Last week I wrote about my GAME plan and how technology could be used to facilitate it. One of the techniques included was the implementation of a learning log where I would record my challenges and my advancements. A suggestion was made by a cohort colleague to use this learning log as a model for my students. I found this to be a great idea. This would assist me when partnering with my students as their facilitator. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) suggest that teachers are no longer the all knowing communicators of knowledge but the faciliators. This has been one aspect of my course work on which I continue to reflect.
This week's resources introduce us to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL provides a blueprint for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accomodate learner differences (http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html. This affects my GAME plan in the sense that I must still stick with my goals that were developed last week, however I may need to tweak my actions in order to meet the individual needs of all my students. So many technological strategies exist that I should be able to use videos posted to my class web site for those students who must take extra time to review class material at their own pace, for example. On the other hand, other students may thrive on the use of the blog as a means for demonstrating their knowledge rather than writing the traditional paper. The ideas are endless, but the most important thing is to know my students in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html
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Lori,
ReplyDeleteAs a thought, could you use digital portfolios as a complement to your learning log plan? Our course text and UDL both suggest digital portfolios as a method to encourage the use of technology to enhance content. Students would be able to see the development of their learning and have the flexibility to provide documentation and exemplaries in a variety of media. Additionally, digital portfolios provide the ability of sharing to many audiences,which is beneficial for many different reasons, not the least of which is the documentation necessary to support review of IEP's.
Just a thought,
Marsha
References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html
Regarding the use of digital portfolios, I feel they can be used to complement just about any technique. They have certainly helped me with my junior high students, that's for sure. In addition to the reasons you states, I love the fact that they can either focus on the process itself, on the improvement of the learner, or on the finished product (the reflection piece). This way, students who do struggle with writing stand a good chance on the final assessment, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!