EDUC 5313 Week 5 Blog Assignment

Blended and fully online learning have grown in popularity in the K-12 grades and little research has been conducted on the central idea of online learning. Most online learning is done using premade materials that are made by outside vendors. Most teachers are not tailoring their online learning platforms to the needs of their students, all teachers need to be. On top of this, many students with disabilities that are enrolled in online learning face accessibility issues. There are two main definitions that are used to define digital accessibility. These are: accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the web, perceive, understand, navigate, interact, and contribute with or to the web. The next definition is if that technology is accessible if it can be used as effectively by people with disabilities as by those without (Basham, 2016). In order to measure the effectiveness of learning materials used for online learning, the UDL instructional framework was created to rate these learning materials. The UDL (Universal Design for Learning) scan tool analyzes the UDL principles, guidelines, and checkpoints. It also reviews existing rubrics and observation instruments. The tool in online accessible as well. This tool provides teachers with a way to measure and review online materials for their learners. It checks for accessibility and variability. The scan tool has 37 beginning items with a total of 46 responses. Research of the UDL scan tool concluded that the tool showed success in the measurement of the framework within digital products geared for learning (Basham, 2016). As a result of the success, it is hoped that school districts will make more conscious decisions about the learning materials that they choose for their online learners. Through this tool, educators can make their materials more accessible and have a better understanding of learner variability. Teachers will also be able to take on a more supportive role in their student’s education. Using the UDL scan tool gives the needed support for cooperation across the board when it comes to online learning decisions. 

A strategy from the UDL guidelines that I could use, resides in the engagement section of the framework. Checkpoint 8.3: Foster collaboration and community (Cast, 2022), is an important checkpoint to include in my lesson planning. It is important to create a cooperative learning environment for our students. I can utilize creating these cooperative learning groups and including clear goals, roles, and responsibilities. I feel like I already have learning groups in one of my activities, but will need to include clears expectations and goals. I can also encourage opportunities for peer interactions. A second strategy from the UDL guidelines lies within the representation network. Specifically in Checkpoint 3.1: Activate or supply background knowledge (Cast, 2022). Building upon our student’s background knowledge is very important and is an easy way to see what your students may already know. This strategy suggests using anchor instruction by linking or activating prior knowledge, using advanced organizers, and pre-teaching concepts through models or demonstration. My lesson includes a lot of imagery and anchor charts. I believe I could use this strategy to build upon their background knowledge and grow beyond that. I could also include a different graphic organizer with my lesson. 

References

Basham, J. D., Smith, S. J., & Satter, A. L. (2016). Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for            Alignment in K-12 Blended and Fully Online Learning Materials. Journal Of Special Education Technology, 31(3), 147. doi:10.1177/0162643416660836

Cast. (2022, February 8). About universal design for learning. CAST. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.XGn5889Kho4

EDUC 5313 Week 3 Blog Assignment

Chapter 6, Motivation to Learn, focuses on students remaining engaged and motivated in concepts being learned. It stresses how important it is for a learner to be interested in the topics they learn and continue to engage upon. Students who view their education as important, interesting, and worth their time are more likely to succeed than other students who do not. These learners who are engaged and motivated to learn set goals and will do whatever it takes to reach their goals. They also make sure to maintain these goals once reached as well. 

The ideas of Gura suggest that technology can aid in creativity and engagement. Through the use of different types of technology, students can further research topics and find other creative outlets to express their ideas. Students are able to use different platforms to study topics and gather evidence. They are able to share their work and ideas. Collaboration can happen through devices from wherever a student is and some platforms allow for live feedback. Technology gives students the opportunity for instant feedback. This helps students remain focused when researching and creating. When students are interested in a certain academic topic and are able to use technology to further foster their learning, they continue to remain motivated in their learning. Motivation is a mindset that affects our learning outcomes and when we value what we are learning, it leads to a positive mindset. As teachers, we need to make sure to create and foster a learning environment that promotes creative and motivating thinking in our students!

References

Gura, M. (2016). Make, learn, succeed: Building a culture of creativity in your school. Eugene, OR: ISTE. Part 2 (48 pages)

ISTE Standards for Students(2017). Retrieved from: https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). How people learn II: Learners, Contexts, and cultures. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. http://doi.org/10.17226/24783.

EDUC 5313 Week 2 Blog Assignment

The nature of Authentic Intellectual Work revolves around individuals applying knowledge to a concept in an original way. Authentic Intellectual Work involves not only being genuine with how you apply yourself, but also how you recognize and analyze all the details and data involved. This approach differs from the traditional way of doing things in education. Where as, students are adding more meaning to their learning, rather than just completing paper and pencil work. When students accomplish a required task, we move to the next task. This type of work, however, asks students to take what they have learned and apply it to the real world. 

Authentic Intellectual Work is characterized in three different ways: construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school. One of these characteristics that is very important to our student's education is the value beyond school. Too often, we are teaching to test and students are learning to test. They are not shown how to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom and how what they have learned applies to real world experiences. This characteristic is not only used to emphasize a topic that is interesting to the student, but the intellectual challenges that when met will have meaning to the students beyond what their teachers have required. These intellectual challenges that are introduced in a world outside of the classroom end up being more meaningful to the student than the challenges that are only introduced for the purpose of teaching (Newmann et al., 2007).

For example, when teaching a creative writing unit in ELA, the teacher could ask students to create a story about their favorite animal. The story must begin with a problem for the animal to be dealing with and the end with how the animal overcame the problem with a specific solution. Students are constructing knowledge through their details, while also writing about an animal that interests them. They demonstrate their working knowledge about problems and solutions, while making up a fun story from their own imaginations. 

Through the National Education Technology Plan update, technology can be integrated with the components of authenticity for this lesson by allowing students the chance to publish their work to a global audience despite where they may go to school. This opportunity expands growth possibilities and allows for personalized learning (Office of Educational Technology, 2018).

The Authentic Intellectual Work Framework is very similar to Kolb's deep dive into the element of authentic engagement based off of the Triple E Framework. We want our students to remain engaged, but motivated. By using technology we can engage our students and get them excited about using technology with the lesson. Students should be social and hands on. They can also post their work to the platform Seesaw and then comment their classmate's story by saying what their favorite part is. This activity could help support engagment  It is important to remember that students only remain on the designated platform for sharing their work. There are many other things on their devices that can distract them and it is important to model what platform you want the students to remain on. 

Newmann, F. M., King, B. M., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007). Authentic instruction and assessment: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gD0kLtY7vaxgGS_L57xaE71-bX6-Hj3q/view

Office of Educational Technology. (2018, May 9). Learning: Engaging and Empowering Learning Through Technology. NETP. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://tech.ed.gov/netp/learning/ 

EDUC 5313 Week 1 Blog Assignment

Hello!

My name is Brenda Rivera, welcome to my blog for EDUC 5313! Currently, I am a first grade teacher at a small school in Guymon, Oklahoma. We are located right in the middle of the Panhandle. I have held this position for the entirety of my five years of teaching. Last summer, I decided it was time for a change and working towards a masters degree was the first step. I knew if I wanted to move on to bigger career opportunities that I would need to go back to school. This summer I will complete my degree in less than a year and plan on relocating to Oklahoma City where I will continue to teach. I hope moving to the city will help open doors to other career opportunities in education. 

Creative Communicator 1.6a suggests that students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication. This standard could be used in a first grade science lesson involving the Oklahoma state standard, 1.ESS1.1.1: Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, and predicted. Students could use their iPads to record themselves explain the patterns of moon phases and what these phases are. Platforms like Seesaw could be easily used in the elementary levels for recording. Students can work in partners and help each other explain in the recording what they have learned about the science standard and then send to the teacher for feedback. Through the Seesaw platform, teachers are able to safely communicate with their students. 

I believe the Seesaw app to be a quality platform for students to post their work and receive feedback. According to Kolb, a good educational app should provide developmentally appropriate guidance, like scaffolded feedback and has multiple forms of feedback. Teachers are able to provide feedback on Seesaw through written messages and by sending emojis as feedback. Instructions are able to be repeated and rephrased through the platform and the platform also promotes higher level thinking (Kolb, 2020). 

Kolb, L. (2020). Learning First, technology second in practice: New Strategies, research and tools for Student Success. International Society for Technology in Education.