Universal Design for learning is a way to teach students of all learning levels. All teachers should be exposed to UDL tools and the purpose behind it. Seeing all the tools available in the Kalikow Center opened my eyes to the possibilities for students to have manipulatives and other tools too help them learn. I had no idea there were so many options out there, I would not have even known where to begin to look for any of those tools either. I would have been completely overwhelmed if I had tried on my own.
Teachers are responsible for making sure all of their students are succeeding at all things. With out the proper knowledge of how to teach to all learning types, teachers are not able to do their jobs properly. Starting to search for tools to help your struggling students is a daunting task, but if every future teacher were exposed to ways to find assistive technology while still in school it would be so much easier.
In my own classroom, I would use the Start to Finish Books, board makers, and Tango, if I had a student who needed it. The fraction stackers are also a good way to help students with their fraction conversions and the breakdown of a whole. I found a website with many options of communication devices (see website below). The Tango is something that I would ever have thought of even looking for if I had an autistic, or mute, student in my classroom.
The Start to Finish Books will help slower or below grade level readers feel better about themselves as readers. By having the books on tape and cd, students can follow along with the book and retain information from the text. They also would be helpful if there were a blind student in the class and there were no brail books or the student did not know how to read brail.
The board maker would work wonderfully for students who do not read well and have to make an oral presentation. The student could make picture cues for their oral presentation. It would also be a good tool to create a schedule for students who have not learned to read yet. Kindergarten and early first grade students could use board maker to make stories about themselves as well.
Tango would be a great tool for a student with speech difficulties. It is very user friendly, but in order for the student to successfully use this device, the student would have to be able to read or at least have some knowledge or words. Unfortunately, this device is very expensive and probably would not be in classrooms unless the students family was able to purchase it for their child.
Section 508 says that all federal agencies have to make their products and information accessible to those with disabilities. It is an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act. All employers are required to have accommodations for disabled employees, so that they can have the same opportunities as everyone else.
http://www.assistivetech.com/prod-hardw-index.htm
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Science Unit Ideas
1. Planets. I would have the students work in small groups to prepare a webpage on one of the planets. Each group would be responsible for information on the planets as well as photos.
2. Water Cycle. Students would need to make a kidspiration model of the water cycle using pictures. They will also have to write a word document explaining their cycle. The pictures will have to be digital photos taken by them. I will be doing this project.
3. Bidomes. I would have students write to scientists at the Montreal Biodome to see what a biodome is, how they work, and any other information they could aquire.
4. Laws of Motion. I would have students create podcasts on the various laws of motion. They would have to present the information they gathered along with diagrams of how the laws work.
5. Clouds. I would have students make a podcast about specific type of cloud. I would also have students keep a blog for a month to keep track of the clouds they observed for a 20-minute period every day. The podcast will include photos of the clouds they observed.
2. Water Cycle. Students would need to make a kidspiration model of the water cycle using pictures. They will also have to write a word document explaining their cycle. The pictures will have to be digital photos taken by them. I will be doing this project.
3. Bidomes. I would have students write to scientists at the Montreal Biodome to see what a biodome is, how they work, and any other information they could aquire.
4. Laws of Motion. I would have students create podcasts on the various laws of motion. They would have to present the information they gathered along with diagrams of how the laws work.
5. Clouds. I would have students make a podcast about specific type of cloud. I would also have students keep a blog for a month to keep track of the clouds they observed for a 20-minute period every day. The podcast will include photos of the clouds they observed.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
podcasts
Grammar Girl
60-second science
The Grammar girl podcasts help students learn how to use specific grammar mechanics in various different situations. One was on hyphens and the debate on CNN. Another was on may vs. might, another on apostrophes, and yet another on interviewing tips. These podcasts could be used at any grade level. Grammar girl also has a web page teachers, parents, and students can visit for other topics, such as teaching your child about strangers, on www.quickanddirty.com.
I also listened to several 60-second science podcasts on recycling, biofuel, blogging, and electric clothing. 60-Second science podcasts are a great way to introduce science topics that may be dull to students. They are definitely aimed more towards upper middle school and high school students.
Personally, I think that there is a time and place for iPods in the classroom. I don't feel that podcasts and other technologies should be used to replace standard teaching, they are simply a tool to help aid teachers. I would use podcasts such as grammar girl and 60-second science to aid in my lessons. There are some very useful podcasts out there that teachers and students can access as an alternative source of information.
Podcasts can support literacy in the classroom by allowing students to use the information they acquired through reading texts. For younger students, pre-k to 2, there are podcasts that promote reading, the alphabet, along with other things. These podcasts are good for showing students how to do essential things while having fun. For older students, there are podcasts such as grammar girl that can give students tips on how to use grammar properly.
Five ways to use Podcasts in a classroom:
1. Have students search podcasts to find interesting topics that they want to learn about.
2. Have students listen to grammar girl podcasts with every new lesson in grammar.
3. Have students listen to 60-second science on static electricity in clothes and then conduct an experiment.
4. Have students watch other students podcasts and make their own based on the results of their experiments.
5. Have students make their own podcasts teaching other students how to interview others properly and how to correctly write dialogue.
60-second science
The Grammar girl podcasts help students learn how to use specific grammar mechanics in various different situations. One was on hyphens and the debate on CNN. Another was on may vs. might, another on apostrophes, and yet another on interviewing tips. These podcasts could be used at any grade level. Grammar girl also has a web page teachers, parents, and students can visit for other topics, such as teaching your child about strangers, on www.quickanddirty.com.
I also listened to several 60-second science podcasts on recycling, biofuel, blogging, and electric clothing. 60-Second science podcasts are a great way to introduce science topics that may be dull to students. They are definitely aimed more towards upper middle school and high school students.
Personally, I think that there is a time and place for iPods in the classroom. I don't feel that podcasts and other technologies should be used to replace standard teaching, they are simply a tool to help aid teachers. I would use podcasts such as grammar girl and 60-second science to aid in my lessons. There are some very useful podcasts out there that teachers and students can access as an alternative source of information.
Podcasts can support literacy in the classroom by allowing students to use the information they acquired through reading texts. For younger students, pre-k to 2, there are podcasts that promote reading, the alphabet, along with other things. These podcasts are good for showing students how to do essential things while having fun. For older students, there are podcasts such as grammar girl that can give students tips on how to use grammar properly.
Five ways to use Podcasts in a classroom:
1. Have students search podcasts to find interesting topics that they want to learn about.
2. Have students listen to grammar girl podcasts with every new lesson in grammar.
3. Have students listen to 60-second science on static electricity in clothes and then conduct an experiment.
4. Have students watch other students podcasts and make their own based on the results of their experiments.
5. Have students make their own podcasts teaching other students how to interview others properly and how to correctly write dialogue.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I believe....
I believe that the internet is a great place for students to access the world of information without spending hours looking through books.
I believe technology such as cell phones and iPods have their appropriate times and place, the classroom is not it. More so with cell phones than iPods; an iPod can be used to listen to miss class lectures and to be able to have guest lecturers without the high cost.
I believe that in an age where technology is prevalent, we as future teachers need to be aware of its progress and be thinking of ways to integrate technology into our teaching. We also need to be aware of the growing defecit between students who have the latest technology and those who do not and make sure we do not single out those who do not.
I believe technology such as cell phones and iPods have their appropriate times and place, the classroom is not it. More so with cell phones than iPods; an iPod can be used to listen to miss class lectures and to be able to have guest lecturers without the high cost.
I believe that in an age where technology is prevalent, we as future teachers need to be aware of its progress and be thinking of ways to integrate technology into our teaching. We also need to be aware of the growing defecit between students who have the latest technology and those who do not and make sure we do not single out those who do not.
Monday, January 28, 2008
online videos
Even though two of the videos we were supposed to view did not really work for me (meaning they would not play for more than 16 or so seconds) I am pretty sure that I got the main message trying to be given to us as future teachers. We need to be aware of the changing technology and be aware of the ways we can integrate the already popular devises into our everyday classrooms. It was amazing to me how much young children are using screen media at this point. The digital learners video (the third one on the list) stated that 70% of 4-6 year olds use a computer every day and that 68% of children under 2 use screen media an average of about two hours everyday. It is probably safe to assume that those numbers are just going to increase as the technology continues to progress.
In the digital learners video they also say that out of seniors who will graduate, 28% say their school work is meaningful, 21% think their courses are interesting, and 39% feel their work will actually help them in the future. That is a shockingly low number of high school seniors who think the work they are doing in high school will help them in the future! Students should think that the work they are doing is worth something, is going to help them towards their goals, and to help them further their knowledge. Students should feel engaged with the information they are being taught.
I agree with that but as far as using cell phones to learn seems a bit absurd to me. Podcasts, on the other hand, could be a good way to give absent students the same opportunity to hear the lectures given on the days they missed. It would also be a good way for “guest” lecturers to give a lecture once and be able to provide it to multiple places at one time.
I personally think that technology, especially the use of the Internet and other computer programs in your classroom is essential, how far you go with that, is up to you. Each persons comfort level with various pieces of technology should be the basis of where you start introducing different pieces into the school’s curriculum.
All teachers should be aware of the uses of web 2.0 and how they can integrate the use of making websites, blogs, and other ways of communication on the web to their full advantage. Blogs would be a good way for students to communicate about assignments and findings with each other, teachers, and students from other schools, states, and even countries. Creating websites for a class creates an opportunity to let international students show their host parents what their life back home is like and to also show their parents what life with their host family is like.
In the digital learners video they also say that out of seniors who will graduate, 28% say their school work is meaningful, 21% think their courses are interesting, and 39% feel their work will actually help them in the future. That is a shockingly low number of high school seniors who think the work they are doing in high school will help them in the future! Students should think that the work they are doing is worth something, is going to help them towards their goals, and to help them further their knowledge. Students should feel engaged with the information they are being taught.
I agree with that but as far as using cell phones to learn seems a bit absurd to me. Podcasts, on the other hand, could be a good way to give absent students the same opportunity to hear the lectures given on the days they missed. It would also be a good way for “guest” lecturers to give a lecture once and be able to provide it to multiple places at one time.
I personally think that technology, especially the use of the Internet and other computer programs in your classroom is essential, how far you go with that, is up to you. Each persons comfort level with various pieces of technology should be the basis of where you start introducing different pieces into the school’s curriculum.
All teachers should be aware of the uses of web 2.0 and how they can integrate the use of making websites, blogs, and other ways of communication on the web to their full advantage. Blogs would be a good way for students to communicate about assignments and findings with each other, teachers, and students from other schools, states, and even countries. Creating websites for a class creates an opportunity to let international students show their host parents what their life back home is like and to also show their parents what life with their host family is like.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
