Journal Post #10

Focus question # 1:

-Differentiated Instruction is when a teacher incorporates in their lesson plan that gives students the option to choose which way they want to take in information and making sense of ideas. This is most popular in group works where some groups will be engaged in one activity, or some groups may have to write, while others are on the computer, and some students may choose to work independently.

-UDL stands for Universal design for learning. Along the lines of our engineering path through history someone realized that as new problems present themselves we needed to come up with creative changes thus requiring a new thinking process. This thinking process is what lead to UDL, UDL utilizes brand new research of how the brain takes in and utilizes information we now have with curriculum to accommodate broad student needs.

Tech Tool:

I am very skeptical about letting students use calculators in class, when it is not necessarily needed. I have found that some students become so attached to these helpful “AIDS”, which is what they were intended to be, just simple aids to help speed up calculations. Although these devices are extremely helpful and can be really helpful to keep students interest and students who may have vision problems. Martindalecenter.com is a website that has numerous mathematical and calculator tutorials it is a little complicated to get used to. When you first get on the website and you want to access the mathematical section of it click the link Mathematics center, once there you have access to over 2,000 mathematical programs and lesson guides.  

Summary:

In this chapter the main topic is to try to enhance student’s experiences with new technologies and teaching styles. It is important that we as educators do not come up with excuses why we cannot educate a special needs student, but instead try our hardest to ensure that we make accommodations for students with special needs to gain knowledge of core curriculum. As we are beginning educators our teaching style needs to be developed and there are three styles this chapter looks at. The first is the one I will use most often:

Low tech in which the classroom is taught with little to no technology relying on older teaching methods of the teacher talks and students listen or take notes. However in modern times this teaching style is less and less effective because students are not able to focus for as long as they used to, as well as the ever growing issues of ADD and ADHD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid tech which is probably the educational strategy of choice seeing as how technology is used to promote organizational skills and time management, while still keeping core teaching styles of the classroom the same as before.

 

High Tech, which is brand new, implementing full technological teaching aids in the class curriculum. This is the preferred teaching style for the new upcoming students. It has essential tools to help improve student’s educational requirements, while also bringing up students with disabilities to keep them at the same level as their peers.