EDLD+5364+Week+3

Week 3 Teaching With Technology

The readings and assignments from Week 3 of the Teaching with Technology course introduced much confusing information about UDL lesson building and book building. Each link at the CAST website linked to another page which linked to another page and yet another page, resulting in a feeling of endless tail chasing. Despite the complication of navigating through this confusing maze of information, the Week 3 videos and other readings were very informative and clarified the importance of designing quality lesson plans that are supported by appropriate technology. The emphasis on goal setting and lesson planning was very helpful and provided focus for using technology most effectively. According to CAST (2009), “Common sense tells us that setting clear goals for students is the essential first step in teaching. Clear goals allow teachers to determine the best methods and materials for reaching our objectives and also enable us to establish appropriate criteria for assessing students' success.” Once we have established what students will learn, we are able to plan how they will acquire learning and how they will demonstrate learning. Students have varied learning styles, outlooks, and ability levels that influence the success of their learning. Differentiated instruction becomes an essential component for meeting the needs of diverse learners. Rose and Meyer (2002) suggest that “By offering students a selection of materials from which to choose, each with varying degrees of structure, we can offer //all// students an appropriate learning context.” They also emphasize the need to focus on affect in our learning goals as a means of developing students who love to learn.

For students to love learning, they must be engaged in the process. Technology offers us a way to increase this engagement and improve student motivation. However, merely throwing a token use of technology into a lesson undermines our productivity and fails to make the best use of our resources. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) warn us that “Using technology for technology’s sake isn’t a good application of instructional time or funding, and it is unlikely to improve student achievement.” The challenge becomes allotting the time and thought it takes to plan quality lessons, to integrate technology effectively, and to meet the needs of diverse learners. Rose and Meyer (2002) suggest digital media and materials as the means of achieving the flexibility that is needed to meet these challenges. Teachers who gradually acquire a collection of good software programs, web sites, and digital content will build the ability to individualize instruction for each student in the class. We should not expect this to be an overnight process, but we must start somewhere. “ It takes time and thought to build a repertoire of media, content, and techniques to individualize teaching while simultaneously considering instructional goals and individual student characteristics” (2002).

References  Cast.org (2009). //Model UDL lessons.// Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from http://udlselfcheck.cast.org/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using// // technology with classroom instruction that works. // Alexandria, VA:  Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 41-58, 217-225.

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). //Teaching every student in the digital age:// // Universal design for learning //. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from []