Kravitz,+Heather

media type="custom" key="8616972" align="center" width="168" height="168"

This is a website I found for an annotated website assignment. [|Lesson PlanZ.com]

This site is for lessons plans that are suggested for different subject topics. It gives teachers step by step instructions and a list of materials needed to teach the particular lesson. I like this site because it is an easy and quick resource. You pick the grade level you are teaching and it gives you a variety of subject to choose from. Many suggested lessons are offered with detailed descriptions about how to carry out the lesson. I chose this site for my list because it is a great way for new teachers to learn new and creative lessons. Also, each lesson is a lesson that was used by actual teachers. Each lesson lists the teacher who wrote it and the grade level they used it for. This shows that it is not just a plan, but it is used. If it is published to the site it must have been a successful lesson.

These are 6 website I found to be effective site I plan on using a future teacher.

This is an article review I completed after reading an article about virtual learning.

This is an online poster I created for an assignment on learning theories and theorists. media type="custom" key="9401762" align="left"

This is my response and reflection to an assignment of Learning Styles and CAST Website Resources

__Learning Style Inventory - The Tactile/ Kinesthetic Learning Style__

The results of Heather 's learning inventory are: Visual/Nonverbal 38 Visual/Verbal 28 Auditory 34 Kinesthetic 40 Your primary learning style is: The Tactile/Kinesthetic Learning Style

This quiz told me I was a tactile/kinesthetic learner. This means that I am a visual learner and learn best hands-on and physically. This is very true about me. I cannot read a book and know what is going on. I need to work with someone outloud to understand a topic. Lectures do not hold my attention because I cannot focus when I am not doing anything. I constantly catch myself doodling or getting distracted because I need to be doing something at all times when learning. The results suggest that I should try strategies to study such as index cards with multicolors or studying outloud. This is how I study which I think is cool that a thirty question quiz can know about me. I absolutely agree that I am a tactile/kinesthetic learner and I think that is important to remember when in school.

Overall, I was impressed with the CAST website. I found a lot of helpful tools and links on the site that I will utilize as a teacher. It was free to register and very simple to navigate. The website is full of resources, tips and information all based on UDL and applying it in the classroom and incorporating UDL into learning.

After reading through the electronic version of Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, I realized how classifying people into different categories does not explain and account for a person's knowledge. These classifications are very general and do not pinpoint a person's strengths and weaknesses. Classifying just sorts, it does not explain.

I did not think the activities helped me learn more about UDL. Though they were interesting, I did not find them very useful. I like reading through them to see what my results were but I do not think I gained any knowledge completing them. The first activity, the hiking trip activity, seemed boring and useless. The second was more interesting and did catch my attention. I think it is cool to know that when looking for different aspects, a picture can give off different meanings. I think this activity was more beneficial than the first but I do not think they were necessary to aid in learning about UDL.

I also responded positively to the materials at CAST. I think differentiated instruction is important and necessary in schools. As a teacher, I want to make sure my students are given the proper tools and support they need to succeed. Each individual learns in his or her own way. In a classroom, it is difficult to teach to specific learning styles, however, I will do my best to give my students what they need to adapt to different learning styles incorporating their own strengths.

I would like to hear responses from teachers to hear how they are using differentiated instruction in classrooms. As a future teacher, I know how I would like to use UDL but I would like to hear from current teachers how they are applying it. Also, I would like to learn more about the history of UDL and how the idea started.

Virtual Museum

This is my response to the virtual museum assignment.

I really enjoyed looking through the virtual museums. This advancement in technology is in my opinion fabulous. I think it is really cool to have the experience of visiting a museum right at home on your computer screen. Not only can you practically visit the museum in the comfort of your own home, but also in a school setting. Since budget cuts have almost completely eliminated field trips, having access to a museum on the web is the next best thing. It allows students to view history but in a more interactive way. Honestly, I think using these virtual museums are even better than visiting the museum itself. Tools on the websites such as highlighting or translating original documents are tools that museums do not always offer. This allows students to get a better and understanding of what they see. Also, since children work with computers daily, they will be more willing to use a computer instead of researching history. I think virtual museums are a fantastic learning experience to use in the classroom.

This is my response to an assignment about assistive technology. Assistive Technology

1. From visiting the websites and viewing the videos in Part I of the assignment, what information did you learn about assistive technology for disabled individuals? After visiting these websites and viewing the videos from part I of this assignment, I learned that there are more options and aides for individuals with disabilities than most people will ever know. There are so many assistants and tools that can provide support for a person with a disability that unless you are searching for you will probably never know about. It is important to be aware of these aides because a simple product such as a video phone could tremendously impact the life of a person with a disability.

2. Were there any sites, products, or resources that particularly impressed you and that you want to remember as you prepare to become a classroom teacher? The one that stuck out to me the most is Cheap Talk 8 Communicators. These devices store short messages which are ideal for teaching language and communication skills. It is primarily used to aid in communication. It is a great tool to use in the classroom and a great tool to use in daily life. As a classroom teacher, I want to be aware of different technology that will help my students. I want my students to have the optimal learning experience and if assistive technology can help, I want to make sure I am aware of the different options.

3. What promises/potentials does technology provide for students with diverse learning needs? Technology provides students with diverse learning needs an opportunity to learn like every other student. It allows the students to use a device that will work with the student’s disability and supplement the missing tools needed to complete the task at hand. Technology broadens the horizons for students with disabilities and allows them to accomplish practically any task given the proper support.

4. Have you ever had a personal experience with a student or other person who has used some form of assistive technology to help them function in learning or everyday life? If so, describe what you observed from that experience in terms of meeting the special needs of those individuals. Growing up I had an extremely close friend who was 80% deaf. Since the day she was 2 she needs hearing aids 24 hours a day. Needing hearing aids is a very common occurrence. Hearing aids allow the person to hear things louder and hopefully allow them to hear clearly. My friend Lauren wore them every day and could hear very little without them. I never thought of a hearing aid as assistive technology until I took my first special education class. I just thought they were helping Lauren. Hearing aids made Lauren felt normal. Sometimes she would take them out and feel lost because she did not know what was going on around her. This form of assistive technology simply allows a person to hear better, which is a great support for people who are hard of hearing.

5. From this assignment, what will you carry with you as you prepare to become a teacher – one that will, most likely, face the challenge of meeting the needs of special education students along with non-disabled learners? One thing I learned from this assignment is to be open any support made for people. I did not know the extent of products made that can help different aspects of every disability. Each product offers a different support to a person and can truly change someone’s life. As previously mentioned, hearing aids made my friend Lauren fit in. Other products help students feel as if he or she can accomplish what other students without disabilities can. As a teacher, I want to make sure I am providing my students with the best support possible. Even though assistive technology can be very pricey and I will most likely not be able to get everythi ng I would like, having the knowledge of what is available is a great place to start.

This is a digital story I created about my sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. This was made for an assignment for my ISTC final.

media type="youtube" key="Jasq_qYI6Xc?hd=1" height="312" width="384" align="center"