within a school.  Electronic curriculum materials along with a supportive administration will be vital in translating UDL theory into every day teaching practice.  

Emily Cassaro

A Universally Designed Classroom

Working as an assistant teacher in a special education school, where students have a variety of different learning needs, I am constantly using the principles of UDL in my classroom. I try to provide multiple methods of presentation in as many lessons as possible, so that each student can best attain the material with his or her learning style. For example, when I present information orally I make sure to use visual supports through charts and the smart board, as well as multiple media, like videos, in order to appeal to students who are more visual learners.

I believe that motivation and interest also play a major role in learning, which is why at the beginning of the year I have students fill out an interest inventory about their interests, likes/dislikes, and subjects they would like to learn about. This allows me to tailor my instruction to the topics that students are interested in, enabling them to become more engaged with the content of the lessons. One example of this can be illustrated in my math class, where my head teacher and I arranged different stations, including areas for: an educational computer game with different levels, a math board game, hands-on materials, and oral instruction. The students would rotate every 10 minutes, allowing them to interact with the material in a variety of ways.

In addition, I recognize that students have strengths and weaknesses in their ability to express what they have learned, which is why I try my best to give options for how students can do a given assignment. For instance, in reading, I often allow students to choose whether they would prefer to draw, write or type a response. Regarding big projects, I try to give students a choice of creating a slideshow, portfolio, or a traditional paper. This provides them with multiple means of expression, allowing those with graphomotor challenges to use the computer, and those who have word retrieval or expressive language difficulties to engage in a more creative and artistic projects. Even though sometimes It might be difficult to navigate online technology and keep up with all of the new digital trends, I strongly agree with Baird (2006) that it is important to “keep abreast of change and embrace digital learning styles through curriculum design which integrates the authentic ways that students use social media,” as this will allow children to become more engaged with the material and construct their knowledge in a way that is centered around their own learning needs, strengths, and goals.

Technology In The Classroom

Since I have just started my studies at Bank Street, I do not have my fieldwork experience yet to compare technology to learning in my classroom. Although throughout my college career I tend to find that I enjoy taking classes more that present the material through powerpoint rather than simply speaking in a large lecture. I feel that I tend to gain better knowledge by seeing the words written out and organized rather than being told the information quickly and not having enough time to write it down.


Similarly to what many people had written on their posts, the smartboard is an amazing invention that can act as a projector that you can write on to add whatever information you want. Firchow mentioned how, “universally designed curriculum overcomes limitations by incorporating three principles of flexibility into the design: multiple methods of presentation, multiple options for participation and multiple means of expression”. She also stated how “UDL stretches beyond accessibility for the disabled”, therefore opportunities such as adding UDL to the classroom can provide students who need special assistance to have equal opportunities to the rest of their peers.

Also, as stated in the article, Learning Styles 2.0: Digital, Social and Always On, by adding digital learning to the classroom truly does provide for interactive learning. As shown also by the video clip in class last week, technology does provide motivation and drive for the students to want to complete the task and work. Even though I do not fully agree with the massive use of technology that children use today, it really does catch the students attention and make them want to complete the task when brought into use.


- Melissa Jurist

Technology Professional Development needs

Prior to starting this class, I thought I had a lot of experience with technology. After all, I own an iphone, Mac Book, and Kindle. All of these devices are a part of my daily life. However, this weeks readings made me realize that I am nowhere near as tech savvy as I thought. RSS feeds and Wiki’s are something that I have never used, because they always seemed unnecessary.

My current classroom is a pre-k inclusion class of eight students. Five students have hearing impairments and wear hearing aids or Baha Implants. The Baha Implant is a device that allows sound to be conducted through the ear bone, rather than the middle ear. Hearing aids simply amplify sounds and are worn in the ear. The classroom also has a sound amplification device that requires the teacher to wear a microphone. At the beginning of every day, a teacher checks the Baha or hearing aid of each student. If the devices are not working properly, they are cleaned or sent out for repair. Since this a pre-K classroom, there are no computers in the classroom. Teaching staff has a separate room with computers for lesson planning and personal use.

My technology professional development needs require familiarization with the audio aides used by all my students. Since this is my first few weeks of teaching children with hearing loss, my knowledge of assistant technology is minimal. Once I better understand the assistive technology, I will be able to address issues of UDL and other instructional technologies.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Confessions of a Digital Dinosaur

I signed up for this course because I do not consider myself to be very tech savvy, and I would like to become more aware of ways to integrate technology into the curriculum. In my student teaching experiences I have seen Smartboards, computer labs, and projector screens used in elementary classrooms, but I have yet to view strong examples of what I would consider innovative use of such technology. Instead it always feels like teachers use the technology as an afterthought, trying to fit their new devices into previously designed lessons. In this sense, I think universal design for learning could be a useful way to approach the use of technology in the classroom. First and foremost we must consider our learning goals for students and then ask ourselves how to best achieve these goals using all the materials we have on hand, including new technologies. I would love to see examples of how teachers have used these technologies in their classrooms as a way to enhance the learning experience for all students.

In addition to learning about the use of technology with students, something that could aid my own professional development would be more training in the use of technological tools to assist in the creation of authentic teaching materials. Embarrassingly enough, I have labored on the computer for hours trying to figure out how to make my classroom schedule with different size time slots for each day. I have struggled to find an easy way to create lined paper on Word that does not become skewed when auto-correct kicks in. I don't know the first thing about creating a spreadsheet, but I am sure that is something that would help me track data about my students. I feel like somewhat of an old timer facing these issues, but in conversations with other teachers I know I am not the only one. We are taught how to help struggling readers, how to stimulate strong problem solving skills, and how to develop classroom community, but I would also love to be taught those seemingly simple things that would make the bookkeeping end of teaching easier.

UDL in the Classroom

I spent most of my undergraduate career in progressive classrooms where children were encouraged to find their own learning styles and embrace individuality, and I could easily see the UDL implemented in such environments, where the methods are an extension of the overall philosophy. However, I recently began working in a charter school in the South Bronx, where high expectations and structure are valued and teacher directed instruction is the primary method utilized. While UDL has been briefly mentioned in professional development sessions, I feel that it would be extremely difficult to implement in a school system where the educational philosophies are at odds with the basic pedagogies of UDL.

While some of the principles would definitely benefit children with special needs, it may be difficult to convince teachers to dramatically alter their methods on a larger scale, especially towards student-directed learning. Having come into my recent place of employment and observing all the changes made at the school this year as an outsider, I’ve seen how difficult it has been for the teachers to accept change, as positive as it may be. I suppose I’m left with the question of whether UDL must be supporting by an overarching school culture, or whether it can be successful as a curriculum on its own.

My technology professional development needs

I have started my student teaching assignment in a 5th grade CTT classroom. I do not have a lot of experience with technology - I find that in the classroom I am unable to work the projector, much less the smart board. Unfortunately, the teachers I work with seldom use the smart board and I was hoping to learn how to use it by watching them in action with the students. There are two computers in the classroom and have only seen it in use in two instances. Once it was used to find articles to replace the ones the students were using since the article turned out to be unrelated to their assignment. I thought it was wonderful that the teacher was able to find articles to help the children continue with their writer’s workshop assignment. I know that in the past the teachers would have had to continue the writer’s workshop another day so that they could find an appropriate article. The in-class computers helped the teacher accomplish two things quickly: 1) show the students how to look up an article and 2) allowed the teacher to save time and energy looking for articles that her students could use on the spot. The second use for the computer is during our Read Aloud period. There is one student, who has an IEP, who is unable to sit and listen to the story we are currently reading and he is allowed time on an educational website. I can appreciate how the computer allows the child to move from an uncomfortable situation and be placed in an environment where he feels comfortable but is also being challenged mentally.

I find the above uses for the computers to be great but I know that they are not being utilized to their full potential. I am looking forward to seeing how I can become tech savvy and integrate useful concepts like UDL to help the students in my future classroom, mostly ELLs and children in special education.

Thoughts on Universal Design for Learning

Like some of my EDUC 525 colleagues, I am also very new to the elementary classroom environment. I have just recently begun student teaching in a 4/5th grade self-contained 12:1:1 setting, which also includes several ELL students. Due to the setting that I work in, I was intrigued by the author's description of the principles of UDL. The idea that UDL has "built-in flexibility" and "adapts to the student, rather than the other way around" really resonates with me as a special educator who believes strongly in inclusion.

This past Friday in my student teaching placement, my cooperating teacher decided to start doing a "Spanish Club" with the students, introducing the monolingual students to Spanish as a second language. Using the Promethean board, she showed them short cartoon video clips which demonstrated Spanish vocabulary words within fun stories. The students then took turns playing vocabulary games on the board, as the other students watched and shouted out the answers when the player needed support. I was reminded of this activity when the author mentioned that some students may prefer to "learn vocabulary by playing a game in a race against the clock." Rather than having students memorize vocabulary words in a rote, repetitive style, they were exposed to words in a meaningful way and had the opportunities to apply them in a way that truly motivated them. Furthermore, since each student had the option to choose the difficulty level of the game (Easy, Hard, or Pro), it was adaptable to fit students' individual needs and the students had an opportunity to reflect on their own learning needs in order to make that choice.

Unfortunately, we have not made use of many other UDL strategies yet. I really like the idea of having students complete assignments in various formats in order to demonstrate their understanding without being constrained by formats that are difficult for them. As of right now, there are three students in the class who are not yet reading or writing. For writing assignments, the teacher has them dictate what they want to write to an adult, who then writes it down so those students can copy it. After reading this article, I plan to have a conversation with my cooperating teacher about ways that we can support those students to be involved at a level that is more appropriate for them.

UDL in my class

While I'm still pretty green in the world of elementary teaching (I've only begun my field work in a second grade classroom a couple of weeks ago), I can already see how applicable UDL would be in the classroom I'm teaching in as it would in essentially every classroom.

Prior to this week's readings, I didn't know exactly what UDL was in the classroom, however I did know a bit about differentiated classrooms. As I read/listened to the materials I couldn't help but think how creative a teacher must be to incorporate UDL in his/her class. I suppose that effectively employing UDL in one's classroom improves over time, but I couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed at the idea of utilizing this my future classroom. Of course I want to be sure that all of my students have an equal opportunity to learn and I'm always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that that happens, however I have trouble figuring out how I would determine methods that would work with so many different types of students. I also realize that depending on the age of the students, the incorporation of UDL could take some time (students may need to learn classroom routines, how to work the equipment, etc.).

This all being said, once I get the hang of it and develop a deeper understanding of how to reach the various types of learning styles that each class contains, I look forward to making sure that I'm reaching all of my students. I can reflect on my own academic upbringing and can remember what appealed to me and what seemed too far out of reach. It means a lot to me to create realistic goals with my students and provide a number of ways for those goals to be obtained. It'll just take some practice :)

-Sara A.


UDL in my Classroom

In response to Robyn's post, I also find the Smartboard to be an integral part of my daily classroom life, as it helps me to create lessons that will engage and support a variety of learning needs. I am able to present information visually, orally, and kinesthetically, which allows my students to choose which modality through which to engage and participate in the lesson. In my kindergarten phonics lessons, I am able to create picture sorts where students can come up to the board and move the pictures/words into their corresponding category. They can also press a button on the screen that says the sound of the letter. In this way, students are able to take ownership of their own learning; they don't need to rely on their teacher to pronounce the sound. If they are stuck, they can check their work by hearing the sound, looking at the picture, and deciding where that picture belongs. I also have my students trace the letters on the Smartboard while saying the sound to reinforce sound-symbol relationships.

I have also found the program Co: Writer to be incredibly helpful with older students. Students select a topic they are writing about and the program pulls up a "word bank" that provides words that might be helpful in writing a paragraph on that particular topic. This is helpful for students who may not know where to begin and are stunted by looking at a blank page. The word bank gives them a broad road map or ideas of what would be included in a paragraph about that topic. In addition, this program has a spelling predictor function: this benefits students who sometimes get bogged down in the mechanics of writing, and instead frees up more space for students to focus on the content, rather than the spelling/mechanical aspect of writing.

KidSpiration is a great program that allows students to use graphic organizers (including concept maps, Venn Diagrams, etc.) on the computer. When creating an outline, the program takes the concept map and turns it into a more formal outline from which students can base their essays on. I have found this to be an incredibly helpful tool with my 8 & 9 year old students.

UDL and Technology in Kindergarten

Having learned about UDL during my undergraduate studies, I support the notion that UDL provides meaningful opportunities for all types of learners. If a specific accommodation is made for a certain type of learner, essentially that accommodation in turn can benefit other students; learning becomes increasingly accessible and ultimately boosts our students’ motivation and confidence in their abilities. After reading the article on Firchow’s UDL guide for parents, I can see how technology (when used appropriately and meaningfully) can offer a wider range of students access to the material being taught in the classroom.

As a third year Kindergarten teacher, my co-teacher and I have revised our assessment techniques to accommodate our increasingly diverse student body. In relation to UDL, we begin our ABC unit in the early fall by providing our students with kinesthetic (i.e. trace letters in the air), visual (identify picture cards that begin with the letter), and tactile (use of objects that begin with the letter) opportunities as a means to show evidence of their understanding of the alphabet and letter-sound correspondence. When a SMART Board was installed in our classroom two years ago, we have since explored and utilized this technology to support our students’ reading readiness skills. In addition to the aforementioned reinforcement activities, students use the SMART Board to trace the letters with the SMART Board pen, organize images into a chart that begin with a particular letter sound, and listen/sing-along to alphabet-related songs. I strongly believe that technology should not replace our methods of quality teaching; however I do see it as another means of enriching the learning experience for our students.

While technology can support UDL, I have my reservations like most educators. I have used the SMART Board and the Internet to teach lessons to my Kindergarteners, yet I am always reflecting on the impact and meaning it has on their development of certain basic/foundational skills. A question that I continue to ask other early childhood teachers who have attempted to incorporate technology: What types of technologies have preschool and early elementary teachers had success (or failure) with in their classrooms?

UDL, a positive experience.

As I mentioned in our first class, I am not a teacher. However, most of time is spent in a classroom supporting both students and teacher. I see various forms of teaching and learning from grades K-8. As Tobias said UDL is simply, about providing alternative forms of learning. In my experience, I have found that teachers who utilize UDL strategies had more class participation/engagement, students take more pride in their work, are eager to learn more, communicate their thoughts more effectively, and were more accepting to peer and teacher review/critic and, there was more collaboration among our young scholars. I saw all of these results while working with 7th and 8th graders’ on project for their literacy class.

I am not sure which I was more impressed with, the outcomes of UDL or, our 7th and 8th grader literacy teacher’s ability to teach literacy through web-based programs like Prezi, Glogster, Gradebook, IPhoto, and IMovie which allowed students to create exceptional projects.

Prezi- is a more fun, more creative web-based presentation application and storytelling tool that uses a single canvas instead of traditional slides. It was presented to students as the newer power point. It allowed students to insert text, images, videos other objects into one project. This helped students create a timeline and tell a story through web artifacts.

Glogster- Is a unique way of creating multimedia posters. It was with the use of gloster that students were able to collaborate with one another and as a classroom. Like Prezi, it allowed students to insert videos, pictures, texts, etc. Glogster also allowed students to share their work via blogs, wiki’s and webpages.

Gradebook- Gradebook along with gmail allowed students to communicate with Ms. Roberto (the Literacy instructor) and other students, in and outside of the classroom. It also allowed students to view their academic progress and grades. This encouraged students to take an active role in their learning and made them take responsibility for assignments and grades.

Imovie and Iphoto- When I showed students my flipcam and asked them to participate in a project I was doing for Bank Street, they became slightly obsessed with the ability to create movie, music videos and videos utilizing Imovie and Iphoto. Other students borrowed my camera and created a stop motion animation film. Students gained an understanding of the editing and film making process through these web based applications.

I think all of these web-based programs empowered our students. It allowed students to explore, create and take charge of their own learning. Our students became jazzed about learning and coming to class each day. These resources kept students engaged and overall, allowed students to overcome learning barriers that they typically would ignore or not participate in. My hope is that more teachers would explore the benefits and effects of UDL and incorporate it into their daily lessons.


Sharon Ahram

Saturday, September 24, 2011

UDL and a traditional classroom setting

I have read so many articles and listened to multiple podcasts, interviews, etc. about UDL and I have one question - Has anyone seen a classoom where many of the principles of UDL are implemented across content areas or across single assignment? I am eager to see what this looks like/implemented on a grander scale either in a progressive or traditional classroom.

I recently in my student teaching assignment did an assignment that was about blogging online/posting comments in response to a video of the first Joe Louis & Max Schmeling fight. The kids watched a u-tube vide of the fight and had to post 3 comments (their own and 2 responses) about the fight. This is all part of unit (Read Aloud of a possible Newberry book) that takes place in the 1930s. I was actually surprised that most students had posted and began a string of comments on the same day the assigment was made. They asked during the read aloud if they were going to watch a video and were excited to know that was part of the assignment.

Every few days, I post an assignment online, typically having them respond to images, videos or sound, related to the story/the book. But this really only addresses the participation option - we discuss the book/characters in class. Well maybe it also addresses both the expression and presentation option - because I usually highlight /change fonts of certain concepts along with having those who can express themselves orally and others express themselves online. We also recently did an essay on sacred spaces where they ended up creating a sketch and doing a torn paper collage of their own sacred space for the unit on world religions. Is this all that needs to be done to qualify/meet the principles of UDL?

I wish in my daughter's classroom this was done. She is a struggling writer and tends to be more of a visual/auditory learner. All I have seen in the public school she attends is the option of doing the summer projects in different formats (cereal box vs mobile) or spelling exercises (making a bookmark vs doing color pencils). Creative options, yes, but truly UDL...I'm not quite sure. The future is curriculum done all online -I'm not quite sure more Math programs like EDM/TERC aren't available online for students to be able to manipulate and interact with Math at their own pace, in a more visual manner with the ability to alter the content for students.

UDL and Technology in my classroom

Universal Design in Learning is really all about providing alternatives to learning. It’s about providing many different ways to get to the same goal. In my classroom I teach music. So the goal is for a particular student to become more proficient on their instrument. But there are many ways to get to the same end point. I didn’t realize, until recently learning about UDL, that I was actually employing it in my teaching. Here are some of the ways in which I use both UDL and technology (Asistive Technology) in the teaching of music.

Audio – Some children, whether it’s an actual learning disability or just their personal style and preference, either can’t read music on a page or just can’t bring themselves to focus on written exercises. In this case they always respond well to audio listening exercises and imitative learning based on what they are hearing. Some would call this transcribing although since it’s not being written down, it could be called audio-imitative transcription. The technology used would be a traditional stereo or radio but in these times it’s usually and iPod, iPad or Smart phone plugged into the radio with an adapter.

Video – Some children are not able to pick up enough of the details when listening to music that are necessary to transfer to an instrument. In this case video comes in very handy and for that, YouTube is the answer. It is truly incredible how many music videos are available online now. In the past, it was a challenge to find the various physical VHS and DVD’s necessary to learning. So now a student can see first hand how to execute a certain passage on their instrument and it makes a world of difference.

Garage Band – Sometimes it is very useful to use an audio exercise to play along with in order to strengthen certain skills being learned. It is very hard for beginning students to play along to professional recordings and additionally, it is hard to find the just-right recording at the appropriate tempo or in the correct key. In this case, Garage Band comes in very handy. Other software like Protools works great too but is more complicated than what is needed here. In Garage Band, it is very easy to quickly input an exercise, loop it, and then bounce it to an audio file for export or burn to a CD.

Smart phone, digital recording device – all of these devices usually have a way to record live. Recording oneself playing exercises is a very useful way to hear the specific places that need extra attention when learning new skills. Also, often times, a student can’t hear or is unaware of the mistakes he or she is making. I can playback an exercise that one of my students just played and they can learn how to hear the difference between a well executed passage or a poorly executed one.

These are just a few ways in which technology helps to further the cause of Universal Design in Learning. I have worked with both children and adults who have Multiple Sclerosis, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Asperger's Syndrome, and other challenges. These various avenues mentioned above have helped to get around certain impediments presented by people with disabilities and others who don't have disabilities.

By Tobias Gebb

Friday, September 23, 2011

Concerns about Social Media in the Classroom

While I know and use many of the technologies discussed in the reading for this week, the challenge for me is integrating them into the classroom in an effective and safe way.

Derek Baird writes, “Teachers should find ways to reconcile classroom use of social media to the authentic ways teens are using outside of the classroom." While I agree with his premise, I fear that some ways teens (and younger children)  use social media can be counterproductive.  Two problems that come immediately to mind are the possibility of distraction and of cyberbullying.

There is a fine line between multitasking and uses of media that detract from the task at hand. In my personal use of social media, I frequently find myself toggling between chats, blogs and emails, to the point I am not engaging effectively in any of them.  It seems likely many teens use technology this way in their free time.  How do we use social media in authentic way while avoiding this temptation? Setting limits is one step, but enforcing them can be a challenge. I’d like to know if there are technological tools that can help with this.

Cyberbullying is another concern, and one that has been plastered all over popular media.  It is unclear to me how much of this is sensationalism and how much is legitimate concern.  Social media has tremendous potential to stimulate spontaneous collaboration both in and beyond the classroom community. The danger is that such a large body of communication is generated that the teacher is unable to monitor for unhealthy exchanges.

The carryover of technology from the personal use of teachers and students clearly has huge potential, but for me it raises a number of questions with no clear answer.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Okay so I'm probably the last one to figure this out!

The challenge was that I was using my daughter's gmail account and for some reason the options to POST to the blog never came up, only to create a new blog! Looking forward to this class cause obviously I need it!:} Nicole M.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Trial

Hi there!

Hello!

Hi all =) -Rachael

Test

Lizzie Smith

Sydney Linder

Test Blog

Excited

Very excited to start exploring the various ways to bring technology in my classroom!

Hi!

Hi Everyone!
Hi all! I'm a little nervous about the technology used in this class.  I have a great propensity for deleting things and breaking every piece of software I can.  Should be an interesting class!  I'm looking forward to using this technology actually.  Utilizing blogs as an educational tool will be really informative.

First post!

Looking forward to the rest of the semester!

Hello

My name is Kate Johnson and I am a Kindergarten teacher. I am excited to learn more about what technologies are being used in the early childhood/early primary classrooms (as well as other grades) and how teachers have attempted to overcome the challenges of using these technologies. I am looking forward to future classes and discussions!

Melissa Jurist

Melissa Jurist

Test Post

This is Tim.

Emily Cassaro

This is my first blog post.  I'm looking forward to learning new things about technology & hearing different perspectives.

INTRODUCTION

Hi everybody!

Blog is a verb?

All these new verbs! I am googling. I am blogging. He is tweeting. I am barfing!!

:). Sorry! Just making fun

Hello!

Nice to meet you all :)

Introduction

Hi, I'm interested in learning to use an iPad! I've been around them but have never really had the opportunity to work with one. Thanks, Kathie
Hello! First Post. Go Phillies!!!

Anna Staab

Hi everybody! My name is Anna, and I'm a special ed teacher in the Bronx. I look like this:

I teach mostly 6th graders at a wonderful public school in Morris Heights. Can't wait to get to know you all!
jessica millstone
Let's get to know each other.  Write a short post introducing yourself and mention one type of technology or use of technology you are interested in exploring.   Think about what you heard from your classmates already - anything intriguing?    Looking forward to hearing from everyone!