O'Reilly,+Christine

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media type="custom" key="8874360" align="left"__Link to the HTML page on Tiger server: [|Student HTML page]__

__CAST website:__ After taking the learning styles survey I was told I use a visual/verbal learning style. This information did confirm what I already knew. I knew that I learn best when professors use blackboards or overhead projectors to give key points of a lecture and that I need a quiet room to study in. Also, I knew too that I benefit from class notes and reading in textbooks. I have always loved to read, so I feel that may be a reason why the use of written language is easier for me to learn by. I actually have used all of the tips for improving studying skills that were offered for visual/verbal learners. My overall impression of the CAST website is that it is extremely helpful for teachers, parents, and students. It is useful for anyone looking to understand Universal Design for Learning and how to apply it. The website has really good activities that help put Universal Design for Learning into perspective. CAST also has model lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school, training, and how to integrate Universal Design for Learning into the curriculum. Overall this website strives express that we learn differently and the best way to deal with this is to remove barriers, giving students different ways to learn the same material. In the electronic version of //Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age// I found it interesting that Universal Design for Learning developed out of the universal design for all, such as the curb cut or ramps. It makes sense that people would think why shouldn’t everyone be able to access learning by removing barriers if we can do the same thing with access to buildings? I also thought it was interesting how important goal setting is to the Universal Design for Learning. Goals are important because than students can understand the purpose of their work in and out of the classroom and what they need to do to make progress. I found it fascinating that our brain has “three networks,” the recognition, strategic, and affective networks. It was interesting to read more about these networks and discover that we are more talented in some parts and weak in others and that we all have different combinations. There are so many techniques for teachers to use to teach diverse students and Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age gives support for how teachers can help students in all three network areas of the brain. When doing the first activity I chose the project of cooking an Indian dinner, I realized that I do have the strength of recognition when it comes to cooking and I’m good at strategizing how to cook something. In regards to the affect I like to make meals for other people. With the second activity I discovered that I do have a strong recognition network because I noticed the same things in the picture that the website listed. With the affect I realized that I was drawn to the mother and child part of the picture, which is probably because I have been taking care of my niece. I really think that the approach CAST puts forth for differentiated instruction is very effective. I would like to learn and explore more about planning lessons using Universal Design for Learning.

__Virtual fieldtrips and museums:__ I think that virtual fieldtrips and museums are great for schools or students who cannot afford to go to museums or on fieldtrips. Sometimes there is not enough time to take students on fieldtrips or to go to museums so virtual fieldtrips and museums are extremely helpful. Since these fieldtrips and museums are virtual it gives students the freedom to explore without restrictions. Also, they can spend more time on areas that they are more interested in. The fact that these fieldtrips and museams can be retrieved online gives students access to them at home. Teachers can create assignments that students can complete inside and outside of class by using the internet to explore the fieldtrips and museums. Virtual fieldtrips and museums are great and they could be used if students actually went on a fieldtrip or to a museum and wanted to learn more or if teachers wanted to have students research more about what they learned on their fieldtrips.

__Reading/Reflecting:__ Christine O’Reilly I read the article “Let the Kids Do the Work” by Joseph Lawlor who is a sixth grade language arts teacher in Massachusetts. The content area was language arts, but it seemed more specifically to deal with writing, including poetry and essays. Lawlor went to a workshop dealing with Web 2.0 and became inspired to create a wiki. He used the wiki as a way to post homework assignments for his students to complete online and where students could comment and use constructive criticism on each other’s work. By using this fast paced way of communicating thoughts, students were able to revise their work and post it back online the same day. Lawlor brought up a good point when he said if he was grading papers by hand it would take the students too long to get feedback at which point they would not care about what he had to say. I thought the article was really great because I know that the majority of the teachers I had in school would have never done something like use a wiki for homework assignments. I liked how Lawlor was open minded to using technology in his classroom and that he took the fact that his students understood how the wiki worked better than he did so well. After I read the article it made me truly believe that technology needs to be used in the classroom because this is what students are used to using on a daily basis. Also, when Lawlor talked about his student who never raised her hand in class, but found her voice online, I really felt that this will give students more confidence to express what they are thinking and this could possibly transfer to the classroom. __Assistive Techonology:__ I learned that assistive technology for individuals with disabilities comes in many forms and that many companies have many options to make using their products easier for people with all different kinds of special needs. I think that Kath Schrock’s Guide for Educators is a website that I definitely would want to use when I’m a teacher. I want to remember it as I prepare to be a teacher as well because it has many resources to use. I want to teach middle school and I particularly liked the resource they had for middle school students to improve their social skills. Technology provides individuals with disabilities the potential to learn and gain access to the same materials as their classmates. When I was in high school there was a student who couldn’t speak and she used a specially made keyboard to communicate. When she pushed on the letters she was able to have words show up on a screen. Just like a cell phone, when she would start a word and the computer could guess it for her it would finish the word for her. It really was efficient; you just have to be patient when trying to communicate with her.

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