UDL and Web 2.0 tools

An exciting wiki that helps to organize Universal Design for Learning (UDL) tools for teachers is:
http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/

This site brings together many wonderful resources for teachers of general education students and special education students alike. Most of the links take you to sites that are *FREE* and support learning, including reading, writing, spelling, and math. The wiki is well-designed and easy to access. Many of the sites have activities that are great for use on an interactive white board.

Looking at these links, I am amazed at how Web 2.0 tools are redifining education. Web 2.0 is defined by wikipedia as "the second generation of the World Wide Web, especially the movement away from static webpages to dynamic and shareable content and social networking." Further, twinity.com states that "Web 2.0 does not refer to any specific change in the technology of the Internet, but rather the behavior of how people use the Internet."

Many tools can be used effectively by educators to enhance instruction. Because these tools are web-based, they provide much of the same content support as materials formerly found through applications on CD, but they are easier and cheaper to use. They do not require a technology administrator to install and they can be used quickly in class instruction. Educators can integrate the tools seemlessly into instruction, and only use what they need. They are not paying for extra resources that are not really useful or applicable. Web 2.0 tools provide the flexibility that is an integral part of the principles of UDL.

Metaversum Gmbh. (2010). Glossary: Web 2.0. Retrieved July 19, 2010 from http://www.twinity.com/en/glossary_web20

Wikimedia. (2010). Definition: Web 2.0. Retrieved July 19, 2010 from http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Comments on Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a blueprint for creating flexible means of learning to address the needs of diverse learners - flexibility in how instruction is represented, how students express their understanding, and how teachers engage their students (Gray et al., 2010). The principle of UDL allows for equal access for all, though the strategies or the tools do not have to be identical or necessary for everyone. It simply implies that multiple strategies should be applied and used, to the benefit of the greatest amount of learners.

The use of UDL principles promotes the concept that all stuents are capable of learning and deserve a quality education. Technology tools can be offered which improve understanding of presented materials and students' ability to respond. For students with disabilities, these supports are necessary; for other students, they are dynamic tools that are useful and enhance critical thinking skills.

Gray, T., Silver Pacuilla, H., Overton, C., & Brann, A. (2010, January). Unleashing the power of innovation for assistive technology. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research.

Interactive White Boards with Students with Severe Disabilities

Interactive white boards provide support to students with severe special needs by helping them to bridge the conceptual gap between the concrete and the symbolic. The fact that the items appear in a two-dimensional format on the screen, but can be manipulated helps students to observe and analyze the forms in different ways. After exploration of concrete items in a lesson, students can then see and use symbolic representations of those objects on the white board to complete a task. This can encourage some generalization of skills through the reinforcement and repetition of concepts.

Students with severe special needs can access the white boards in a number of ways. One way is with the traditional pen, though the use of the pen often requires the ability to have a pincer-style grasp and push a button. The wand is often used by students in wheelchairs because it has a larger reach. Teachers often affix the activator button down with tape to leave it always in the "on" mode. Studetns with switch or adapted keyboard access can use the white boards through the main computer - they can do single- or two-switch step-scanning.

The larger white board screen makes it easier for students to attend and participate with class activities in a larger room. Images on the screen are clear and free of the distortions often seen with larger televisions. Though innovation and imagination are necessary for a teacher using the interactive white boards with students with severe disabilities, the boards have advanced learning for these highly impacted children.

Final Thoughts

For my last post on this blog, I would like to reflect on all that I have learned about blogs in the classroom. First and foremost, I am not intimidated by them any more. I would like to incorporate blogging into my classroom, if possible. I do need to take a look at my student population however, since access to technology might be a deciding factor in this project. There is barely enough time in the school day to have all of the students create blog posts, so I would need to make a blogging assignment to be completed at home. If students don't have computers or access to the Internet, I will need to think of some alternatives.

The second thing that I have taken from this experience is the variety of blogs I could incorporate into my classroom. I had previously limited myself to seeing blogs as a way to respond to literature. While that is valid, it is only one option. I look forward to using blogs to showcase student work and allow them to generate higher-level thinking questions for the rest of the class. However I may use blogs, I now know how successful they can be!

When?

When is it appropriate to integrate technology? I believe it is appropriate to integrate technology when it will improve learning outcomes, motivate students, and demonstrate an idea in a way that was previously impossible. I feel it is not appropriate to use technology as a babysitter in a classroom or soley as a reward. This type of technology abuse seems as though we are taking it for granted. Using technology is a priveledge. Students need to learn how computers can help them learn, not just play games, take quizzes or complete drill/practice activities. Technology can suppliment a rigorous cirriculumn and open up new possibilities in education.

Questions about Accessing Technology

Who, What, Where, When, Why, When? These are the questions I ask when thinking about the distribution of technology. It is interesting to walk from school to school within a district and observe the quality and quantity of technology distributed throughout the area. I am amazed at the differences in this distribution. What (perhaps who and how of course) determines this distribution and the lack of equality. Is this a common trend in technology within school districts? I am just curious. As an art teacher, I reluctantly understand (however do not accept) why I am at the bottom of the technology totem pole at the elementary level. But why do classrooms have so few computers? Why are some computers so new and mine so ancient? Why do some schools have digital projectors in all rooms and some schools have 1 per building?
With such differences in access to technology how can students be expected to perform at the same level throughout an area? How can teachers teach at the same level? Technology opens the door to economic controversy sometimes, frustrating teachers, parents, administrators, and students. I know the answers to my questions are gray, but with the potential these technologies offer our students, shouldn’t we all have the same quality and quantity (if not more for special needs) of access?

Pros and Cons of Blogging in the Classroom

To extend what Jeff has already mentioned in his post about the Pros and Cons of blogging, students who have access to a school-based blog are publishing for a real audience. This usually inspires them to try harder and put more effort into their work. Additionally, the technical aspect of blogging caters to the current generation, born into a time of pervasive technology use. In other words, most students should easily adapt to blogging like a fish adapts to water.

On the other hand, it does take some time to start up a classroom blog, as well as maintain it. Ideally, the students become self-sufficient, but that doesn’t mean the teacher can stop checking in on the appropriateness and relevancy of the posts. Also, the teacher has to take into account the access that the students have at home. If they are expected to post something over the weekend, the teacher needs to guarantee that all students have access to a computer for that time. With the economy the way that it is, the teacher should be prepared with some alternatives for those students who can’t afford a computer at home. Regardless, if the technology is there, it couldn’t hurt to try!

Technology with Students with Severe Disabilities

Integrating technology with special needs students is critical for allowing them to process information in new, multi-modal formats. It provides opportunities for them to learn to generalize learning and language concepts in more than one environment. For example, after working on a job task in the greenhouse, students can read an electric storybook on the greenhouse plants with which they were working. They can use a computer application to answer questions about the plants, which reinforces the language and the questions asked of the students while they were working. They can learn to effectively answer comprehension questions with this work topic, which can encourage them to develop their reflection and comprehension skills for other, more novel tasks. They will be able to practice choice-making and simple responses. "Successful expression of preferences is critical for the development of self-determination and lays the groundwork for making choices that show knowledge or skill. Expressing knowledge and skills nurtures and acknowledges a child’s full potential. The more that choice-making of both preferences and knowledge is targeted and encouraged, the more confident, independent, and empowered a child can become." (Tubbergen et al., 2007). When students work with and manipulate language, they become more effective communicators and have greater success in their post-secondary life experiences.

Tubbergen, M., Omichinski, D., & Warschausky, S. (2007). How children with severe disabilities make choices of preference and knowledge. Exceptional Parent, 37(5), 36-38. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database

Four Types of Blogs in the Classroom

Initially, I thought I had a solid idea of what I pictured a future classroom blog looking like. My vision included students responding to questions about books that they are reading. When poking around the UMUC databases, I found an article from The Reading Teacher that widened my options for me. Lisa Zawilinski (2009) discusses several key aspects of blogging in the classroom that must be considered before implementation. She comments on the “authentic audience” that is available to read the students’ work, in the form of fellow students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and so on (Zawilinski, 2009, p. 652).

While I had not previously considered it, Zawilinski (2009) classifies four types of blogs: Classroom News (posting information about the classroom), Mirror Blogs (students reflecting on their thinking), Showcases (posting examples of student work), and Literature Response (students posting responses to books). As I mentioned earlier, I was ready to unintentionally limit my students by requiring them to follow the framework of a Literature Response blog. Now, I will be sure to allow my students to stretch their wings in the form of the other types of blogs, which will keep their motivation and personal pride at a high level, where it belongs!

Reference:

Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT blogging: A framework for blogging to promote higher order thinking. The Reading Teacher(62)8, 650-661. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete. DOI:10.1598/RT.62.8.3

Organizing Technology Tools

Working on this blog and conference, causes me to reflect on the challenges with organizing technology tools and resources. There are so many interesting materials available on the internet, but many need to be properly vetted. So then you take the time to review them and decide what works for your class. But then what do you do?

I say this as I contemplate my ever growing “Favorites” tab. If I do not arrange the bookmarks in folders, the list quickly gets out-of-hand. And managing resources on multiple computers (work, home, child’s) just gives me a head-ache.

Good compartmentalizing is a necessity. Color coding, file folders and a naming system are critical for a technology-saavy teacher to have in order to stay efficiently connected. And now there are even web-based tools specifically geared toward bookmarking and organization. Now, I guess I’ll have to bookmark this :P

Collaboration

Pen pals use to be the way to communicate with other students across the country and the world. Now that we have the internet it has become a lot easier to get into contact with other students as well as hold better communication. I think blogging in the classroom will open up a lot of opportunities for students as well as teachers.

If we could blog with international students it would be a great lesson for students. They are getting writing experience, cultural experience, and communication experience. Blogging has become global and anyone can do it. It would give students a chance to reach a higher level of thinking and expressing their thoughts.

There is so much to teach students about as far as diversity and what better way than blogging with students from different backgrounds, cultures, and schools. I think blogging teaches students about themselves from their blogs.
What do you think?

International Collaboration with Blogs

I will admit, the prospect of organizing international collaboration for my fourth grade students is a bit overwhelming.

However, having gained some confidence with the use of blogs, I can see myself starting small...maybe organizing collaboration among the different classes in my grade level. This would pave the way for collaboration with other schools, counties, and states, and then finally, other countries!

Specifically, the concept of a "bouncing story" interests me. The idea is simple; one participating member begins the story, and after a completing a designated length (a sentence, a paragraph, a page), the story is passed on to someone else, who then contributes the next segment. Why not take this to an international audience?

University students in Canada, England, and Australia did just that, and even went further by recording the new segments of the story as podcasts! Listeners can subscribe to the podcasts in order to remain updated with the most current story section, via the blog. These students certainly serve as a model for international collaboration using a blog!

I may not have the time to create podcasts, but I think my students could handle a written version of this activity. It's definitely worth investigating!

Pro's and Con's of blogging

Blogging is a very simple concept that can have many advantages and disadvantages. Part of the good news is that blogging is a very simple tool to use and access. In both education and the business world, blogging is an excellent way to communicate with other people. This allows for excellent discussion, relationship building, and collaboration. It also helps defeat issues involved with time and location as people can blog from anywhere and at anytime. This allows for people to be more effective, efficient, and innovative in their work.

The disadvantages of blogging depend mainly upon the purpose of the blog and by whom it is being used. Issues such as privacy, accessibility, and advertising are some of top concerns about blogging. Privacy can be a very important issue depending on what is being discussed and whether or not you want the information viewable to the public. Accessibility in terms of being able to make sure all parties involved are able to access and edit content. Advertising is something I have always found to be a pain since they promote items that you don't necessarily support. This is more common in the free blogs since the companies need to make money, you generally don't have a choice on whether or not you advertise.

Stine, S., & Poje, J. (2009). THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. Public Lawyer, 17(2), 12-19. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Topics in Technology and Education

Technology is capricious in thought and form. The concept of integrating technology into the curriculum is both a lure and a challenge to many teachers. It holds the promise of a great new adventure, where student-centered learning can manifest itself in novel and inspiring ways. It appears universally designed and by virtue of this, can allow students to excel no matter what their learning strengths or needs. But this ever-changing siren is presented to teachers with a cost. Teachers must pay in time, energy, and sometimes even efficiency. The learning curve is great and it always appears as if teachers are playing catch-up to the students. At the same time teachers are given less time than ever to plan and prepare for today's diverse, multi-sensory learners. The world wide web has grown exponentially and it is nearly impossible to keep up with changes in web-sites, technology resources, and supplementary curriculum supports. It always seems teachers are re-inventing the wheel, despite declarations to the contrary. But despite all the challenges, technology education is a banner that is waved proudly by those of us interested in exploring innovation and excellence in learning.
Catherine Hunter