Reflection for 12/20: The Final Reflection….

So, this is it. We’re (almost) all done. We’ve come a long way!

I thought I would reflect in list form and create a “top 5″ list of UD BIG Ideas. I have found in the past that making a list like this will help me to further implement material in future lessons.

#1: Universal Design is for all learners.

UD is a means to make content more accessible (and interesting) for every child in every classroom. Sometimes, individual accommodations made for one student do not benefit the general population. With individual accommodations, much of a teacher’s time can be spent on a small segment of the classroom population.

Instead, teaching-with-UD aims to make each learning experience more appropriate for every learner. Implementing UD is a win-win situation for teachers and learners. When teachers implement UD, they are considering the multiple paths that can be taken by learners to reach the same goal (end goal: student learning). UD aims to make each learning experience more appropriate for every learner.

#2: Blogs and Wikis can be useful classroom tools.

I had heard of blogs before taking this class. I had probably read a few blogs, too. However, I had not even begun the process of creating my own until I was compelled to do so by this course. At first, the task was slightly daunting. The blog sites use an entirely different vocabulary than I am accustomed to reading, writing or speaking. The good news about being marginally technologically-aware is that I was willing to try out the formatting options and different commands. In the end, I have learned a lot about blogs and their secret lingo. I have found blogging for this course to be a useful way to vent my anxiety, thoughts, and questions.

I think that Blogs would have a place in the classroom. I could see the usefulness of posing a question on a teacher-moderated blog and having students post comments in response. I could also see students showcasing their learning on a blog where teachers and other students could comment on the student’s insights.

I am still a little bit of a Wiki novice. I have set one up, but haven’t spent considerable time on the site. I do think that Wikis would have an application for student-directed group projects. I think Wikis will be my next frontier for collaborative online learning. (Thanks for setting up the Wiki, Cynthia. I will check it out tonight!)

#3: Podcasting: It’s not that hard to do!

I was excited to learn about Podcasting. I had heard of Podcasts, but never realized that I had the capability to make one myself or have my students create their own. It was fun to write and read aloud the reflection Janet and I created. I think that we learned while we were annotating our information, but by writing a script and performing the Podcast, we committed a lot of the information to memory. This would be a very useful way for students to digest new information and present their learning. Next step: I need to learn how to Podcast using the version of Garage Band that I have on my teacher laptop – and the student laptops we have in the classroom.

#4: Collaboration is Key.

Working with my unit team has been challenging (especially to schedule), enjoyable, and enlightening. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with each of my teammates in the past,  but our work has never been technology focused or even focused on our own learning. We’ve always put the kids first. We have had the opportunity to create a unit in a thoughtful and well-planned (or at least we hope it is) way.  It has been interesting to learn where each of us is coming from, write goals about where we are going, and get to where we need to be with this unit. I hope to further collaborate with my team this winter to write the learning experiences that will complete the layout of this unit.

#5: Implementing UD doesn’t have to be complicated.

I have learned many new ways to incorporate UD in my daily lesson plans. It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or earth-shattering. Baby steps seem to work best in UD implementation. I have already brought in a projector on multiple occasions to share PowerPoint presentations. I have also used the audio CD that accompanies our LA program. I plan to use the HOLT online website very soon to spice up my LA classes. The changes I have made for UD have nicely complimented my current work on teaching study and textbook skills. (Our kids are lacking in this area.)

Overall, I’ve learned a lot this fall. I hope to find new ways to implement UD. I am also excited to teach our unit in a few months. Perhaps I will try to maintain the blog while I am teaching the unit to help me plan my lesson and reflect.

Happy Holidays! Thanks for everything, Cynthia!

Reflection for 12/13

I can’t believe it Wednesday night already?! December always seems to fly by so fast. Too little time, too much to do!

I did read Cynthia’s comment on my last reflection. She mentioned that I haven’t written too much about accessible content media. This is very true. The media component of our unit has become the last frontier for our project. I think we have put that portion of the project off for two reasons. 1. Unfortunately, I have not spent a lot of time thinking and planning in terms of accessible media in the past. I have integrated technology in lessons, but of late, I have stuck to predictable, “usual” (for example: word processing, projecting sites on my laptop, etc.) technology rather than really branching out and trying new modes of teaching and learning. 2. The second reason for the procrastination on this front is that we are less knowledgeable about this area of lesson planning and delivery. And, the unknown scares us (read: me)… a lot.

The good news is… we know a lot more about accessible content media now than we ever did before taking this course. Also, we have seen the benefits of implementing accessible tech into our lesson plans. Now, we just need to bite the bullet, suck it up, and tax our brains a little to find the right fit for accessible content media in our writing unit.

Some ideas for implementation of accessible content media…

1. Julie has found some PowerPoints on unit material that were sent along with our language arts curriculum kit. The PowerPoints would be great to use to kick off the unit. I think the kids will enjoy this format of lesson launching, in lieu of simply reading the same material in the text book.

2. We are planning to create a Wiki (or perhaps blog) for the kids to use for reading responses.

3. I toy with the idea of having the students create an electronic presentation about American symbols in order to teach the idea of symbolism.

4. The easiest connection: we will have kids type their stories and edit their work in Appleworks or NeoOffice. I am also planning to have the kids use the text-to-speech capabilities on their laptops to help them edit their work.

5. Our textbook is available online (and on audio cd), so I plan to have kids read the stories while listening to them read aloud. (We will also do a low-tech reading of each reading to work on fluency.)

6. We could teach a literary device in a Web-Quest format, as well. (For example: We may want to teach metaphors by first visiting sites to learn what they are, then visit different sites to see samples of metaphors, next visit sites where kids need to pick out metaphors, and finally, write some of their own metaphors in a wiki or a blog.)

That’s what I have to far… I plan to work with the group tomorrow and see what ideas we can generate. I am really excited to teach this unit. I think my students will really enjoy the engagements and the technology connections. Looking forward to feedback!

Reflection for 12/6

Happy Snow Day!

I am so grateful for the winter weather. After spending Friday and Saturday at an awesome conference on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), I just need a couple of days off to rest my brain and get caught up on my work. Let it snow!

About the conference, it was put on by the Northeast affiliate of the ASCD and was titled “Leading and Learning: Sustaining Learning Communities”. It was really very eye-opening. We learned a great deal about PLCs and how to make them successful and useful in our school environment. This conference was very timely, as we just implemented a district-wide initiative committed to each educator taking part in a community that is focused on achieving one of our district-improvement goals.

Some of the biggest learning I picked up:

1. (Although, I’m not exactly sure how this connects to PLCs…) We should do away with threatening to and giving kids zeros for incomplete work. There has a been a great deal of research on this topic, and it is proven that the threat of failing an assignment does not work as a motivator for students to complete the work to the best of their ability. I have done some incidental research on this in my own class. I have found the exact same conclusion. Recording zeros, in effect, excuses students from the assignment. And, although I would have been mortified by the impact of a zero in my 6th grade teacher’s grade book, many kids are defeated by the idea of a zero and/or are more willing to avoid work than consider the impact of a zero of their “academic record”. I think my new philosophy will be that all students must complete all work. It will be recommended that students do the work when it is most valuable (when it is assigned and pertinent to the following day’s lesson). However, work that is not done will not be a zero – but will be done by every student at a time that is less convenient to students (recess, after school, etc.). I am going to try this for the duration of this year and see if this policy has an impact on how kids approach their assignments, scores on assessments, and their overall comprehension of materials. I think this policy may give more value to the work that students are expected to do.

2. Another eye-opener, PLC topics need to be selected by teachers for the betterment of students’ education and teacher’s ability to teach and learn. This year, my PLCs topic is RTI. This is a topic I was interested in studying; however, our direction and focus has been assigned to us. Thus, members of my group are frustrated with the process and direction that we are currently moving in. We were also assigned to groups, and I think this limited our ability to select group of colleagues that make sense to us on a practical level. For example, working with teachers at my grade level or those who teach the same curriculum would have been a more comfortable and productive fit.

3. Although not implicitly stated, I think there is a logical connection between PLCs and UD. Planning units and lessons with others who have an understanding or interest in UD would make for a very interesting PLC group. I think it is sometimes overwhelming to consider all of the elements of a unit, along with the opportunities to integrate Universal Design. Working with others would give an individual teacher the chance to collaborate and consider elements of lessons that they may not have thought of on their own. I think units created by teams of teachers are ultimately more thoughtful and creative. I believe a PLC that focuses on integrating UD into their units would find that the unit is more universally accessible.

Overall, it was a very enlightening conference. I think that we will be able to improve our PLCs as a result of what we learning. I think that I also have some new strategies to employ with my unit development group – which is a highly functioning PLC in my opinion.

Cynthia – Will you please let me know if there are objectives on your check-off list that I have neglected to write about on the blog. I would love to complete those reflection pieces in the next couple of weeks. Thanks so much!

See you Thursday!

Article: Learning in a hypertext environment

Article 3: Reading with digital text – is it about more than access?

Gosse, H., Gunn, H., & Swinkels, L. (2002, March). Learning in a hypertext environment. Web site constructed by Holly Gunn of Halifax Regional School Board. Retrieved September 17, 2007, from
http://www.accesswave.ca/~hgunn/special/papers/hypertxt/index.html

Hypertext is “interlinked pieces of text or other objects stored electronically”. Each piece of information is called a node, module, or topic. Each node is connected to links and this leads to an association of ideas.  Hypertext, in essence, is what we use when we surf the World Wide Web.

Some benefits of teaching uses hypertext are:

1. “Association of ideas through links”

2.  “Choice of paths for readers”

3.  “Immediate access for reference documents”

4. “Movement through browsing”

5. “Focus of thought” is able to shift

6. Constructivism

Most students browse the web. They are familiar with the flow of information and the purpose of embedded links on a web page. An advantage to using hypertext in information delivery is that learning can occur at a student’s own pace. Students can click links to gather more information about a topic or enrich their understanding of a concept.

A drawback to using hyperlink format is the need to read from the computer screen. This type of reading is quite different from traditional reading of a book or written work. Another disadvantage is that students are often overwhelmed with information and do not know where to start when working on the web. I think a teacher could overcome this issue by providing elicit instruction on how to use the web to gather information.

I have had some limited success with Webquests in the past. These activities are high-interest. It is also, in my opinion, easier to find and gather information about concepts by using a series of links on the WWW. The authors also point to an interesting online platform – Storyspace. I want to follow up on this program and see if it has an application in my language arts classes.

Article: Reading comprehension of freshman students: Comparing printed and digital texts

Article 2: Reading with digital text — is it about more than access?

Joly, M.C.R.A., Capovilla, A.S.C.G., Bighetti, C. Neri, M.L, & Nicolau, A.F. (2007, June/July). Reading comprehension of freshman students: Comparing printed and digital texts. Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Multimedia and Information & Communication Technologies in Education. Retrieved September 17, 2007, from http://www.formatex.org/micte2005/12.pdf

Joly and colleagues studied the differences in comprehension levels of students who were presented and tested on information in either digital or hard copy formats. The participants in this study were college freshman enrolled in a psychology course. They varied in age from 17 to 56 years old. The authors describe a model of four levels of comprehension:

Level 1: Literal understanding of text

Level 2: Inferential understanding of text (making deductions)

Level 3: Critical understanding of text (analyzing text)

Level 4: Creative understanding of text (elaboration/application of text material)

Obviously, teachers strive to provide learning experiences that push students toward the higher levels of comprehension. The authors of they study propose that providing information in an electronic format may lead students to better comprehend the material. In electronic, as opposed to static paper, format, students are able to “use space in dynamic, virtual, fluid, and temporary” ways. In essence, students as able to differentiate their own text materials for their level of comprehension.

The findings of the article were that students (particularly under the age of 25) performed better on assessments after using digital text formats. The authors propose that this may be due to their familiarity with this type of text delivery. The authors also found that text takers were more frustrated with the printed text than the digital text. The authors close by commenting that the younger generation would probably benefit from their educational information being presented in the digital format that they use in their personal lives.

Article: Applying principles of UD to test delivery

Article 1: Reading with digital text: is it about more than access?

Dolan, R.P., Hall, T.E., Banerjee, M., Chun, E. & Strangman, N. (2005, February). Applying principles of universal design to test delivery: The effect of computer-based read-aloud on test performance of high school students with learning disabilities. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 3(7). Retrieved September 19, 2007, from http://www.jtla.org

Dolan et al begin their article by pointing to the need for accurate assessment of all learners. They also mention the need for individualized accommodations for learners, especially those with disabilities. It is proposed that text-to-speech technology be employed by test creators to provide a consistent accommodation for students.

The authors write about “construct irrelevance”. This is the idea that many assessments measure unintended skills and knowledge along with the intended content of the test. For example, math tests that are language-based measure the students’ math ability – along with their reading and writing abilities. This can be a particularly difficult problem for students with disabilities (such as sight or hearing impairment, the inability to hold a pencil, etc.).

Dolan et al also write about the traditional accommodations used for struggling readers – having tests read aloud by a teacher or aide on a individual or small group setting. They site three problems with this accommodation:

1. Read alouds vary in quality of delivery.

2. Students are reluctant to ask human readers for clarification or repetition of a questions/passage.

3. Intonation of human reader can be an issue for test takers.

To create an even playing field for learners, Dolan et al suggest using text-to-speech technology (CBT-TTS) in test-taking. This technology involves a computerized voice reading material to test takers. The authors found that this accommodation led to slightly better overall scores on the test. They also found that TTS technology led to significantly better scores when the question involved reading a long passage. Dolan et al also found that over 90% of test-takers accessed the TTS technology when it was available to them during the test.

At our school, we have difficulty finding staff to deliver small-group test accommodations to students. Having the TTS available during standardized testing would solve our test staffing dilemma – and more importantly, make sure that all students are being given the same accommodations and opportunity to succeed.