Reflections (Kathie)
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
April 30th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Reflection #4
What barriers are inherent in traditional assessments? What are the challenges in offering varied options for assessment?
There are many barriers in traditional assessment. Students may struggle with reading the text, writing answers to essay questions, distinguishing between multiple choice answers, etc. All of these are reasons to offer varied forms of assessment. The challenge in that is allowing the time that is necessary for students to complete different assessments, time to present the assessments if needed, and time to grade the assessments. Another challenge is assisting the students in choosing the correct assessment. At the elementary and middle school level students tend to pick what their friends are doing rather than what best suits their particular style.
April 30th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Traditional assessments are usually “one size fits all.” This method does not necessarily take into account the varied learning styles of the students who are taking the test. Furthermore, children are compared to their peers based on the results of these tests. Many traditional assessments are asking if the students recall the information, not if they are able to comprehend it. However, I feel that there are many challenges in offering varied options for assessments. It would be nice to assess students depending on their diverse needs, but I don’t think it is very reasonable. Furthermore, the data collected from tests would be more subjective and difficult to compare.
April 30th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Traditional assessments are often inflexible and tend to not meaure accurately the amount of learning that has taken place. These tests are often given in a format quite different than how the material is presented, which can cause confusion for the learner. Offering varied options for assessments will ultimately lead to more accurate results, but this is not without some challenges. Teachers will have to spend more time creating and presenting these varied assessments and therefore will need to spend even more time to grade/evaluate the assessments because they are varied. Running it through a scantron machine and having a grade spit back out to you is much easier and takes much less time. What is more important?
April 30th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Most assessments are paper/pencil oriented, and usually are only composed of ONE choice. This serves as a problem to students who have specific learning disabilities or test anxiety. By offering more than one assessment, students are able to choose a product that demonstrates their mastery of the subject in their own expertise.
The challenge to offering a varied list of assessments is coming up with a master rubric that can grade all of the projects, otherwise there is a list of requirements for each individual project. The other challenge is coming up with ideas for assessments that involve the different modalities.
April 30th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
There are a couple of barriers we face when giving traditional assessments. The first barrier is that we aren’t really even asking the students to show us what they’ve learned. We are asking them to tell us what we HOPE they’ve learned. Traditional tests are created to have a yes or know, right or wrong format. Another barrier is that students could easily just guess a right answer and the teacher will never know if the student truly knew the answer or if they just guessed correctly. If they were asked to elaborate on their answers or draw a picture to clarify their understanding, it would give a teacher more information about how well the student knows the material.
The challenge for offering varied assessment options is the time and thought that goes into creating them. You want to make sure that all assessment options are equally challenging, equally time consuming and that they will provide an adequate amount of understanding on the tested topic. Also, sometimes parents have trouble understanding how well their child is performing in school if they are not assessed in “traditional” ways. In my experience, parents don’t care how their child performed on a performance task, they just want to know their child’s grade.
April 30th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
What barriers are inherent in traditional assessments? What are the challenges in offering varied options for assessment?
Many times a student will take a test that he has no clue of the word, but if someone reads the test he can understand it much better. A computer test might be considered to be fairer! I have an ESL student and the ESL teacher said I should make a test for her that eliminates 2 of her choices for the multiple choice.
April 30th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
We are all familiar with achievement tests- the ultimate traditional assessment. Traditional assessments seem to measure one strength, even though educational research proves otherwise. We must try to differentiate our assessments to allow students various ways to express their understanding of the material. Some challenges that educators face are the time it takes to create multiple means of assessment and also the technology is not readily available.
April 30th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
The inherent barriers in traditional assessments seems to be “one size fits all” these pen/paper test does not accommodate the needs with students that have a learning disability. There are teachers that do the traditional testing. The population that is effected the most is students that have an IEP. These traditional assessments do not accommodate the needs of all the students. These students learning styles and test taking skills vary across the board. Students with special needs struggle when it comes to test taking. The consistency between state tests and classroom assessments need to be looked at more closely. The challenges lie in creating a rubric that accommodates the needs of all students allowing all students the opportunity to be successful. One accommodation would be to create a rubric or rubrics that address all learning styles and skill level to allow for a fair assessment. Another assessment that is beneficial to all students is the use of technology as a solution. Research has shown that students who use the computer for testing have much higher scores.
May 1st, 2011 at 1:55 pm
No, it is not okay to allow teachers the choice. Being that all students today are growing up in the digital age, curriculum should in some fashion involve digital technologies. Not including technology in today’s technological world would be like teaching reading without a book or text.
May 1st, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Yes, because unless the districts offer time off for training, teachers who are already overwhelmed will be even more overwhelmed. So unless the districts get on board with offering ongoing training and supply each classroom with ALL the necessary technological tools then the reality is you can’t require teachers to incorporate it into their instruction.
May 1st, 2011 at 1:56 pm
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?
Teachers need to get on board with the latest technology so that we can meet the needs of all the learners that we have in our class. This will allow are students to become more engaged and they will also be more successfully in their classwork!
May 1st, 2011 at 1:59 pm
I think teachers should be urged to incorporate modern technologies into their instruction. Teachers need to change their teaching methods with the changing world of technology. Students in the NetGeneration are programmed to utilize technology and should be able to use it to enhance their education. I do not think teachers should be given the option and be able to refuse to implement technology into their classroom. As teachers, we need to do what is best for our students and provide information and learning tools to meet their various learning styles and interests.
May 1st, 2011 at 1:59 pm
Reflection #5
It’s not up to me to say whether it’s okay or not for what a teacher chooses or does not choose to incorporate. Would it hurt the student if a teacher does not try to incorporate modern technologies? Probably. I think colleges and universities should be shifting the way they train teachers. This will get easier as some of these digital age students grow up to be digital age teachers.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:00 pm
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?
I do not feel that teachers should be premitted to “opt out” of using the technology that they are provided with. However, I also feel that such technology needs to readily accessible to all educators. In my experience each department has different technology available to them rather than an entire faculty having access to it. I also feel that due to budget cuts technological advancements will be frozen, at least for the time being, in most districts.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Given these realities of our modern age today and the demands of our children’s future, I think that teachers need to get on board with the new era of technology and start incorporating it more and more into their instructional curriculum. Change is good; with change comes growth! Our classrooms consist of multiple levels of intelligences and we should be allowing students the opportunity to utilize their strengths, have choices, and challenge themselves.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Reflection #5
We are not ‘allowed’ to choose to follow the curriculum, use the programs purchased by the districts, complete the standardized tests from the state or teach math, reading, science, etc. so why should we be ‘allowed’ to ignore the needs of the students in this manner? I believe that there will be resistance and there will be teachers that are afraid of using technology in the classroom but we are all flexible in our own way. All teachers have made many changes over the years and will simply need to adapt. We need to adapt to the changing environment and do what is best for the students. Those that are resistant should receive training and be provided ideas to use, rather than tell them to go find them on their own. In time, they will be more open to the idea and feel more comfortable with teaching this way. Education is meant to be fun, relevant and meaningful. In order to teach concepts that the students can relate to, they need to be taught in a manner that the students can relate to. However, I believe that ‘old school’ methods should coexist with the new. As it benefits us to learn the new technologies that exist today, it will also benefit the students to learn how things have been done in the past as well. We need to keep up with the technologically advanced countries of the world, but also we need to be able to relate to the countries that are not there yet. There is something to be said for empathy and it is important to be able to adapt your communication style and interactions with those less fortunate. We cannot solely base our teaching on technology, even though it strongly enhances the experience. In order to be global leaders of the future, we need to be able to adapt to the world around us, which is not all technologically advanced. There has to be happy medium.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:07 pm
I think that teachers that have the ability to incorporate technology should do so as often as possible. I agree that we are living in a digital age, and students learn on many different interactive levels. I believe that teachers who do not use any technology are probably not engaging students in their classroom and at the same time are not exposing students to the wealth of interactive outputs that technology has to offer. These skills are essential for students to continue their learning throughout their lives. Technology should be a required use by teachers, but I think there needs to be a lot of moderation in the programs students should use and HOW they are used.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:07 pm
I do not think it is okay for teachers to refuse using modern technology in their classrooms. Teachers today need to have an open mind about trying new methods and should understand that new ideas and products will keep being introduced to us. If we choose to ignore the latest technological trends and how to implement them into the classroom, we will get so far behind with the way society communicates, and the way students learn, that we will be forced to leave the profession. Teachers that are not doing whatever it takes to meet the needs of their students, and not willing to learn, should be fired. There are so many amazing teachers out there, but not enough jobs to accommodate them. If my daughter was assigned a teacher that did not use modern technologies in their classroom, I would demand my child be removed and placed in another class.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Should teachers have the choice to teach addition in Math class and ignore subtraction? Of course not. To incorporating technology in your curriculum is not a question that should be answered with a yes, no, or maybe….the answer is how! A teacher that chooses to ignore modern technology is ignoring a very important way that students connect to information. On top of this, it is hard to believe that teachers who choose to ignore technology can achieve the desired results because of the way our students have adapted to learning in a digital age.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I feel it is the teacher who needs to implement the best practices for their students to learn. So in today’s modern age of technology I believe incorporating technology across the curriculum would be beneficial to all students. As the world is more geared towards technology teachers need to change the way they teach. I have seen many, especially new teachers integrate technology instruction into their classroom and the students become engaged, although I do believe there are many positive aspects of traditional instruction. I would not put all my teaching instruction into one basket. The teacher knows their students and can best accommodate their needs. Adding a vast variety of manipulates/resources (Differentiated Instruction) to the classroom is the tool to success.
May 1st, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I believe that educators must incorporate differentiated instruction that will engage students in learning. Learning needs to be fun and flexible. Research has indicated that today’s students are digital learners who prefer receiving information quickly from multiple multimedia sources, require instant gratification with immediate rewards, and want learning to be relevant or useful. If available, modern technology has unlimited advantages and will offer flexibility in today’s curriculum to meet state standards and assessment. Technologies can enrichment our traditional approach to teaching. It can empower students and facilitate life long learning.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:38 pm
I really enjoyed this class. I know I have a lot to change. I want to reach more students in more ways than I do now.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:39 pm
This course opened my eyes to the importance of teachers changing with the evolving world we live in. As teachers, we are all aware that students learn differently. With the idea of UDL, more ideas and avenues are available to enhance the education of our students.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Reflection #6
I found several resources that will be helpful in my classroom. I also found several new forms of technology that I would love to use but am unable to due to my co-teaching situation and the lack of technology in my school.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:41 pm
The course was very informative and presented ideas with which I was unfamiliar. I now have lots of tools with which to implement the goals of Universally Designed Learning in my classroom.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Reflection #6
About the UDL Course
UDL has helped encourage me to incorporate new technologies into my regular lesson planning and daily teaching. I understand that the needs of one can benefit the needs of many and that I have the ability and now the resources to make this change. Students will have more fun while learning at an even higher level in my classroom from now on! I appreciated the time we had to explore the sites as well as the plethora of resources that I now have at hand.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:44 pm
I have found this course to be very informative and interesting. I am going away with many tools to use and share. Starting tonight I will be planning to use UDL in my instruction begin this week. Then over the summer I will build UDL into my yearly plans. Hopefully I will be able to do more co-teaching next year and be able to use UDL more often.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:45 pm
UDL is an educational approach to teaching, learning, and assessing to address the diverified needs of all students. It introduced the use of multimedia technology to engage, express, and represent the who, what and why of learning.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:46 pm
This course has introduced me to many different Digital technology resources that I will implement into my classroom. I am glad we had the time to invest and explore the various web-sets. My students will be more engaged in the classroom uses the information I learned in this class.
May 1st, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Reflection #6
UDL is a interesting concept that has opened my eyes to many educational possibilities and opportunities. I am ready to add another tool to my box as I continue on my journey as an educator.
May 1st, 2011 at 4:31 pm
This course provided me with a different perspective about the many different opportunities that are available to my students. I will be sure to plan a variety of relevant instructional strategies that I will meet the needs of all the learners in my class!
May 1st, 2011 at 6:46 pm
This course has been a wealth of information. On Monday when I return to school I want to have the opportunity to try out many of the web sites we have seen in this class. I think my High School students will find many of them extremely interesting.
May 1st, 2011 at 10:11 pm
The concept of UDL seems so practical. I am excited to take some of these ideas and incorporate them into lessons that will benefit all the students in my class.