WALDEN EDUC-6714I-1 Course Reflection- Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology

Over the duration of this course we have been focusing on making adaptations to the way we teach to reach the unique needs of every learner. The two strategies that we spent the most time with were, the Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction. Both of these teaching strategies go hand in hand with technology so they were perfect focal points for the course.

Before taking the course I was familiar with D.I., but not as knowledgeable about UDL. The act of creating a presentation for my colleagues on UDL was such a positive experience. By taking on the challenge of becoming an expert on UDL I really gained so much more insight than just reading and answering questions. For my presentation I created a UDL website. Although there was a lot of extra work in creating this type of project, the idea that other teachers in any part of the world could be able to access it and gain knowledge was extremely motivating.

Creating this project and completing other assignments for the course was made much easier with the help of our Differention Station social network. The purpose of the network was to share resources and ideas with group members on the subject of reaching all learners. I can only speak for my own group, but I think this was a very successful concept. The resources shared were in-valuable and being able to get feedback was extremely helpful. What is also great about this process is that all the communication is readily available for future access. For myself I plan on using the resources shared on the network whenever I am designing lessons and looking for ways to differentiate by analyzing my student’s needs and then checking posts to find applicable resources. My classmates shared several online and software resources that I can see myself utilizing several times during the school year to implement the principals of Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction.

One of the immediate changes I plan on making in my own classroom is looking to create at least one alternative within each lesson. By alternative I mean giving students other options in the way student’s get information, use information, or are assessed. The one thing that I’ve really picked up from this course is that it is not so much about creating a unique plan for everyone, but by giving alternatives and options we can reach a broader scope of needs and learning styles. Technology can be such a great tool for this task simply because of the myriad of possibilities that it can offer. In classrooms 15 years ago computers and technology was only used for educational games, but today they can be tools for research, creation, and communication, just to name a few. I think with all that technology has to offer it creates a great situation for teachers who want to create adjustments that meet learning needs. I plan on using several of the tech resources and ideas from this course as soon as possible to really do what is best for my students. By meeting their unique needs, the hope is that every student receives a higher quality of education that caters to what works best for them.