UDL

The CAST website has a lot of great features that help explain Universal Design for Learning.  I watched four videos that were all very interesting.  One video discussed brain research which shows that brains process information differently.  "The way we learn is as different as our fingerprint or our DNA."  At CAST they look at three brain networks and the roles they play in learning: Recognition networks - gathering facts (the what of learning), strategic networks - planning and performing tasks, (the how of learning), affective networks - are students engaged and motivated (the why of learning).  Another video discussed the diversity of learners.  Learning disabilities can interfere with concentration, lack of interest and engagement.  Teachers need to be able to respond to differences but are not able to do that with old approaches.  The third video discussed UDL as the blueprint for CAST.  Just as speaker phones and the beeping noise at a crosswalk are designed to help specific types of people use them, they are also helpful to everyone.  Similarly, UDL uses technology to help all kinds of learners especially those who have specific challenges.  Using UDL in the classroom gives students multiple ways of acquiring information, multiple means of expression (giving students multiple ways to show what they know) and multiple ways of engagement (tapping into children's interests and motivation).  But, teachers need flexible tools and materials to make these things happen.  This is where technology and UDL really cross paths.  I have found that many of my students respond well to music and retain information when it is presented in a musical way.  The internet and youtube have so many options for videos to play and fun songs to sing.  If these help musical learners as well as other types of learners better recognize the information (or gather the facts), then using this technology is effective and purposeful.

PLN - Theater Arts

Theater is very important to me.  I believe it propelled me through school, but I also believe it taught me good values about building community and valuing people.  As using theater in school to promote community and social justice is the theme for my master's inquiry project, I decided to search Twitter for organizations that support theater in education.  So far, I have found fewer organizations than I thought I would find, but I will continue the search.  So far, I have followed the following:

"Inter Acting" is an organization that teaches English and Spanish through interactive theater shows and drama workshops.

"ACT, inc. is a non-profit in Phoenix Arizona.  They tie curriculum to theater arts activities and shows.

"Stories Without Roofs" is an organization dedicated to telling the untold stories of men and women experiencing homelessness in Boston and Cambridge.  They use theater for human rights education and action.

"Culture Days" is an organization in Canada that has a lot of different information about spreading and appreciating culture.  Through their tweets, I was exposed to #ArtsEducation.  The post that led me to this hashtag was called "Study shows that theater-based education boosts tolerance and empathy."  This was a really cool find for me as this is excellent research to support my M.ED inquiry project.

"#ArtsEducation" led me to some really powerful articles on theater done by the Huffington Post. One article that really resonated for me was entitled "How Theater for Young People Could Save the World.  Check out the article here...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-gunderson/world-theater-for-children-and-young-people-day_b_1343408.html

As I continue to explore Twitter and find other organizations, I am sure I will continue to make connections to information, research and organizations that support theater in education.  

Accessibility Features on PCs and Smartphones

I have a Dell computer which runs Windows 7.  I explored my PC and found that Windows 7 has a number of accessibility features that are built into the software.  Additionally, Windows also offers assistive technology products which can be added to your computer. You can find out more about the available products at Microsoft Accessibility website.  The website offers demos, tutorials and guides as well as interesting articles on accessibility technology.

Built into Windows 7 is a centralized place to access all of the accessibility features that are automatically included in the software.  One feature I found to be really interesting is an on-screen keyboard which can be used instead of a mouse or attached keyboard and which can be adjusted in size and customized to make it easier to use.  It also has text prediction abilities.  Another really cool feature is the narrator which reads on screen text and will even tell you about certain things that are happening on screen (like error messages).  There are features that allow you to adjust the text size without actually adjusting your screen resolution.  There is also a magnifier that allows you to magnify only certain areas of the screen if needed.  When available you can display text captions of spoken dialogue in videos and movies.  There are also various keyboard features you can turn on, such as sticky keys, which allows you to hold down one key at a time instead of holding down several at once (like when using control/alt/delete to log on).  You can also turn on Windows Touch which basically turns your screen into a tablet and allows you to use your normal screen as a touchscreen.

I also have a Samsung smartphone which has an Android operating system.  Within "settings" I found an Accessibility section.  Within that section there were some neat features.  Negative colors reverses the colors of the screen which might be helpful to someone who is color blind or just has trouble with the typical built-in phone colors.  There are "Magnification gestures" which, when enabled, allow you to zoom in and out by triple tapping the screen.  You can also adjust font size within the phone.  There are text to speech options and you can even adjust the speed at which the text is spoken.  You are able to turn on something called "Flash notification" which will flash the camera light when notifications, incoming calls, or alarms sound which would be helpful for those who are hard of hearing.  You can also do many things using only your voice such as speak passwords, answer phone calls with voice commands and use speech to text for emails and text messages.

http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/ is a blog written by someone who uses assistive technology to read and write.  Some recent posts discuss a new feature in iOS 8 which allows you to activate "Siri" by saying "Hey, Siri" instead of holding down a button.  Another post discussed a new Braille keyboard.  It sounded like the keyboard might be difficult to use at first but is something that could be mastered with practice.  Another post discussed a dramatically improved zoom feature.  It included the ability to zoom only a section of the screen while leaving the other area of the screen as is.  Users can also apply some filters which apparently help to make viewing easier.

Although many of us are familiar with some of these built-in options (I use speech to text when writing text messages all the time), I was not familiar with many other features that might be useful to someone who has a disability.  Having the knowledge that these features are readily available and free to use on many devices will make me think twice about how I can best support my students given any disabilities or learning challenges they may face.

Technology in the classroom

I was really inspired by the TEDX talk on personalized learning and digitizing the classroom.  It made me wonder why I hadn't thought about this before given the technology that I had in my business.  In 2010, in my Curves location, we implemented the SMART system.  This system tested each of the members on each of the strength training machines to see what their typical range of motion was and to see what amount of strength they could generate on the machine.  After members were tested on the machines, they were given personalized key tags which they swiped before getting onto a piece of equipment.  As they worked out, the machine showed colors to indicate how their range of motion and strength was and it pushed them to work harder.  If they were able to reach those more difficult goals, it pushed them even harder the next time.  If they were not able to reach those more difficult goals, it made their goals a little easier the next time they came in to avoid frustration.  After each workout, members were able to log onto a computer system which showed them exactly how they had performed on each machine and gave them overall statistics such as calories burned and heart rate throughout the workout.  The light indicators throughout the workout were helpful in keeping them on track during their workout (i.e. not letting them slack off).  The statistics after the workout gave them motivation for their next workout.

I can see this type of technology tying in so well with the classroom if the right software exists.  It is important to push students  beyond what they currently know, but it is also important to make sure they are not getting pushed too far causing frustration or a feeling of inadequacy.  We as teachers can try our absolute best to observe students when they are not getting a subject or struggling with a concept, but we are not capable of collecting every single piece of data from every single student to make sure each student is getting what they need.  We are also challenged to think of ways to challenge each student in the way that will work for them.  However, technology is able to conquer some of these enormous tasks.

I also think differentiating is a difficult concept for many teachers.  Not only does it require a ton of observation, thought and preparation, it also leads to concerns about student's affect.  If certain students are always placed together at the "yellow" table, do they know that they are the struggling students?  Will they get made fun of?  Will they feel like they will never do well, like they are the dumb ones?  I remember my brother and best friend going to GATE classes when I was in elementary school.  I remember being put into the "dumb" math group.  I remember feeling stupid.  Technology might be a way to help students avoid those feelings, those frustrations, those negative connotations about learning and about school.  If each child is working on their own, at their own level and pace, as determined by the software, they will feel success each and every day, without worrying about being compared to someone else's abilities.

The biggest struggle I see with implementing technology in the classroom is the learning curve we all face.  Technology is wonderful, but it can also be frustrating.  Sometimes technology is not intuitive and it can cause other problems.  If every school was able to get a computer for every child, how many IT professionals would each campus need?  Will the public see the benefits of technology in the classroom and provide the needed funding to schools?  These are challenges we will face.  Therefore, the public needs to be convinced that technology given all its woes has even bigger strengths and benefits for our students. Technology can give us the ability to do in-depth research and analysis on every child we teach.  Using this data, we can make informed decisions about our students and what they need.  Each student is a unique individual and it is our responsibility as teachers to discover who they are and show them the path that is perfectly made for them.  Technology can help us move in that direction, and the faster we implement this technology in our schools, the greater chance we will have to benefit all of our students in so many ways.