Equal Access to the Digital World!

What does it mean to provide equal access to the digital world?  Students of varying needs and abilities show up on the doorstep of classrooms across the country every day.  Do teachers use the same methods for all students?  The short answer is "no".  Teachers have to design lessons around what each student needs.  Sometimes this is referred to as differentiation or Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for short.  When students are engaged and able to access the content being addressed, everyone wins.  The teacher accomplishes the goal of teaching an objective, and the student masters the objectives.  There are 3 main ways that a teacher can adapt a lesson to meet various needs:  

• Proving multiple means of representation:
• Some examples:
• Allowing students to listen to information and view it
• Enlarging text for visually impaired students
• Allowing students to use manipulatives 
• Chunk information into smaller units

• Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know:
• Some examples:
• allowing students to type rather than handwrite assignments
• use different forms of media to express learning: making videos, blog posts, etc.
• guide students in setting goals so that they can improve their expression of knowledge
• Stimulate interest and motivation for learning:
• Some examples:
• vary activities so that they are relevant to individuals
• vary demands based on student needs
• create cooperative learning groups 

When teachers are working with students, it should be a priority to consider these 3 main tenets of accessibility.  Teachers can make sure that their digital learning/teaching aligns with these 3 points by:

1. considering the types of technology that they use (how can I make this work for all kids?)
1. Choosing software that can be adapted to different levels and learning needs
2. Using SmartBoards and interactive whiteboards to teach
3. Adjusting contrast and text size for students who are visually impaired
2. determining if there is assistive technology that can be used by students with special needs 
1. calculators for students with math disabilities
2. speech-to-text software for typing to aid students with written expression and reading disabilities
3. text-to-speech readers like Learning Ally or Bookshare for kids who struggle to read
3. grouping students so that all kids can access the technology
1. Physically impaired students can be paired with able bodied individuals
2. Students with speech and language impairments can be paired with students without similar challenges to enhance communication during presentations
3. Grouping students who do not own technology with those who do

Good luck integrating UDL into your own classroom!

Resources:
Home | National Center On Universal Design for Learning. (2014, September 22). Retrieved January 24, 2015, from http://www.udlcenter.org/

Social Media and Disabilities

When you think Social Media, what do you think of? Do you think of Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Did you just open a Snapchat from your friend? If so, you're probably a pretty tech savvy person! Did you know that there are social media platforms that are perfect for schools? One of the platforms that we will be using is Edmodo. You should take this opportunity to sign up for Edmodo by using this link: Edmodo for Ms. Dow's Class. You can use this code to register: rjdeip. Go ahead and explore the page and vote on my polls!

Did you know that I also have a YouTube channel? It's true! You can visit my channel to view all different videos about what different disabilities are and how you can cope. Please feel free to leave a comment on my channel!

There is research that supports the use of Social Media in classrooms. One school, Byron High School (located in MN, USA), is trying out the idea of a "flipped classroom". A flipped classroom means that students watch a lesson at home or at the library as homework, and then they complete the "homework" at school where a teacher can monitor their successes and areas for improvement. This non-traditional approach allows teachers to spend more time focusing on student work than lecturing. When Byron High could not find a textbook that matched the standards that they needed to teach, teachers decided to ask their principal whether it would be okay to write their own curriculum. And you'd never guess, but it incorporated YouTube! Teachers decided to record lessons, and post them on their Moodle page (a social media platform for teachers).

At first, teachers faced problems with using YouTube. Fulton (2012), explains that this shift in teaching approaches required some adjustments before implementation: "Formerly, the district blocked YouTube from student use. Once we got permission to unblock it, this made all the difference. We could store recorded videos for free. YouTube is available on almost all student personal learningdevices. Teachers create their own YouTube channels and embed--not link--the videos into Moodle. This eliminates distractions and helps kids stay focused on the content." After implementing a flipped learning approach, teachers found that they were able to spend more time with students, and they found that teaching time was more flexible without the pressure of having to advance through a lesson at a certain pace. Students were ready for the lesson, as they had watched the lesson the night before. As a result, this school has even been awarded standing as a Blue Ribbon School, an honor amongst educators!

Though there are always challenges with using technology in the classroom, I know that using Social Media in our classroom will be a positive experience that we remember for years to come!

References

Fulton, K. (2012). The Flipped Classroom: Transforming Education at Byron High School. T H E Journal, 39(3), 18-20.

My Disability Webquest

Now that you have finished your WebQuest (congratulations!), you will be reflecting on what you learned!  Type up a reflection using Google Docs (so that you can check spelling!).  Then paste the response into the comments below so that we can all read what you learned!  If you choose to post anonymously, please share your response with me on Google Drive so that I know its yours!

Your response should include:  

• 2-3 things that you learned about your disability
• An explanation of how these 2-3 things affect your life (at school, at home, at clubs)
• 2 things that you are going to work on
• An explanation of why you want to work on these 2 things.

Hello Parents!  Welcome to our classroom blog.  I hope that you have had a chance to "poke" around and learn a little bit about our classroom.  In the coming weeks, your child will be engaging in a WebQuest.  A WebQuest "is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web" (Dodge, 2007).  Your students will be completing a WebQuest that asks them to investigate their disabilities.  Here are some things that you should know about this experience.

Before the WebQuest:

• If you haven't already done so, please talk candidly with your child about his or her disability.  
• Check out the WebQuest here:  Click to View

During the WebQuest:

• Support your students with any tasks that they need to complete.  
• Take your student to the library or allow them to stay for Homework Club if you do not have access to the internet.
• Be open and welcoming to questions and conversations about your students' disabilities.

After the WebQuest:

• Allow your student to practice their presentation with you prior to their next PPT.
• Ask your student about "what's next".  Help your child to do career planning activities that can be found by clicking here I'm Determined.

I hope that this WebQuest is as engaging and exciting for you as parents as it is for the kids.  Please contact me any time if you have any questions, and feel free to comment on this post!

Works Cited:
Dodge, PhD, B. (2007, January 1). Welcome. Retrieved December 21, 2014, from http://www.webquest.org

Have you ever been really worried, but you feel "stuck" and you're not sure how to help yourself be less anxious?  Try out a great app called Mindspace.  You can get it on the App Store!

This is the app icon that will show up on your device when you download it!

This is a screenshot of what the screens look like within the app.

Photos credit:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mindshift/id634684825?mt=8

Check out the cool animation that I made to help kids understand the basics of having an IEP.  Enjoy!

My Video is Here

Educational Value of VoiceThread

My VoiceThread-Laura D

Hello Classmates!  My project this week was made using VoiceThread.  I have never used it, and I must say that it's incredibly user friendly.  My head is already spinning with ways that I could use it within my classroom!  Here are some ideas that I have brainstormed in terms of how to use VoiceThread:

• Students could create a slide show at school-say about Ancient Rome-and then each student could post their verbal comments on the slides before presenting.
• A student with special needs could create a VoiceThread for their IEP Transition meeting-this would help especially shy students to make their needs known!
• As a shy adult, I can see myself using VoiceThread to improve my public speaking skills!  This would also be great for kids who are taking communication classes.
• Students could use VoiceThread as a component of their Speech and Language Therapy to improve their speaking skills.  Students could focus on a topic, and explain the topic in detail.
• Showing students how to navigate new websites using screenshots and voice guidance.

I found a great (semi-bland delivery, but that's okay) link that gives 100 ideas for using VoiceThread in education.  It's a collaborative project so some speakers are more dynamic than others.  You can access it by clicking here: 100 Ideas

References:

Byrne, R. (2010, June 2). Free Technology for Teachers: 100 Ways to Use VoiceThread in Education. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/06/100-ways-to-use-voicethread-in.html#.VICGwWTF8aA