EDLD 5364 Week Five Assignment, Part 3

EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology is a course that I thought all of the courses in the Educational Technology Masters Program would be like.  As educators, we need time to research and develop lessons and activities that integrate technology and address all students’ needs.  In this course, we learned about a specific lesson plan model, the UDL.  “Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.”  (Rose & Meyer, 2002) Most teachers adapt their lessons and modify at the time of instruction for students with special needs, but less experienced teachers need time to practice this skill.  Every teacher, new or old, needs to spend time researching and staying current on new modifications and technologies available to help all students participate in learning.  The UDL model explained the steps necessary to include all students and discussed the three brain networks.  The networks are affective, strategic, and recognition.  “As our knowledge of the distributed processing in the brain grows, we know that the students do not have one kind of intelligence or one way of learning; they have many. To accommodate these many ways of learning, we can use what we know about how each brain network operates to make our teaching methods and curriculum materials flexible in specific ways.” (Rose & Meyer, 2002)  The UDL model should be retaught at professional development opportunities throughout the years at schools. 

Another wonderful tool discovered in this class is using the book builder from the cast.org website.  Creating an eBook allows students to access the content at home or repeat the book several times at school.  eBooks also give teachers the ability to create coaches throughout the book to help when students are having trouble.  eBooks are not only for teachers, but for students.  This would make a fabulous end of unit assessment.  The best way to test students’ understanding is to see if they can explain the concept to someone else.

I also feel like we learned a great deal about the professional development surrounding new technology teachers need in order to be successful.   “Simply putting computers in schools does not mean effective technology integration has occurred. Teachers must see the connection between new hardware and software and their educational applications in the classroom.” (Pitler, 2005) Schools receive money and administrators make plans to purchase new technology without consulting with the IT department or considering the money and hours their teachers will need to become familiar with the technology.  Far too often, good technology sits in the corners of classroom collecting dust because the teachers were not trained properly.

I feel that I am a better instructional technologist after completing this course.  I have a new outlook on ways to modify for all students with technology and to make sure that teachers are comfortable with the technology they are being asked to use.

 References:

Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report (Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED486685) Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED486685&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED486685

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 1-7. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/