RISD Technology Plan

A Reflection of UDL

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) stands at the forefront of contemporary efforts to create access to educational curricula for all students, including those with disabilities. The "universal" in UDL does not mean there is a single solution for every student. Instead, it emphasizes the need for flexible approaches to teaching that meet the needs of different kinds of learners.   Many teachers already use the principals of universal design for learning and the techniques without even knowing it.  A good teacher already provides multiple examples, highlights critical features, provides multiple media formats, and supporting background knowledge. (Rose,, D., & Meyer, A. (2002)  Creating a lesson using the UDL format was relatively simple for me personally.  As a special education teacher I am constantly looking for a variety of ways to engage and teach to a variety of learning styles.  I often “take what I can get” from any of my students.  They may choose to draw a picture, create a chant, create a picture presentation on the computer.  I don’t really care how they give me what they have learned as long as they give me something.  I think that is what UDL is all about.  This way of teaching allows a teacher to leave behind so called “traditional” teaching behind.  It allows a teacher to accept any form of work a student will produce and encourages students to be creative and more importantly to think for themselves.  Of course, guidance will always be needed and it may take some “training” for the students to learn what acceptable work looks like.  

Technology can support much of the effort toward curriculum access, participation and progress. Technology increases independence, personal productivity and empowerment. It can facilitate the kinds of interactions that occasion instruction, and it can transform static curriculum resources into flexible digital media and tools (Jackson, R. M., 2004).  I incorporated a variety of technology solutions into my team’s scenario solution that could be utilized based on the variety and severity of disabilities encountered in the classroom.  I also included a separate page on our website addressing a more inclusive range of solutions, from assistive technologies to highly conventional personal computers.  It can be difficult to know what to use to meet a student’s specific needs, so having a variety of options to choose from can be beneficial.  As I started compiling the list I was surprised at how extensive the list is.  Technology is constantly advancing, so too is the list of resources that can meet the needs of special education.

Citation:

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, Chapter 6:  Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Jackson, R. M. (2004). Technologies supporting curriculum access for students with disabilities. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved [insert date] from http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/technologies_s...

Motivated to Integrate Technology

Many teachers are reluctant to integrate technology because they are so unfamiliar with what all they can accomplish.  The teachers on my campus have repeatedly stated that they “just aren’t technology people.”  My question is how are they going to become “technology people” unless they start playing around with the technology that is available to them?  How can we motivate these teachers to become more technologically advanced?  The McREL Technology Initiative (MTI) reports that teachers are more motivated to continue to seek ways to integrate technology when the teacher feels comfortable with the technology and creates their own instructional projects. (Pitler, pg 4).   If the technology is made available, should administrators require teachers to complete technology projects?  Even beginners benefit from a project-based, hands-on approach. 

The problem facing most classroom teachers is the lack of time.  Learning to use technology in instruction is almost like learning a whole new curriculum.  It takes time and effort, usually in addition to the time already required from them.  If meaningful incentives are provided teachers may become more motivated to take the time to learn and create their own projects.  The teachers that have taken the time to learn and implement technology in their instruction have reported enhanced student learning and a significant increase in student-centered group based projects (Pitler, pg 33).  If student-centered learning is our objective, wouldn’t this be a good step in the right direction?

Citation:

McREL Technology Initiative: The Development of a Technology Intervention Program Final Report Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report (Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning.

Good Teachers Already Use UDL

Many teachers already use universal design for learning techniques without even knowing it.  A good teacher already provides multiple examples, highlights critical features, provides multiple media formats, and supporting background knowledge. (Rose,, D., & Meyer, A. (2002)  Creating a lesson using the UDL format was relatively simple for me personally.  As a special education teacher I am constantly looking for a variety of ways to engage and teach to a variety of learning styles.  I often “take what I can get” from any of my students.  They may choose to draw a picture, create a chant, create a picture presentation on the computer.  I don’t really care how they give me what they have learned as long as they give me something.  I think that is what UDL is all about.  This way of teaching allows a teacher to leave behind so called “traditional” teaching behind.  It allows a teacher to accept any form of work a student will produce and encourages students to be creative and more importantly to think for themselves.  Of course, guidance will always be needed and it may take some “training” for the students to learn what acceptable work looks like. 

Citation:

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, Chapter 6:  Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Why Does Technology Work In The Classroom

According to an article in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education a strong correlation can be made between student self esteem and technology rich classrooms.  Even, as a teacher it never occurred to me to even attempt to correlate the two.  However, after reading this article I contemplated the idea.  It seems a logical conclusion based on the findings, but what is really important to me is why the correlation exists at all. 

The article states “Because students tend to prefer computer learning over traditional instruction (Clements et al., 1993; Kinzie, Sullivan, & Berdel, 1992), and because they appear to perceive technology as a tool to increase the likelihood of school success (Breakwell & Fife-Schaw), a logical conclusion can thus be made that computers and self-esteem are complementary” (Page, 2002).  This is a statement I believe to be misleading.  Students probably prefer the computer to lectures.  Would they still prefer it, if it was a lecture via computer?  Would technology still be viewed as a tool for success if all tests were computer based and they repeatedly failed these tests?  I’m sure any elementary student would prefer an educational computer game to worksheets, but do they prefer it to small group games or projects?

Technology is not the key to learning, nor is it the key to increasing student self-esteem.  Good student-centered teaching practices with a solid teaching objective and strong lesson planning is the key.  Technology can be a valuable tool and should not be overlooked.  There are so many ways it can increase student success.  However, teachers are the most vital instrument we have today.

Page, M. S. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34(4), 389–409.

Technology in the classroom

In the current educational climate there is a big push to create “21^st century learners.”  Many teachers I have worked with think this simply means exposing their students to technology based learning tools.  Substantial amounts of money have been invested in providing technology equipment and training to classroom teachers.  The intentions are good, but I think we are falling a bit short.

First, let’s think about what a “21^st century learner” really means.  It’s not just about the technology.  It is molding our students into problem solvers and creative thinkers.  It means we can’t expect them to succeed in this world if all they know is what comes from a text book.  It means taking what they have learned and applying it to real word problems.  "To be literate today involves acquiring new skills, including those of using technology, understanding science, having global awareness, and most important, having the ability to keep learning." (Solomon & Schrum, 2007)

“Constructivist learning theory tells us that we learn in a variety of ways. The more opportunities we have, and the more actively engaged we are, the richer our understanding. Good teachers have always used experience as a valuable instructional tool; that is why we arrange field trips and hands-on projects.” (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1999).   So the question is, how does technology create learning experiences? 

Many teachers, including myself, have the technical skills needed, but lack direction on how to incorporate it in the classroom.  “New technologies can help people visualize difficult-to-understand concepts. Students can work with visualization and modeling, increasing their understanding and the likelihood of transfer from school to nonschool settings.” (9 Technology to Support Learning, pg. 206)  Technology is not the key to the learning experience.  It should be used as an infrastructure to make teaching productive.

References

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. (1st ed., pp. 7-44). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html

"9 Technology to Support Learning." How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2000."The romanticized view of technology is that its mere presence in schools will enhance student learning and achievement."

Reflection of Learning - Digital Graphics and Desktop Publishing

“(Students) were not given the time, skills, and opportunities to extract personalized meanings from their studies.  Reflection was not part of their curriculum as it cannot be measured nor tested… The only way that educators can teach and promote reflective practice by their students (of all ages) in their own classrooms is to engage in, embrace, and fully understand this process themselves.” (Gerstein, Ed.D.)
In this course (Digital Graphic and Desktop Publishing) I have learned new information and techniques in generating well designed materials.  I knew how to create a blog and webpage from previous experience, but was able to apply good design techniques (CRAP) so the information I present to the world will be more likely to be read and remembered.
“…good visual design offers more than improving people’s attitudes to a design. Good visual design will actually make interfaces easier to use.” (Travis, 2011)
As a learner with the goal of both being a good student according to the provided rubric, but also a critical learner processing and generalizing I have to employ the time management strategy.  I must provide plenty of time for myself to both complete the assignment and to process and synthesis the information learned.  I also don’t want to let my teammates down!  My classmates and teammates provide both positive feedback on my thought processes and open my mind to critical questions I may not have thought enough about.
In this course I reviewed and studied a lot of websites, looking at the design and analyzing how I can incorporate different sites into the K-12 classroom.  Technology is advancing at such great speeds it’s hard to know where to go with it in the future.  A 2009 report from the Sloan Consortium , a Needham, Mass.-based advocacy group for online education, found that the number of K-12 students using online courses rose to more than a million public school students during the 2007-08 school year.  This shows we as teachers must be on top of the technology advancements if we are to keep our students active in the technology world.  At the moment, my students have access to several websites that provide learning games, research tools, and curriculum rich content.  I hope with some of the lessons I have learned from this course and others throughout my degree I will be able to take student from users of technology to creators of technology.

Gerstein, Ed.D., J. (n.d.). Education as it should be – passion-based.. Retrieved from http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/where-is-reflection-in-the-learning-process/  

Travis, D. (2011, August). A crap way to improve usability. Retrieved from http://www.userfocus.co.uk/articles/A_CRAP_way_to_improve_usability.html