Universal Access and Technology

Universal access means providing curriculum and instruction to virtually any student no matter his or her impairment. Students with disabilities should have just as much of an opportunity to participate in instructional classroom activities-both traditional and technology-based as their peers. Especially with the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Enhancing Education through Technology Act of 2001 that goes along with it which states that all students with special needs are required to be technologically literate just as their non-special needs classmates (Jackson, 2004), it's important that educators take this issue into consideration in order to plan and provide instruction for all students.

In all honesty, because I do not currently have any students with disabilities and/or students with IEPs, I haven't given a whole lot of thought to this issue. I think it can be easy for this to happen for any educator because we are thinking mostly about the immediate audience to whom we'll be teaching: our students. This is especially so if the activity is of the more traditional type and will be done only within our classroom. However, if the activity is something that has been designed by a classroom teacher and has been published on the Internet for anyone to have access to such as a WebQuest, this is perhaps where teachers need to be more cognizant and educated. The keyword in the aforementioned sentence is "anyone" which could mean that a student with a visual impairment may very well be trying to view the WebQuest for class and would be expected to complete it. On the one hand, that particular student's teacher would first need to make sure that all of the students in her class could indeed complete the activity, but on the other hand, the teacher who created it should have first given this issue some thought and have made technological accommodations for accessibility so that an even larger audience would be able to view and make their way through the WebQuest. Not only that, but the creator of the technology-based instructional activity could have also suggested modifications for students with learning disabilities.

Although I've only incorporated a few things into my WebQuest to make it navigable, I now know there are some changes I could make to it to make it even more accessible for a wider variety of learners. What I did take into account was the readability. I wrote the text in a student-friendly format that was clear-cut and easy to understand; I was careful to stay away from using words the students might not understand and I tried to clarify what I was saying by including examples (especially in the "roles" section). Also, I used dark text on a light background and kept the information organized. The images I chose were chosen purposefully so that they might serve as little cues to what the information on the particular page contained. Lastly, I included links to the previous and next pages at the bottom of the pages, and embedded in the text in some cases, so that it would be pretty easy to navigate.

Now that I've learned more about universal access and the Universal Design for Learning, I know that I could incorporate a text-to-speech feature so that students with visual impairments and/or who are struggling readers could simply listen to what the quest seeks users to accomplish. Not only that, but the text-to-speech feature would guide users through the quest as well. As for meeting the overall expectations of the WebQuest, I could suggest accommodations to teachers such as writing half a page instead of one page once the students choose the decade they'd want to live in. Or, students could orally tell the teacher this information.

As I reflect on this issue more, I know that I will have one class out of six in which there are some students with IEPs. Most of these students have learning, emotional, and/or behavioral disorders. I will be having a co-teacher for this class and we will be co-teaching the class together. I know that the co-teacher and I will need to discuss modifications for the WebQuest so that all students in our class will be able to accomplish the goals of the WebQuest.

Although it seems that it can be easy to overlook issues of universal access, it is important to make educators aware of what the Universal Design for Learning involves so that when planning activities, teachers take this into account. Not only does it involve making accommodations to technology-based activities, but also, it involves creating activities in which achievable objectives can be met so that all students will be able to master the activity at-hand.

Resources:
Jackson, R.M. (2004). Technologies Supporting Curriculum Access for Students with Disabilities. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved [17 November 2006] from http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_techsupport.html

Technology Standards for Teachers and Students: Are These Standards Within Reach or Beyond What We Could Achieve?

As I reflected on my posting regarding the "20 Skills Every Educator Should Possess", I had broken down the skills into three different categories: basic (ones that yes, every educator should have), intermediate (skills that most educators should have), and advanced (skills that might only pertain to instructors at the high school or university levels). I talked about how the skills a teacher should have should be relevant to the subject and grade level one teaches and should also take into account the number of technological resources an educator has available. For example, PDAs were put into the "advanced" category, and I said that I didn't feel it was necessary for ALL teachers at ALL levels to have knowledge of how to use PDAs in the classroom, simply because it's likely that not ALL school districts at the elementary and middle school level would have access to this technology. I personally think that this technological tool would have a more likely chance of being used in a high school, college, or university, which would mean teachers at these levels would need to have such skills in using PDAs for instructional purposes. Of course, it wouldn't hurt any educator to possess all 20 of the skills mentioned in the article, but it does not seem that it should be mandatory.

In tying the 20 skills to the Technology Standards for Teachers and Students developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), I think that indeed, the standards are within reach of being accomplished. The standards do not specifically state what technological equipment or tools must be used to meet the different standards, rather they allow for different tools to be used – tools that are at the school district’s and the teacher’s discretion to use and ones in which the school district has obtained. My personal belief is that as long as a school district has, as one of its pillars of education, technology education for its students, that it will provide a variety of technological tools and resources for student and teacher use. If technology is emphasized in the curriculum and teachers are required to use it, then of course the technology standards will be met. Perhaps not all of the standards will be met but a good portion at the very least. Even if teachers are not required to use technology but are encouraged to use it, then I do see the standards on their way to being met.

At a minimum, students would learn social, ethical, and legal issues when it comes to using technology if for example they were conducting research for a research paper in their language arts class. I would hope that students would first be taught to cite the web page from which their information is coming and also that they would have the knowledge to evaluate a website for credibility and not just start jotting down information from any website. Just within these two tasks alone, students and teachers would have already met three of the standards: 1) using a technology-based productivity tool to complete an assignment, 2) understanding the social, legal, and ethical issues when using technology, namely, the Internet, and 3) being exposed to a learning experience and immersed in a learning environment where the use of technology is the main tool to accomplish a research-oriented task and hence, using technology as a research tool. This is only one miniscule example of the way in which the technology standards can be achieved by both teachers and students. Surely, there are a myriad of other ways to meet the standards as there are a plethora of technological tools available. Very important is the fact that it is not necessary for a school to have ALL of the latest and greatest technology-based tools to meet the standards. Teachers can use their creativity to find ways of meeting the technology standards using the tools and resources their school has available.

It is my belief that if a school district does not emphasize or even recognize technology as an important part of a child’s education and the overall school district’s curriculum, that unfortunately, the technology standards will be far beyond reach, unless the teacher herself is an advocate of using technology and of her own volition will use and implement it in the classroom, given she has the necessary tools and resources. However, if a school does not even have the required tools and/or resources to accomplish the technology-based tasks, then it is doubtful that the technology standards will be able to be achieved.

All in all, with the lightning-fast advancements in technology and the ever-so-rapid ways of daily life in today’s society, I feel that it would be in the best of interest of every school district to provide its educational community with at least some technological tools and resources. Surely, at least some of the technology standards would be achieved by educators and students if these implementations were in place and teachers took advantage of the available equipment. After all, some is better than none.

My Thoughts re: Copyright Laws and Fair Use

"Are we (educators) responsible users of technology?" That is the main question to ponder in this week's blog. Personally, I think that if the teacher is aware of the copyright guidelines herself, and is thinking about them as she is producing a lesson and/or teaching a lesson to the class, that she is more likely to be a responsible user of technology. It can be very easy to find information on the Internet, including text, pictures, graphs, etc..., and I think it can be easy to not give credit to where credit is due. We may have a tendency to take advantage of the fact that the material is so accessible that we may altogether forget to cite where it originally came from. However, I think that if a teacher is first aware of the fact that copyright guidelines do fall in place whenever borrowing or using another's work, whether it's a written work, a work of visual art, a song, or a graph, etc...then she will be more prepared to use it in a way that is fair and legal.

Once a teacher has this knowledge herself, she can pass it along to her students. There are times when students will cut and paste material directly from the Internet and put it in their work and act as if it is their own. Students do this to save time and to get the work done. What they do not fully realize though, is that this is against the law. Students need to be taught about fair use and copyright guidelines, just as we adults and educators do. Since we are their teachers, we need to set a good example. We need to make sure we cite our sources whenever we use them in the classroom if we are incorporating them into something we have created on our own. The students need to see this being done. I remember once when I made a class set of short stories which were taken from a textbook my school doesn't use, I cited the source information right on the bottom of the first page of the story. The students asked why I had written that there and I explained to them that it was taken from a book and I needed to give credit to it. I could not just make copies without citing where it came from. I told them they will need to do the same sort of thing when it's time to write their research paper. The students cringed at this, but at least they were learning an important, life-long lesson.

All in all, I feel that teachers are responsible users of technology. I think that a teacher who is more aware of copyright and fair use restrictions will make more of an effort to cite sources and only use material which is absolutely critical in going along with what she needs to present or teach, rather than a teacher who is not as aware of these restrictions. Therefore, the more education one has on this issue, the more careful and cognizant she is going to be when it comes to borrowing others' works.

My Thoughts re: Do You See Digital Storytelling as a Meaningful Tool and Measure for Learning?

I must admit that before this class I had never really heard of digital storytelling before. Coincidentally, at a Spanish teaching conference I attended last week, a seminar was offered on iMovies. I went in hopes that I'd learn a little bit more about digital storytelling, especially given the fact that our upcoming assignment for the week was centered around this concept. While at the seminar, I was exposed to the various ways in which certain tools, namely-the digital videocamera and movie-making tools (iMovie) can be applied in the classroom. I was thankful I attended this hour-long session because although it didn't teach me about the benefits to student learning this application provides, it did teach me how to use iMovie and about different ways of incorporating this media into the classroom. Now that I have read this week's articles, completed the techsercises, and have gained knowledge of using such tools, I am anxious to begin using these technologies in my classroom because I do feel that digital storytelling is a meaningful tool and measure for learning.

As I mentioned before, I wasn't familiar with digital storytelling prior to this class. I also didn't realize all the benefits that result from using this technology in the classroom. I would have to say that the article by Theodosakis really opened my eyes to the many plusses of using digital stories and filmmaking in the classroom. His article pointed out the numerous skills students learn such as problem-solving skills; visioning skills; planning and time-management skills; logic skills; and finally, analytical skills. Clearly, these are life-long skills the students can begin to develop during their childhood, adolescent, and teenage years and take with them into their lives as adults and into their workplace and personal lives. I also think that the use of filmmaking and digital stories helps the students with their metacognitive skills. This is so because students are actively involved in the learning process. The project is theirs right from the start. They need to envision it, plan it, organize it, edit it, and finally present the final product. Clearly, they will be thinking about and analyzing their work from the beginning of the project. They will consider what exactly they are going to talk about or perform; they will choose what pictures, songs, or other items they want to use if they are telling a digital story or they'll need to decide what clothes, props, and perhaps what other people (extras) they want to use if they are making a movie. Throughout the entire process the students will be thinking critically about how their production is coming along. What is going well? What is not? What needs to be added or taken out? What changes need to be made?

Not only does digital storytelling help with the aforementioned skills, but it also helps students with their writing and researching skills, as both the Theodosakis and Ohler articles pointed out. Writing is such a critical component of a child's education. Often times, and speaking from my experience as a language arts teacher of middle school students, students get bored and are seemingly uninterested in the traditional research report or written paper of any kind. However, when the writing assignment calls for more creativity, I feel it is then that the students become more engaged in their work and in the learning. It is no wonder then that the digital story would be an excellent medium to use not only in the language arts classroom, but in any classroom really. The possibilities are endless. Furthermore, since the students are more involved in the whole process since it is a story they are telling and one in which there will be a large audience and not just the one teacher who is grading the assignment, I feel that the students will make more of an effort to really plan and organize their story, especially since they will most likely need to create a story map and a story board before they can actually begin to start filming or scanning items. More thought and effort will go into the project, basically. And, as the readings suggested, the use of digital story-making would give many students the chance to experience and build upon their other interests such as acting, creating, filming, etc. This is obviously not something the students get to do on an everyday basis, especially if they attend a traditional school system.

Lastly, I think digital storytelling is an excellent way for students to learn about and utilize primary sources and to learn about each other. Basically, it's a good way to build community amongst the students, and it's a great way to learn about others' experiences and cultures. Since there are endless possibilities for what the digital story will be about, students could learn anything from what it's like to be an immigrant from another country to what it was like peforming on stage for the first time in one's life. Hopefully, the students would learn respect and would learn to develop an appreciation for all that they are learning through their peers.

All in all, I do see digital storytelling as a meaningful tool in any curriculum. Using this medium would not only allow students to become more actively involved in the learning process, but it would also nurture students' other interests and abilities. Digital stories would also enable students to develop and build a copious amount of skills needed throughout their lives, and would foster metacognition, which could hopefully enable students to be more aware of their thoughts and actions, not only in relation to school work but also in other areas of their personal lives.

Are We As Educators Prepared to Embrace New Literacies Fostered by "Digital Natives?"

My belief, after reading the articles and thinking about my own experiences teaching and using technology, is that I do think we educators are prepared to embrace new literacies fostered by "digital natives." The Prensky article did an adequate job with defining what a "digital native" is, which is a person who has grown up with using technology. Opposite this is the "digital immigrant" who is a person who did not grow up using technology because it wasn't around at the time, but who may have learned to use it as it developed. I think that the notion of the "digital immigrants" not being able to understand the ways of the "digital natives" does make a lot of sense. I know my students are always in a rush to get things done, and their often times difficult to read homework, is quite telling of this. Now I have a better understanding as to why this is -- because their brain patterns and the way they go about doing and completing their work is different from students of the past, let's say, the students who grew up in the 1920's and 30's. With this being said, I do think that teachers and school administrators need to alter some aspects of the school curriculum in order to accommodate the needs of our "digital natives," or in other words, our students. We make accommodations for students with special needs, whether the students have a learning disability or are of very high intelligence, so why not accommodate every student if we know now a good reason as to why our students so often get bored at school?

I know my school district promotes and supports the use of technology. We don't have all the resources in the world, but we do have a small supply, and I do mean small -- a set of 8-- portable laptops for student use in the classroom. We have a number of digital cameras and digital video cameras that can be checked out by teachers for use in the classroom. We have 4 LCD projectors with laptops, and we have an ELMO. With our limited supply, not everything we do can be done using technology, but of course, some activities can. What really bugs me is the fact that we cannot use blogs or do any online learning projects or online collaboration activities with an outside school. The administration claims there are too many risks yet to be ironed out. I really feel these are what our students need though. They need to have these experiences since they are so immersed in technology in their personal lives and technology is a tool that they probably use most often throughout their day. I think that the administration needs to understand this, but most likely doesn't because school administrators may very well be "digital immigrants." Prensky's article clearly stated that the "digital immigrants" do not understand the "digital natives." However, it's probable that many teachers of today do fall into the "digital native" category and could advocate for more technology to be used.

As for new literacies, namely, "visual literacy" which can be defined as students having the ability to look at and use visual images in a critical, responsible way, is important. Roblyer and Bennett's article pointed out the fact that students use technology so often, and since they are expected to use it at school, there should be some guidelines put into effect and they should have a solid understanding of how to produce visual, technology-based works. Even when students are exposed to any visual image, let's say, a picture depicting children in a Nazi concentration camp, they should have the knowledge to view the image in a critical way and be able to understand the emotions and situations the image is portraying.

Overall, I think that as long as educators realize the impact that technology has on our student's live, and as long as the administration gives us educators the tools, knowledge, and support necessary to carry-out different technology-based activities, such as videoconferencing, blogs, and online learning projects, the students will have a more positive outlook while at school. Students will be more engaged and more motivated to come to school and do the work. Teaching students about visual literacy will help students become more proficient at using technology, and it will give them an opportunity to use images, whether they are analyzing them for a class activity or analyzing them to put in a project, and to create a visual presentation that is of a higher caliber. All in all, it would help our students become more productive students and in turn, more productive and capable citizens of our society. Plus, enabling these new technologies and the literacies that come along with them, would give our students the tools they need to be prepared for their future.

My Thoughts re: The Role of Media in Learning

I must say that I honestly learned quite a bit from reading this week's articles. I do favor the use of media and technology in the classroom, as I believe they do play an integral role in the learning process and can result in improved student outcomes, yet I am still left with some of the same concerns - mainly the financial concerns - that I have had all along when it comes to incorporating these tools into the classroom. This issue will be discussed in a little bit.

In discussing the articles, I especially found the "Tech Tools for Learning" article by Will Richardson to be extremely insightful. I had heard of such tools as weblogs, podcasts, webcams, and streaming video before, but I didn't fully know what all of these tools were capable of. The RSS tool was new to me, so it was valuable to learn about that as well. I am disappointed though, by the fact that my school district doesn't allow the use of these tools at this time. There are too many issues, safety issues in particular, that must be ironed out before we can begin incorporating any of these modalities. But despite this pitfall, of all these technological tools, I found the podcasting and webcam ones to be of particular interest. It is amazing to learn about the possibilities these tools can offer. I really like how webcams can bring the outside into the classroom, such as through virtual fieldtrips. I'd like to try this someday, when it's allowed, of course!

Going along with the aforementioned, I also read the article, " In Pod We Trust" by Mikael Blaisdell. I was not aware of all that the iPod has to offer, to be honest. I knew it was mostly used to listen to mp3s; however, I did not know it could be used as a recording device which would allow for audio content to be uploaded to the computer and then broadcasted on the Internet. It seems that a device that is not allowed in some schools has the potential to serve as an excellent learning tool. I appreciated how the article raised this concern but presented the various capabilities the iPod has to offer. In a way, I do think that if students were allowed to bring iPods or other mp3 players with the same capabilities as an iPod, that they would be more open to this new way of learning. Students would feel as though they are given more freedom, yet at the same time, they can demonstrate, through proper use of the contemporary learning device, that they can be trusted to use this tool in school the way it was meant to be used. The major concern I have though is that some districts likely do not have the money to purchase such tools. Or, if the district can purchase them and offer them to families to buy, I fear that not all families would have the necessary funds to buy this device. The article mentioned how an iPod can cost between $300-$400, though with an educational discount, the price is about $30 less (p. 36). I still think that is a hefty price, especially given the fact that some families (and I'm referring to families within the school district where I teach), cannot readily afford sending their children on a $10-$15 field trip or even purchasing necessary school supplies. Then again, I wonder if families would set aside enough money for this tool since it provides benefits in and out of school. By this, I mean that students can use the "playback" feature to listen to the same material over and over again, and they can have access to the material at any time. Not only this, but it provides personal benefits as well. In a sense, it'd be like killing two birds with one stone because not only do students have a portable device in which they can listen to their music, but also their entertainment is serving as an educational tool. Students may feel more responsibility to take care of the device and actually use it since it provides a new way of learning, isn't as boring as learning via pencil, paper, and book, and essentially, "is a tool of their own" as the article mentioned on page 32.

I must also say that before reading these articles, I was skeptical about the use of the iPod in the classroom and its educational value. I know our principal briefly passed the idea by us last year saying that we might be getting iPods in the future. I didn't really think much of it except, "Well, what exactly, could we do with those?" Now, I'm very relieved to know about all they have to offer. I would be a proponent for obtaining these for classroom use, especially seeing as how media and technology have proven to be effective in the classroom according to the Reeves article.

I believe that media does have a positive effect on learning. It was interesting to read about the way "media" and "technology" were defined in the Reeves article. This helped to clarify the two. I have seen technology work in the school where I work because the computer acts as "tutor" just like the article mentions. Our struggling reading students use the software program Read 180 by Scholastic. I did an evaluation on this program for one of my past CTER classes and indeed, this program proved to be effective. Students' reading levels increased and their attitudes toward reading soared dramatically.

I agree with the Reeves article, that as long as teachers plan accordingly, choose the right materials, and plan enough in advance, that media and technology will work in the classroom and will yield positive results. I also feel that as long as other technology-based learning tools, such as iPods, weblogs, webcams, and streaming video are used effectively, to supplement the curriculum or to simply aid in the teaching and learning process, that students will be more motivated and eager to learn. Teachers will not be using technology just for the sake of using it, rather they will use it to benefit the students and the overall learning process.

My Thoughts on Blended Learning

As a middle school teacher, I think that blended learning has a lot to offer for the K-12 classroom. I agree that when traditional classroom methods are blended with technology in order to supplement the curriculum and when more progressive approaches to teaching are used, that it is more beneficial and engaging for the students. With this being said, it seems as though there are multiple definitions of "blended learning" as is apparent from the definition Norma gave us at this week's lecture and the readings. On the one hand, it seems that blended learning means utilizing technology in such a way that nearly everything covered in class is made available online, or that content covered in the face-to-face class meetings will be discussed between classmates in an online forum. On the other hand, it seems that blended learning is a combination of utilizing technology while still using traditional and progressive teaching methods in order to meet the needs of the many different types of learners in the classroom. Personally, I see the latter definition as one to which I can relate.

Because I teach at a school where more than half the students are living in poverty, it is no doubt that not every student has access to technology outside of school. Many families do have a computer, yet not every family has Internet access. Also, our school only has so many technological resources. Now that I have been at the same school for four years, I have seen the developments and additions our district has made when it comes to technology. I must say, we are working our way up and I think we have come quite a long way since I first began teaching at Wilkins. We've always had pseudo-computer labs (in the science classrooms) and one computer lab (which is most always used for the computer classes), but just recently, we have obtained the following: four LCD projector/laptop carts (2 for each grade level [7th and 8th grade]; a small number of Smart Boards (which aren't able to be used just yet); an ELMO machine/projector; and now, two "mobile" labs with four laptops each. Although it isn't much, it is an improvement and is something, to say the least. I believe having some technological resources available is better than having none at all. With this being said, it is not always the easiest or most convenient to incorporate technology into the curriculum. It is often a hassle to get computer-lab time since it means switching rooms with the science teacher for the day. Also, the limited number of technological resources makes it somewhat difficult to plan because the equipment you want might already be checked out.

Despite the aforementioned challenges, I have used technology in various ways with the students throughout my teaching experience, and I believe that, to an extent, I have also used blended learning. I feel that I am more of a progressive teacher anyway, and that I try to avoid teaching in a strictly teacher-centered way. I like it when the students are actively involved and are able to learn in more of a hands-on, collaborative way. As such, I have incorporated learning centers into both my Spanish and language arts curriculum in order to nurture the various learning styles of the students. I have used dice and spinner games for kinesthetic learners as well as designing activities in which the students get to use dry-erase boards and manipulatives; Pictionary and analyses of artwork for the more visual learners; reading, writing, and journaling activities for students who are more linguistic learners and intrapersonal learners; and light research activities involving use of the Internet for a variety of learning types. At other times, I have used differentiation in various activities to meet the needs of students who were performing at different academic levels. I have also designed a couple of webquests for Spanish and language arts (though these were nowhere near as in-depth as the one I am currently working on will be) so that the students were put on a mission to discover the answers to different questions; I've used the ELMO to present a book and related class material to the class; I've had the students use the Internet for research and to type papers and produce products such as pamphlets and PowerPoint presentations; and finally, I've used the LCD projector to present PowerPoint presentations to the class.

I think it is fair to say that what I have done can be considered blended learning. Due to the circumstances of where I teach as well as the grade level and certain other restrictions, it would not be possible to put all class material online, or even supplemental material, and expect students to discuss readings or engage in online chats outside of school. That just wouldn't be right because some students would not have a way of completing the assignments, unless they went to the library or stayed after school or during lunch. Same thing if I were to assign an Internet or computer activity to be done at home...not every student would have the same chance at completing it. However, I actually have done this before. Even though we worked on these assignments in school, there were still only a limited number of computers (15 in the science rooms/computer labs) and not enough time to accommodate every student to such an extent that the work would be completed. I always let students who don't have computer access at home use the computers at school first during class, but some of these students happen to be seemingly unmotivated, unfortunately, who normally have trouble completing regular types of homework assignments. Anyway, my point is that blended learning can be incorporated to the extent that it will work in one's curriculum as long as the necessary resources are there. I have found this to be true of my own teaching.