Teaching+w+Technology+EDLD+5364+week+3

Several strategies for appealing to the 3 different brain networks were given during the readings for this week. I found these suggestions to be very helpful for future reference during lesson planning. As I read, I realized that I often do include many of these strategies and methods in my teaching, but I need to be more conscientious about purposely including at least one suggested method for each brain network when planning lessons. In order to support the recognition learning network, teachers should prepare lessons by including multiple examples of the expected product or concept being taught. Teachers should also design learning so that they can highlight critical features of the material being taught in order to support students' recognition learning networks. Additionally, teachers should include multiple media formats in designing lessons and make efforts to support students' background knowledge. Teachers must also consider students' strategic learning needs when preparing lessons. In order to do this, teachers can provide flexible models of skilled performance, provide multiple opportunities for students to practice with the support and demonstrate learned knowledge and skills. Finally, affective networks must also be addressed when preparing lessons. Several good suggestions for addressing students' affective learning needs were given, such as offering choices of content, tools, rewards, learning contexts, and adjustable levels of challenge.

The Cast.org (http://bookbuilder.cast.org) website was referenced in the reading for this week, and through this site there are several examples and models available for teachers to consider when planning lessons with a (UDL) universal design. For example, on the book builder page, teachers can create lessons that address a diversity of learning styles and levels by providing features such as text to speech, as well as text options to assist students with limited language skills, among other things. In addition, the lesson builder template provided through the Cast.org website brought me to a new awareness about the effectiveness and benefit of consciously and purposely including state standards and objectives, unit goals, and lesson goals. This is a benefit to students, as well as teachers, because it helps them focus on the objective or purpose of the activities in which they are being asked to participate. I have always made sure to address the objectives myself, but I haven't always been so mindful of how helpful this information can be to students. **Part of my realization of this has come through the experience of having weekly rubrics provided for me to reference in completing my assignments. These rubrics have helped me focus and understand exactly what is expected of me, and I feel they are important objectives to focus on because they are stated in terms of state standards. As a student I can see that this has been very helpful, and I will make an effort to make my students more aware of the objectives we are covering on a daily basis, as well as include these objectives in the form of a rubric for assessment purposes. This will make for easier, more practical, more objective, and more effective grading too.** Not only was the lesson builder activity enlightening in regard to the importance of standards, objectives, and goals, but it also provided a good example of how to address potential barriers and missed opportunities with students for a variety of different methods and materials often used by teachers. For example, with students who experience difficulty with lecture/whole class presentation teaching methods, the teacher could provide an Inspiration concept map of key ideas or possibly an eText outline with text to speech that students can access. A multitude of other suggestions were given in regard to materials and methods and UDL solutions to unique needs. This was valuable information in future design of lessons. The only problem I see is time. It takes a great deal of time to create some of these lessons for all the different needs we must address as teachers. It could take years to build up a strong resource library to address the vast array of needs we face on a daily basis. It sometimes seems a little overwhelming because many times we move to a new level or position in with a slightly different role, where we have to start over with the specific resources we need in our class. I guess that is why it is so important to explore the existing networks and link to them for resources. Then we can just alter or add to the already created assignments, without having to "reinvent the wheel," so to speak. It is also important for teachers to contribute to the professional network and create and share our their new and exciting UDL lessons.

Finally, this week's readings defined the key questions teachers should focus on when planning units. These questions were: 1**) What will students learn? 2) Which strategies will provide evidence of student learning? 3) Which strategies will help students acquire and integrate learning? 4) Which strategies will help students practice, review, and apply learning?** I think it is very important for us to remember these questions. As someone who has been teaching for several years, it is a little strange that we can sometimes get lost in the how and what of teaching, along with the methods, and neglect some of the most important factors that should be considered. I feel like the discussion of these 4 questions is a strong reminder for teachers to consider when planning lessons, and will help in creating effective units that are designed for all students to learn and take more of an active role in setting and monitoring their educational goals.