This week I had the fortune to converse with a teacher that I both respect and view as a master teacher. He and I talked about technology and its role in the classroom and the concept of UDL. It helped to put both my learning into sharp focus, and helped me reflect on what the future of education might look like.
Constructionist theories help to guide both my instruction and my friend in the way that we create a classroom that is both connected through technology and learner centered. These concepts influence the Economics class that he is developing, as well as the Physics class that I am actively planning. We discussed the fact we both feel that the points of our classes have been lost in the grand centralization of curriculum. I believe as Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000) that this new differentiation through technology will function “as scaffolds and tools to help students solve problems.” (p. 214). This is a point that is fundamental for the development of our country and our development as educators.
We discussed the idea of universal design for learning, an idea that he had not heard of before. I explained that according to the CAST website UDL is “a set of principles for curriculum that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn” ("CAST: Universal Design for Learning"). I explained to him that after this course I see the future of education moving to an individualized model. This was something that was impossible by a pencil and paper alone. We both agreed that the standardization of classes has been an extremely bad thing for education. The UDL lesson offers a way to take it back while still working towards those state standards.
Our talk shifted to the declining US educational system. Schools ignore student needs while claiming they are serving all students, and the result is a system that is not competitive for the 21st century. We both echoed the sentiment that “teachers need better tools to address this growing problem” (Solomon and Schrum, 11). I feel that this looks more like a game and less like traditional learning.
Our conversation on this course and the various points that it brought up helped to augment our ideas about education already. I also helped to articulate some new points. The conversation and therefore the class brought up what does learning look like for me? What is the point of the class that I teach beyond facts? Also, what ways can I show student learning that are now available that were not before? Honestly, all three of these are deep topics worthy of some intense study on my own. I anticipate a different avenue for me next year based on these three questions as I try to incorporate technology as a way to increase the learning and the engagement of students. I am still struggling with what that looks like, but believe that the answer lies in Professional development that helps to increase my exposure to tools and services that are right now a little out of my reach. I want to look at how to utilize Google at a higher level to showcase student learning and provide feedback to students. I also want to attend more training on alternative assessments and creating a more gaming based atmosphere within the classroom.
Professionally, I believe that teachers reflect students much more than they like to admit. Technology is not something that can be learned by just a PowerPoint alone. Instead it needs to be nurtured. My friend and I discussed what this looks like, and the need for this change and this renaissance in learning to come from teachers and conversations not from administrators. I look at Pitler (2005) who stated “technology professional development does not occur in a vacuum” (p. 2). Pitler has become my model of how to incorporate technology effectively. He helps to bring up a point that technology professional development and utilization does not happen spontaneously.
My conversation with my friend was only the part of a larger conversation and professional development that needs to happen on a much larger scale. I have set aside a plan to help introduce this to several friends, but the important piece here is that the group is small and willing to try it. An entire faculty roll out does not seem practical or wise.
First, I would want to have a discussion with all the teachers involved about problems that they are experiencing in the classroom. This needs to be limited to instructional, and can help to illustrate some of the larger problems associated with the school. After this conversation the Universal Design for Learning could be brought in. This would accomplish two goals. The first is to show how this method could help to resolve those problems by using a more individualized approach. The second would be to shift the emphasis to student choice and motivation. I would show them my example and others that I had come up with and then use that information to help them begin the design process for their own lesson.
Second, the lessons would be implemented in each of the classrooms. Tools like ebooks and web 2.0 tools would be sought out to try and supplement the lessons further. This would help to build out the tool set of the teachers that are interested. I could show the ebook creator and the benefits of designing your own book.
The final section would be to debrief teachers on how it went. This feedback piece would capture the positives and the negatives of the UDL lesson plan and web tool implementation. While I cannot guarantee that every lesson plan at first would be UDL approved, as more and more lesson plans began to take shape the number would increase. This communication piece is extremely important, and it helps to accentuate the positives of the lesson and the UDL process. Scaffolding is just as important for teachers in a new lesson as students are.
The Master’s program at Lamar offers a multitude of avenues to discuss the change that needs to happen in schools. Professional development becomes a key part to this, but it is not enough to just talk about the design of a lesson. Teachers need to participate in the lesson process and create to truly understand the process. Blogs provide a great conduit for thoughts and ideas to come out and new ideas to flourish. This specific class, and the work done on the project help to cement some foundational levels of support. This offers support for teachers that are struggling and teachers that are new to the process. I have learned a lot from this process, and the blogs and the discussion boards have helped to open my mind to a new way of looking at education. Reading and reflection is key to any process whether in the classroom or outside of it. I believe these same concepts can be utilized outside of this class to help change education and provide opportunities in a changing 21st century environment.
References:
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded edition). Ch. 9, pp. 194-218. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9853&page=206
CAST: Universal Design for Learning. (n.d.). CAST: About UDL. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education,
Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report(Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED486685) Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED486685&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED486685
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education,
Constructionist theories help to guide both my instruction and my friend in the way that we create a classroom that is both connected through technology and learner centered. These concepts influence the Economics class that he is developing, as well as the Physics class that I am actively planning. We discussed the fact we both feel that the points of our classes have been lost in the grand centralization of curriculum. I believe as Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000) that this new differentiation through technology will function “as scaffolds and tools to help students solve problems.” (p. 214). This is a point that is fundamental for the development of our country and our development as educators.
We discussed the idea of universal design for learning, an idea that he had not heard of before. I explained that according to the CAST website UDL is “a set of principles for curriculum that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn” ("CAST: Universal Design for Learning"). I explained to him that after this course I see the future of education moving to an individualized model. This was something that was impossible by a pencil and paper alone. We both agreed that the standardization of classes has been an extremely bad thing for education. The UDL lesson offers a way to take it back while still working towards those state standards.
Our talk shifted to the declining US educational system. Schools ignore student needs while claiming they are serving all students, and the result is a system that is not competitive for the 21st century. We both echoed the sentiment that “teachers need better tools to address this growing problem” (Solomon and Schrum, 11). I feel that this looks more like a game and less like traditional learning.
Our conversation on this course and the various points that it brought up helped to augment our ideas about education already. I also helped to articulate some new points. The conversation and therefore the class brought up what does learning look like for me? What is the point of the class that I teach beyond facts? Also, what ways can I show student learning that are now available that were not before? Honestly, all three of these are deep topics worthy of some intense study on my own. I anticipate a different avenue for me next year based on these three questions as I try to incorporate technology as a way to increase the learning and the engagement of students. I am still struggling with what that looks like, but believe that the answer lies in Professional development that helps to increase my exposure to tools and services that are right now a little out of my reach. I want to look at how to utilize Google at a higher level to showcase student learning and provide feedback to students. I also want to attend more training on alternative assessments and creating a more gaming based atmosphere within the classroom.
Professionally, I believe that teachers reflect students much more than they like to admit. Technology is not something that can be learned by just a PowerPoint alone. Instead it needs to be nurtured. My friend and I discussed what this looks like, and the need for this change and this renaissance in learning to come from teachers and conversations not from administrators. I look at Pitler (2005) who stated “technology professional development does not occur in a vacuum” (p. 2). Pitler has become my model of how to incorporate technology effectively. He helps to bring up a point that technology professional development and utilization does not happen spontaneously.
My conversation with my friend was only the part of a larger conversation and professional development that needs to happen on a much larger scale. I have set aside a plan to help introduce this to several friends, but the important piece here is that the group is small and willing to try it. An entire faculty roll out does not seem practical or wise.
First, I would want to have a discussion with all the teachers involved about problems that they are experiencing in the classroom. This needs to be limited to instructional, and can help to illustrate some of the larger problems associated with the school. After this conversation the Universal Design for Learning could be brought in. This would accomplish two goals. The first is to show how this method could help to resolve those problems by using a more individualized approach. The second would be to shift the emphasis to student choice and motivation. I would show them my example and others that I had come up with and then use that information to help them begin the design process for their own lesson.
Second, the lessons would be implemented in each of the classrooms. Tools like ebooks and web 2.0 tools would be sought out to try and supplement the lessons further. This would help to build out the tool set of the teachers that are interested. I could show the ebook creator and the benefits of designing your own book.
The final section would be to debrief teachers on how it went. This feedback piece would capture the positives and the negatives of the UDL lesson plan and web tool implementation. While I cannot guarantee that every lesson plan at first would be UDL approved, as more and more lesson plans began to take shape the number would increase. This communication piece is extremely important, and it helps to accentuate the positives of the lesson and the UDL process. Scaffolding is just as important for teachers in a new lesson as students are.
The Master’s program at Lamar offers a multitude of avenues to discuss the change that needs to happen in schools. Professional development becomes a key part to this, but it is not enough to just talk about the design of a lesson. Teachers need to participate in the lesson process and create to truly understand the process. Blogs provide a great conduit for thoughts and ideas to come out and new ideas to flourish. This specific class, and the work done on the project help to cement some foundational levels of support. This offers support for teachers that are struggling and teachers that are new to the process. I have learned a lot from this process, and the blogs and the discussion boards have helped to open my mind to a new way of looking at education. Reading and reflection is key to any process whether in the classroom or outside of it. I believe these same concepts can be utilized outside of this class to help change education and provide opportunities in a changing 21st century environment.
References:
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded edition). Ch. 9, pp. 194-218. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9853&page=206
CAST: Universal Design for Learning. (n.d.). CAST: About UDL. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education,
Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report(Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED486685) Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED486685&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED486685
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education,