Learning Disabled Students...NO, Learning Disabled Curriculum!

With UDL- Let's shift our perspective!

As educators, we all have students with varying learning needs in our classrooms. The traditional view is that we have to accomodate these students so they can understand the curriculum. But if we shift our thinking to  UDL- Universal Design for Learning,  the focus changes from the varying learning styles of students to the varying styles of curriculum.   From a UDL point of view, the focus for change is on the disabled curriculum and not on the student. 

The curriculum, the goals, methods, materials, and assessments are assessed for their strengths and challenges, rather than the students. Our curriculum is designed, enhanced, or tweaked meet the needs of a diverse group of kids.

WHAT IS UDL? LET'S TAKE A LOOK

 

http://www.udlcenter.org

By definition, UDL is a the design of the instructional materials and methods we use to make our learning goals achievable for all students, regardless of the range of abilities and learning styles. Universal design is realized when there is flexible curricular materials and activities that provides  alternatives for our kids. The curriculum design takes into consideration the scope of students' abilities and learning styles.

This can include students with varying levels in these skills:

• seeing
• hearing
• comprehension
• speaking
• moving
• focus
• understanding or speaking English
• organizing
• engaging
• retention

So, probably most of your students!

BECOME FLEXIBLE IN YOUR TEACHING

www.palmbeachschools.org

IT'S MORE THAN THE TOOLS, BUT THEY DEFINITELY HELP!
As with all things-- there's an App for that! Tools are out there to get you thinking about the changes in your curriculum design.

FLEXIBLITY  IN REPRESENTATION

 

  Tales to Go  

• Mobile kids’ audiobook service 

• Thousands of name-brand audio books and stories

• Play on desktops, laptops and mobile devices   

• Professional readers 

• Subscription Service

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (FREE) 

Bookz PDF Voice Reader

• Text-to-speech for PDF files 

• Files retain original page formatting with images, diagrams, etc.

• High quality voices--male or female 

• Text tracked as read  

• Import PDFs from Safari, email attachments, or DropBox 

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch ($4.99)
  
  
  

 Readability

• Re-formats web pages to reduce clutter

• Adjust font-size, contrast and margins

• Save articles in Readability to read later, whether online or not

iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (FREE) 

FLEXIBLITY  IN EXPRESSION

Dragon Dictation

• Easy to  use voice recognition, no training necessary

• Use Speak Selection to read back dictated text aloud

• Copy work to clipboard for use in other apps

• Share dictated text via email, send directly to Facebook/Twitter

• Internet connection required

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (FREE)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Nebulous Notes

• Text editor that works well for anyone, and especially for individuals with low vision

• Large font and variable contrast between text and background are available

• Text to speech available with Speak Selection

• Integrates with DropBox, prints, emails

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch ($4.99) 
  
  

Audioboo

• Create audio recordings up to three minutes in length

• Add images, tags, and location

• Share on devices, Twitter/Facebook or email

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (Free)

• No Optimized for ipad 
  

fotobabble

• Attach audio recording to image

• Extensive range of options for editing image in app, including opportunity to add text

• Share via Facebook, Twitter, or email

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (Free) - not optimized for iPad 
  
  
  
  

FLEXIBLITY  IN ENGAGEMENT

Make Dice

• Select individual students for a task

• Help the class make a decision

• Create sentences or sentence fragments based on the words shown

• Take turns selecting teams in a game

• During a test review, select the category a student answers a question from.

• Write math equations using the numbers shown (similar to that old "24" card game)

• Decide which activity students will participate in for P.E. that day.

• Practice foreign languages using the Languages available on the iPad

• iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (Free for lite version)
   

Croak.it

• allows you to record 30 second audio clips in three easy steps: push, speak, and share

•  A unique url is automatically created for your recording

•  Share with others - just paste the link into an email, webpage, or QR code creator 

• Assess students' reading abilities by having them record themselves

• iPad/iPhone/itouch (free) 
  
  

 Edmodo

• online networking application for teachers and students

• Think Facebook, but in safe, controlled environment

• Promotes class communication

• Place digital resources for student access and downloads

• Creates polls for students

• Post Homework

• iPad/iPhone/iPad Touch (Free)

  
 

Technology Integration? No FEAR- TPACK is here!

Technology is here to stay!

 Technology seeps into every facet of our lives, from the cell phone that rings first thing in the morning with the recorded snowday announcement from the Superintendent, to relaxing at night watching Netflix.  There is no doubt that technology has integrated into  our lives. So how has it seeped into your classroom and is it being used effectively? Teachers are asking themselves and each other this question.

Let's get some answers.
Where do we go for the answer?

A Google search on Tech Integration?

Wow, only 46 million hits on Google. WHERE TO START!!!


 Okay let's just start with the tools we could use?

Just 66 million hit. REALLY!!


But, don't get overwhelmed! HELP IS HERE!

Help is Here!
Practitioners aren't out there alone seeking answers, there are experts clearing the way. I found some when I read about  Lee Shulman's work . Lee Schulman introduced the notion of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). This teacher education researcher was interested in teacher preparation that seemed to be ignoring questions dealing with the content of the lessons taught. He argued that developing general pedagogical skills was not enough for preparing content teachers. Schulman believed the key to distinguishing the knowledge base of teaching rested at the intersection of content and pedagogy--PCK.

Piggybacking on this PCK model, technology was added into the formula. "Whatever technology you select, it is the intersection of Pedagogy, Content Knowledge and Technology within a Context that will carry the message for the learner. It will determine the topic's relevance to the learner and ultimately learners' interest in remembering and using the new information."Dr. Z's Selection and Integration of Instructional Technologies-RWLDs 

TPACK is this  framework that was developed for understanding the complexity of teaching with technology. 
 Mishra & Koehler (2006) article is the first and somewhat definitive presentation of the TPCK framework.

http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/TPACK

Effective technology integration is successful when it meets our curricular goals. It needs to support some of the  key components of learning: sound pedagogical knowledge, rich content knowledge, and technology awareness. 

Sound easy, not so much! Let's break it down a little further with this little video.

What does this mean for our classrooms?
It means there is a starting point for making meaningful learning experiences for our students. We don't start with the tools, but rather think about all three domains of our teaching.

Planning our  learning experiences can be describes as an end result of instructional decisions.

1.  Choosing learning goals (Content- Iowa Core)
2.   Making practical pedagogical decisions about the learning experience and student needs (Pedagogy)
3.  Selecting and sequencing activities that meet the learning goals
4.   Select formative and summative assessments
5.   Select tools and resources that will best help students  benefit from the learning experiences  (technology)

Now put this in your Google Search! A place you can start!

VoiceThread

Voicethread is  a Web-based digital-storytelling application that allows users to share their stories through images, audio, or text.  It also allows the viewer to make comments in five different ways: 

1. voice with a microphone                                                      

2.  or voice with telephone

 3.  text                                
 4.  audio file                        

5.  video with a webcam     

         The Voicethread stories can be shared with anyone in the world or they can be kept private for selected viewer.  You can get a free basic account as well as a VoiceThread Pro account with unlimited creation and advanced features for a fee.  However, VoiceThread is offering free educator accounts for all k-12 classroom educators.  These free accounts are identical to the Pro account almost every aspect.

         Voicethread would be a great tool for classroom. It is user-friendly. You can share and create a voicethread easily with a mic and webcam. Powerpoint slides can be uploaded as JPEGS and then add audio of additional information. Voicethread presentations can be embedded into your class blog or on a website. I think this a great tool for schools.

Check out 100 ways to use VoiceThread in your room!

Do You Podcast?

DO YOU PODCAST?

Have you entered the world of podcasting? If you don't know what podcasting is-- check out this link. Basically, a podcast is no different than a webcast. It is a show broadcasted over the web. Most podcasts are similar to news radio programs and deliver information on a regular basis. You then subscribe to them using itunes.  Podcasts are most popular on Apple's iPod and iPhone devices, hence the name podcast, but a podcast can be enjoyed from a number or sources. The beauty of subscribing to a podcast, is that idelivered to you automatically and you can listen at your leisure.

If you haven't delved into the world of podcasts, you should!  Itunes has podcasts for everything-- from gardening, sports, comedy, to even learning about teaching strategies. For quite a while now, I have been listening to The Moth and This American Life as I work out on the threadmill. I haven't listened to many education podcasts because, to be honest, I haven't found many that hold my attention. This week, I did some more searching and found a few that were of interest.

Listen and Play Podcast - BBC  This is a podcast for our little ones. It is a  literacy resource for children aged 3 to 5. It includes songs, traditional rhymes and stories. Programs are available weekly.

• These podcasts are very interesting to little ones and would be great for quiet time
• I would use these with lower elementary students, primarily kinders or pre-k kids.
• The segments are fast paced and different formats to keep them engaging.
• 15 minutes in length- perfect for kids this age
• The only problem with this podcast is the English Accent, it may be hard for some children to understand
 

 

Tech Chick Tips  A podcast directed by two Texas teacher- tech chicks (Helen and Anna )that are into anything digital and want to share tips and tricks.They share lots and lots of links and ideas in their show notes.

• These ladies are interesting and engaging. Silly banter, but informative at the same time.
• The content is relevant to the classroom and current trends in technology
• Even though it was lengthy, the content held my attention?
• The podcasts are around 1 hour long. Which is long enough to cover various topics. 
• Even though I enjoyed the banter between these two ladies, it might distract the listener or put them off. Listen to a few of their shows before you decide to subscribe.

TeacherCast TeacherCast.net  is a site developed by Jeff Bradbury to help out his fellow teachers learn about the latest technologies available for education. He produces podcasts and reviews apos reviews. 

•  I thought this podcast was very informative and current.
•  This podcast is relevant to a teacher implementing tech in the classroom
• This podcast was informative and also was presented in a conversational format that kept it engaging.?
• The podcasts average around 30 minutes long. 
• I have only listened to the one podcast and I am not sure if they are too self promoting- I haven't listened enough. Again, listen to a few shows to see if this is a show you are interested in.

These are just a few that I found when searching through itunes. What are you listening to?? If you find anything great- Let us know!

DLC- The More I Listen...The More I Wonder .. The More I Learn

As you know, I am currently taking master courses at UNI in Instructional Technology. This week we have read about Distributed Learning Communities (DLC) (Dede, C. (2004) 

Also this week, we have begun to experience them ourselves. It has been a major learning experience.

I was all prepared to write my reflection about DLCs and their place in learning and in our classroom, when I clicked over to check what my own DLC was discussing on our Discussion Board. What I read from my fellow cohort memberss--deepened my thinking, added questions to my understanding,and left me with things to think about further. Isn't this what a Distributed Learning Community does? Humm...

What is Distributed Learning Community?

Let's check out a summary of what DLC is and the characteristics you need for success. Ashley at Meeting the Needs of All Learners gives a great summary of Dede's ideas  here:

"Chris Deed states that 'the defining quality of a learning community is that their is a culture of learning in which everyone is involved in a collective effort of understanding.'  To be successful in this form of a learning community you must have 4 characteristics(Chris Deed):

1. Diversity of Expertise ~ each student must come to the community with a varied knowledge base, culture, and expertise

2. Shared Goal of Learning ~ this characteristic resonated the most with me, every student must want to learn and I feel that sometimes this concept is taken for granted or assumed.

3. Learning how to Learn ~ every student must come to the DLC with the ability and will to learn how to learn when presented with different formats or structures of learning

4. Sharing what is Learned ~ every student must share their learnings to create a collaborative environment

The phrase that stand out for me was ..."everyone is involved". How many classes have you worked cooperatively and did not feel everyone is involved? By having media tools to share ideas, everyone has time to articulate their thoughts, gets them heard, and shares the load. This is different  than a learning community sitting together hashing things out. The tools allow us to work differently.

What Type of Community Member will be  Successful?

What would this look like in our classrooms? What kind of qualities would we need to make this happen in our students? What kind of qualities would this type of learning breed? I started to wonder...my third graders...really collaborating via web 2.0 tools! Sometime they argue over which pen to use. Are they natural at this? Is this instinctual or taught?


Then I read Amy's Journey and she states, " This type of environment fosters ability to evolve and adapt, creativity, innovation, appreciation of diversity, responsibility, and sense of community." That leaves me thinking, why WOULDN'T I try this in my classroom. If I can get these qualities in my students, I have won the race! Amy is right, if we use this type of learning, we will foster wonderful qualities in our students.


How Will We Need to Change to Learn This Way?


How different will school need to be? Will we need more resources? I was thinking the set up of the room, the tools they use on their computers, social etiquette online, etc. But then I read this blog Technology as Tool by Mr. McGurk and he makes me wonder what the real change is about, 
 he writes:
"However, students are often told that the purpose of your education is to advance yourself through only your work.  This creates a culture of competition that can motivate an individual to focus solely on scoring higher grades.  The problem is when the competition of higher grades consumes the educational experience of a student instead of maximizing knowledge.  Surely a student that gets excellent grades is gaining knowledge, but imagine how much more learning would be taking place if it was in a learning community that revolved around the constant exchange of ideas instead of a vacuum of academic competition.  Distributed learning communities can breakdown that vacuum to maximize the educational experience."


It is a whole paradigm shift! Our culture is built on competition! Isn't that what we strive for? Isn't that what we do on our tests, at our jobs, in our sports, with our siblings!! This would mean we aren't coming up with the "best and greatest" insights, but stretching further, pulling each others thinking, working for the greater collective good! Would this happen in our culture?
Mr. McGurk has got me wondering....

Hold The Phone...Can you see the Distributed Learning Community at work right now!! 

(I think we all knew that- you say) 

However, the point was driven home for me, when I read the blogs from my cohort members. I CHANGED my blog post idea,--"everyone was involved" in my learning today!

Entering the Blogosphere!

In the fall of 2009, I had just relocated to Johnston and was staying home with kiddos. I missed my friends from Wisconsin and my profession. Lonely and with time on my hands, I turned to the computer-- looking for others like me. I soon discovered blogs, loads and loads of "mommy blogs" -- their rants, humor, advice, and ultimate a community is what I found. Mostly, I lurked on their sites, and I found there were certain blogs I read religiously. Then I discovered the RSS feed on my google page--and WOW, it made all the difference in streamlining all this new information in a quick easy way. I could now get a recipe, a rainy day activity and advice to get out grape juice out of carpets, all in one place!!! Wasn't Google Reader spectacular!

Then in October, I started reading teacher blogs and decided to reach out to an educator here in Des Moines, Angela Maiers. A professor at Viterbo had mentioned that she was friends with her and she was a great resource. I HAD NO IDEA who she was nor how fabulous .... I ignorantly wrote to her and asked her advice for getting a job in the area. She sent me the sweet comment back, encouraging me to keep my passion! Still I just thought, "gee...what a nice lady." Three years later I am amazed that I wrote her and she responded to me! Little ole' me. The woman has 40,000 followers on Twitter! And now it dawns on me how closely we are all connected. The blogosphere is this magical place where we can share ideas, passions, ideas and keep sharing, and re-sharing (are those words???) and tweet and retweet and we can talk with one another in ways we never imagined before. Voices are heard-- and there is a place for all of them!

 Just think, even ten years ago, you never had the chance to read other students' papers! You never got to take a glimpse into their thinking-- especially those quiet types in class who never raised their hands! Now, with an assignment like "blogging" we can see that someone is an avid traveler, cook, seamstress, ipad lover, mother...etc. This way of communication IS changing how we live, connect, see the world, sort out what is important, and streamline the information that we want. And I believe it will change how we teach! I am writing this post because I was given this assignment in my Master's class:
  Review the names of the blogs you have been reading. Explain what each of them discuss? Have you found them to be as interesting as you expected? Why? Have you found a common theme between them? Is there a general reason why you selected them? What makes a blog posting interesting and useful?

Well, I am not sure I answered those questions-- what makes a blog interesting and useful??
For me, is if it gives me a new perspective, or a new idea to try, or just the pleasure of reading a well written thought. I have read different blogs for different times in my life, but here is what I have been reading this week:

Not sure what I will add next, but I sure have enjoyed this week! What are you connecting with out there?

Beyond My Walls

I created this blog in 2010, when I was staying home with my son, Ben and I so wanted to be involved in school again. My passion was technology, reading, and thinking about how I would implement technology in my classroom one day. My vision was to create a blog for elementary teachers to inspire them to use technology in their classroom-- taking the learning beyond the walls of their classroom. Well, right after I created this blog I received a phone call for a job and the rest is history. The blog got pushed to the back burner. It seems life has a funny way of pulling you back to your goals. I have just been given an assignment to create a blog. I have just enrolled in a Master program at UNI and am so excited to take this journey. This program is pulling me out of my own classroom and opening me up to the greater world.