Ghothane,+Megan

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I learned that I am a visual verbal learner. This is definitely not a surprise to me because I love a good lecture-based classes. What was surprising was how some of the strategies listed were ones that I use on a regular basis such as "To aid recall, make use of "color coding" when studying new information in your textbook or notes. Using highlighter pens, highlight different kinds of information in contrasting colors" and "When learning information presented in diagrams or illustrations, write out explanations for the information". I also realized that I do have characteristics of other types of learning, but I also like to have a visual/verbal "something" to supplement it.
 * Learning Styles**


 * CAST reflection**

I found the CAST website full of information and very easy to use. It's nice because it is free and it has more information on how to create a UDL lesson than I know what to do with! I enjoyed navigating my way through the website to find that they are dedicated to informing educators on the UDL style of teaching. One bit of information that stood out to me was about how students are able to present their findings in a variety of ways. Especially today with all the technological options out there, why subject students to making a poster of making a shoe box diagram? The online book talks about how students should be able to present the information in the way that suits them best, whether that be an oral presentation, a computer animation or a simple poster. The 2 activities didn't really do anything for me, to be honest. I understood what they were trying to do by tapping into the 3 parts of the neurological part of learning, but the activities themselves were not that interesting. However, the concept that was being discussed about how there is a recognition, application and engagement aspect to all things being learned. The information must be recognized as relevant to the students and then they must be able to apply this information to different aspects of life. Which ties into the last aspect of engagement, and making learning meaningful and emotional for the learner. Universal Design for Learning is truly a method that every school needs to adopt, and honestly it's not that outrageous of an idea. For years people have know that students learn in different way, but still teach every student the same because it's easier. CAST did show some ways that would make lesson planning under UDL a little easier, but a differentiated lesson is much more difficult to plan. However, in the end it will be much easier to teach because more of the students will be able to grasp the material.

These are a great idea!! Field trips are becoming more and more scarce every year because of budget cuts and virtual field trips are a great way to fill that void. When I was going on the virtual tour of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History it made me want to jump right on the train and head into D.C. I feel that students may react the same; they may do a virtual tour of the Lewis and Clark trail and decide that they want to create their own trail or follow that one. Or maybe the visit the American History website and they are so interested that they want to go to historical landmarks to get a better feel for what life was like back then. Any virtual field trip will provoke some intrigue, whether it be that the student wants to go somewhere to find out more or if they browse through the internet to find out more about a topic. Either way, I feel that a student will want to further their own knowledge which is what learning is all about.
 * Virtual Field Trips**

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? · It is extensive! It’s also not just tools and props as I thought it was, it’s websites and programs as well.
 * Assistive Technology**

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? · I spent a lot of time on the very first website with all the different products. I didn’t actually click on any to compare prices, but I know that it is probably expensive to by some of this assistive technology. However, I also realized how simple it could be to create some version of these and that the simplest thing (like an incline desk) could be helpful for some students with disabilities. 3. What promises/potentials does technology provide for students with diverse learning needs? · It’s going to make it easier and more fun for them. Also, it’s going to allow them to be a part of the class instead of just there until they get pulled out to work with a specialist. 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. · In high school there was a girl who was legally blind that used some sort of type writer to take notes. It was small and it only had about 15 keys. I don’t know much about it, but someone told me once that each button corresponds with a sequence of letters that are commonly used so she could type notes faster. Till this day I don’t understand it, but it seemed to work for her. 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? · I will definitely take with me the simplicity of some of these technologies and the fact that by modifying an everyday “prop” in the slightest way a student with a disability can have the same learning experience as every other student.


 * Article Response**

Annotated Web List

Digital Story: Photosynthesis media type="file" key="My Movie.wmv"