Reflections (Heather)
Reflection #1
At the core of UDL is the premise that often the curriculum is disabled (and disabling!). It is not flexible; it often poses barriers, and consequently prevents rather than supports optimal learning experiences. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Why or why not?
Reflection #2
What are the benefits of analyzing the curriculum for strengths and weaknesses rather than focusing on the student’s strengths and weaknesses? What are the challenges of this approach?
Reflection #3
How can using a variety of materials and methods reach more of the learners within your classroom? What are the benefits of doing so? What are the challenges?
Reflection #4
What barriers are inherent in traditional assessments? What are the challenges in offering varied options for assessment?
Reflection #5
Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children’s future, is it really okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?
Reflection #6
TBA
March 4th, 2012 at 10:57 am
I agree 100% that the daily learning experience for our students is full of barriers. Here is a brief list of barriers that come to mind:
• Materials that do not fit the learning style or reading level of the student
• Teaching methods that ignore the learning style of the student but keep the teacher happy in his/her comfort zone ( lecture, lecture, lecture)
• Assessments that strictly rely on memorization or repetition of the curriculum
• Lessons that are not carefully planned and lack differentiation
• Lessons that do not take “student-centered”.
March 4th, 2012 at 10:57 am
I definitely agree with this view. The teachers that I plan with and I frequently discuss that the order our units are in make no sense because there is no flow. We would just move around the units to make more sense but we cannot do that because we have benchmarks every two units. Sometimes I will even catch students saying “why didn’t we learn this back in unit ___?” Every year I get extremely frustrated that I have to teach mixtures but am told I am not allowed to teach compounds which makes it very difficult and limiting. We are definitely trained to teach to the test. Students are only supposed to know what is on the standardized test and that is it yet we are also told to extend. We have literally been told after walk throughs from the board that we should not be teaching certain things because they are not on the test. I also find limited resources to be very disabling. I did not have a presenter until my fourth year of teaching and I didn’t have a smart board until my fifth year. Every year I would get trained to death on incorporating all this new fancy technology but never had the resources to do it. Every year I would get marked down for not using technology even though I didn’t have it. Now I finally have a smart board and I have to train myself to use it even though I’ve been trained three times because I’ve never had one to practice on. We are told constantly to DI DI DI DI ….. but then the tests are all standardized and usually not allowed to be modified. UDL is supposed to have very basic goals yet the goals in our curriculum guides are very specific. Like you said, I could go on.
March 4th, 2012 at 11:40 am
Reflection #1
The general education teachers at MES experience different levels of frustration due to the demands of teaching grade level curriculums and meeting the standards set by the county and state. In addition, they don’t have the flexibility to alter or change the curriculum because of pacing guides and time constraints. In a classroom with diverse learners and special needs populations, teachers cannot use a one-size-fits all curriculum. Fortunately, I have the opportunity to design and plan lessons of my own choice as long as I follow the pacing guide in elementary art. I challenge students daily to use the creative process in art production. Do I face challenges in my art room? Yes. With the increased amount of special needs students mainstreamed into the special classes, and the increased amount of students with IEP’s, I find it hard to meet the needs of all students in art. Nevertheless, all students have the opportunity to have a “hands-on” experience in my artroom; lessons are designed to educate, excite and inform students about the wonderful world of art and how art can have an impact on their lives.