Focus Question: How can teachers use technology to create universally designed classrooms?
- Every student benefits from a wide and varied range of educational experiences that can activate her or his talents and potentials as a learner.
- Teachers are Teachers are crucial gatekeepers in how learning proceeds in schools and classrooms. They either move students forward with lively and demanding instruction or they separate students according to perceive needs and talents.
- Differentiated instruction (DI) and universal design for learning (UDL) involve changing in institutional practices and classroom structures to promote learning success for every student.
Photo credit to Amanda P.WU on Flickr
Universal
design, a concept from the field of architectures is at the center of
new approaches to how schools can serve all students well (Maloy, 2010, p.
279). When teachers create a universal designed classroom it
can accommodate any type of student. Like I have said in previous
blogs teachers have to learn how to accommodate everyone in the
classroom because everyone learns differently. There are two key terms that
teachers should remember;
- DI which stands
for Differentiated Instruction- is an instructional approach that
gives students "Multiple options for taking in information and making
sense of ideas" (Hall, 2007).
- UDL which stands
for Universal Design for Learning- is the application of
universal design principles to educational settings.
Those two
words help the teacher remember what the idea is for universal design in a
classroom. Also the purpose of universal designed classroom is
full participation and access for
students with disabilities while providing individualized
options for all (Maloy, 2010, p.279). To differentiate technologies in
your classroom think about low-tech, mid tech, and high tech. Low
tech refers to changes that are made easily, inexpensively, and
without applying digital or electronic materials (Maloy, 2010, p.281). Med
tech refers to substantive shifts in organization and delivery
of curriculum that may include the use of electronic materials (Maloy,
2010, p. 281). High tech refers to changes associated with the integration
of computers and other specialized information technologies in the
classroom (Maloy, 2010, p.282). As a teacher just take the time to assess your
students, and use whatever technology is going to fir best for them.
Tech Tools 10.1: Calculators
I always get stumped when there are limited tech
tools to choose from. Usually I like to incorporate the tech tools with my
focus question, but this week I will have to talk about something else.
Teachers have to learn how to deal with anything that is thrown their way. This
week tech tools website is about calculators. This website is supposed to
help you with different kind of calculators and how to use them. The first
thing that I notice when I log into the website is the dark blue background. It
is very distracting. Then, I notice the massive amounts of different
links. It is very distracting trying to find what you are looking for, and
there is no internal search bar to narrow down what you are looking for. I do
not think I would recommend this page for people to use. I would try
searching whatever calculator you are looking for individually.
Summary & Connection:
It is sad
to say that this is the second to the last blog I will be doing for this
semester. As the chapters have gone by everything is mixing in together little
by little. This chapter has been about the different technologies that
are available to teachers to help bring together the diverse learning
in the class. No matter what the curriculum is find a way to
incorporate technology into it to create a universally designed classroom. That
is the way to bring all the students in the class as one. Make sure that
everyone feels comfortable with the way that the technology is being
incorporated. It is beneficial that they are assistive technologies
that can be accessed to students without any barrier, while maximizing
opportunities for learning (Maloy, 2010, p.300). I also learned that
technology is important for writing because it is usually helps students
express themselves in way they cannot do on paper. Different technologies
are effective in different parts of writing process, including prewriting/
brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing (Maloy, 2010,
p.293).
UDL in the Classroom
Differentiated Learning
References:
Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2010).Transforming learning with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon.
A very thorough post with reflection back to this important chapter. Accommodations for individual needs (whether 'special' or not) is easier said than done, but it is imperative to have the awareness and desire first - you have many tools from which to choose now to help individual students!
ReplyDeleteYou weren't the only student to notice the horrible website for the online calculators - it is interesting to note that your 'website evaluation' thinking skills got into the action, as well.