Word Cloud

Chapters 10/11

         I am actually taking a class on UDL lesson plans right now and I am happy that we will also be learning about them in this class. UDL lesson plans are a universal design for learning-okay, I know what you are thinking- "What are differentiation? Not all students think and learn alike!" However, that's the beauty of UDL lessons- they are based on brain research and heavily founded on the principles of unlocking a student's achievement through engagement, representation and expression. I believe the concept is actually very simply, but just difficult to implement and reinforce and of course, being a teacher, there are only so many hours of the day...which is why the incorporation of technology can help this process along.

     Simply teaching via lecturing is not enough; some students need the added support of a visual or auditory aid to color the experience-I know that I am certainly one of those students (I really could not get through math and physics when I was in formal school because a lot of those concepts were abstract and I relied on literal thinking, which is why pictures, models, videos and audios would have helped). So needless to say, it would have benefited me (and other students) much more had my teachers allows us other outlets and media for learning. Simply listening to a lecture and reading from a text book is a very isolating experience and from my perspective, is not conducive to learning. I can only predict that the coming generation will also face similar problems (as we discuss in our class debate about whether or not millennials can still learn via traditional methods).

    In short, I believe that since time has passed and technology has advanced so much, if we have the money and the resources, we should invest in it to help color the learning experiences of our pupils. If not, then we are just depriving them,

Questions:
1. Assessment is a crucial process that drives instruction-are there tools out there that could make this process easier?
2. What about resources such as the Khan Academy movies?
3. Bill and Melinda Gates started a movement where they uploaded free downloadable textbooks for students because they knew how expensive they can get. What does this say about the future of technology in regards to collegiate education?

Assistive Technology
Today, we had an in depth discussion about the uses of assistive technology. I learned that

• Everyone of us needs or uses assistive technology regardless of whether or not we have special needs.
• Assistive technology can be individualized to the individual (since people with special needs are so unique).

I thought back to a lot of my experiences. I've seen students use assistive technologies for something as simple as writing properly (using a grip) or for something as complex as electronically communicating (due to speech and language disabilities).
It's important to remember that just because something is not electronic does not mean that is a technology. For example, I know a student who has severe ocular issues that affect his vision and focus, so anything that he does that involves his eyes will be hindered. During writing, his letters are so scrambled and inconsistent-sometimes they're pressed together or spaced too far apart; So, his occupational therapist gave him a spacing tool that looks like a hand held ruler with a piece pointing out that acts as a tool that physically reminded him when and there to space.

Chapter 7 & 8

Many of us have experienced the struggle as a teacher: how do I make this (insert boring topic) come alive?
It's becoming more and more of a reality that catching a student's attention even for a brief second can be incredibly demanding, especially if you are in the field of special education, where attention deficits and uncontrolled impulses are very prevalent.
Since the introduction of technology into education, so much has changed in terms of attaining resources and information. Now, students can even "Dial-A-Teacher" or use online tutoring softwares to help with their homework. This is especially helpful for those students who may come from working class or immigrant families who simply cannot get the help from home-This is only one of the many changing facts of society now; We are faced with more immigrants and working class families. When you look at it from a small scale, these changes can affect family and school life; so i think we are lucky to have these technologies.
A really interesting thing I have learned as a special educator and use of the Apple products is that there are so many Apps out there now that can aid students with special needs! Regardless of whether your child needs early intervention, has autism, speech and language impairments, there is an app of anything and everything out there! I have recently discovered that there is even an app for dyslexia!

In conclusion, I do stand behind the integration of technology in education. Of course, it has to be implemented properly and correctly. In addition, we also have to consider factors such as unique learning styles. It is great that we have so many options of which educational apps and software to use, but one size doesn't fit all and therefore, not every app and software will be useful for every child.

 

Web Quest

Today we explored another avenue of learning: Web Quest! When I think of Web Quest, I think of a maze because it involves a lot of thinking and movement from one place to another. The goal is to go from the beginning of the assignment to the end, or from the entrance of the maze to the exit. Web Quest will be challenging and thought provoking because of its multiple layers that go into its formation. I think that I will be all worth while because learning is not a one-time isolated experience! It needs to be layered, comprehensive and repetitive for it to have value.

       Today, we had an in depth discussion about the trustfulness of the internet. We see all this false information being spread around and it becomes so difficult to differentiate between what to trust and what to ignore. For example, many of us share "articles" on Facebook about social issues...but how many of them actually have ground and evidence? That is the center question that we modern 21st century educators will have to answer.

      I was quite pleasantly surprised with the things that I learned about Wikipedia today. For example, the website actually keeps tabs on how many edits a page goes through and for some pages, they are not accessible for the public to edit. I am impressed that Wikipedia is taking measures to ensure web safety and truthfulness, but can I would still only use it for quick research, not academic purposes.

Oct 7-My take-away

Today, I learned and relearned a lot about the component of true learning. What does real learning look like? That was the question that our class was centered on. There are various answers to that question but it seems that most of us and the behavioral theorists would agree that learning means that there is a change in knowledge and behavior.
   For us to effectively learn anything, we have to use our senses to engage our attention. Next, we encode that learned information into our short term memory. If our long term memory is successful, we can pull up that information whenever we need.
    These theories will be useful in the real word, especially because I will work with special needs children. I mentioned that my student had an intellectual disability that hindered her short term and long term memory. As the years go by and a student goes into the higher grades, they need to recall longer, more complex pieces of information to use on a test, or apply to other situations. In this student's case, I had to take into accounts the theories of learning but also accept her unique conditions; So I would shorten definitions and information so she could remember things better. The classroom teacher hung up many charts around the room for her to reference. These are all tools that can aid memory and learning.

Week 3: what I learned.

In addition to learning about how to download a YouTube video, I learned a little bit more about how "social" media can be used as "educational" and "management" media. For example, I would never have guessed that you could use Twitter and Instagram as educational tools. I really loved that idea of taking tweets written by football players and having students in perform grammar and spell checks! this especially creative because it incorporates athletes and Twitter, both which are things that young kids gravitates toward. Social media has a bad reputation but when it is used for the right purposes, can really motivate learning.

Chapter 1 & 2

    These past two chapters have really gotten me thinking about my personal experiences and motives. Technology is actually so imbedding in our lives yet we barely ever think about it. I've definitely started thinking about how technology plays a role in my teaching and education. For example, when I find resources, such as worksheets, that I like, I will scan them and save them on my computer. This way, I won't have to pay for the book and I can make multiple copies for any of my students just by hitting "print". In this process, I am utilizing a scanner, computer, printer and USB.
     The beautiful thing about technology is that besides being ever-changing, it is incredibly versatile. There are so many uses for even just one technology! Think about your cellphone; Many of you carry around smart phones, whether be it Androids or iPhones...cellphones these days are not simply phones anymore. They are calculators, cameras, banking tools, email inboxes, tracking devices, etc! Technology also has the ability to impact human behavior and even make or break a market! The arrival of Netflix (and other convenient TV-streaming media) killed Block Buster. Online journalism and blogging is setting print journalism on the verge of extinction. So as teachers, we have also have to change with the demands of the time as well as the demands of the curriculum. I would like to integrate technology because I believe it has the power to "develop creativity and innovativeness" in our students, which is a "central theme of NETS-S" (page 1). Young students are immediately drawn to technology because technology is both attractive and easy to handle. Plus, it helps students get the work done faster and easier. In a similar vein, I would like to get better at using technology so I can meet the demands of education with as much assistance as possible so it will not be as difficult or time consuming.

Questions:
1) How can I gauge that a technology is making things more difficult than actually helping?
2) Despite the ever-changing computer-based technologies available, what are some "old-school/classical" resources that we cannot and should not get rid of?
3) With respects to technology, what are some necessary, traditional skills that our students have to know?

                                  Week 2: September 16 Lesson Learned

        It was interesting exploring education through the ages. Much of education has evolved from its beginning. At first, education was only given to upper class white males. Through the ages, it began to extend to other people in society. We forget that adults need an education just as much as children do! For example, my parents and some of my aunts and uncles have taken English classes. My cousin, who is a housewife and recent college graduate is attending classes on financial planning and insurance!
       From the slide that we viewed, it's clear that education will only continue changing and evolving at a rapid pace. The goal is to serve a diverse population and to keep up with the changes  and demands of the time. Even as college students, our education is also ever-changing. We now have online classes that we can take to get a degree. Working mothers are finally going to school. Adults are doing career-changes and therefore need to return to university. Even something as simple as blackboard is a form of  educational technology that is used now that wasn't before.

My Personal Learning Goals

My Personal Learning Goals

           It's cliched to say that "I want to become a best teacher that I can be", but that in short, is what I am striving for. I've had an excellent experience so far at SJU, adequate field experiences and over four years of tutoring. In this time, it's allowed me to learn so much about effective education but also my personal teaching style. 
         I've come to realized that I am full of creative ideas and I'm always thinking. The difficult part is turning those ideas into actions and also trying to stay organized. Before I become an effective educator, I think I have to make it my goal to be an efficient thinker and worker. How do I transform my ideas into actions? How will my actions pay off? How do my ideas become real things that will take place in the classroom? I hope that taking part in this class will shed light on these questions and I am sure technology can facilitate this process.