Assignment 1: Technology and UDL
I chose to make a Padlet for this assignment as I like the way it creates a live and interactive document. It is a also multimedia experience that contains images, videos, and text. Padlet can help students to show their connections between subtopics and is a very user-friendly interface. I also find that Padlet is a great tool for curating resources for students, or better yet, a place for them to curate their own materials. It can be a handy reference guide for the future. For this Padlet, I focused on the types of digital technologies that could be used to achieve each strand of UDL. For this assignment, you can navigate on the embedded Padlet image here itself, or go to the full site here. Feel free to add any of your own thoughts to it.
picture credit: https://sites.cortland.edu/academicapps/tag/readwrite/
Assignment 2: Google Read and Write for Classroom Teachers.
After completing the first assignment, I realized I could use this webpage as a tool for curating tech resources for teachers that I work with. I thought that making a screencast of Google Read and Write would be an accessible way for teachers to learn about the functions and how they can be used for reading, writing, research, and organization. This video of the screencast will be shared with teachers who wish to try it in their classroom, and it could also be shared with students. I started off my video with an overview of the resources provided by TextHelp as they are fantastic tools for the teacher (and students) to use when exploring or utilizing Google Read and Write in the classroom. Let your students play around, find the tools, and ways to customize and give choice in how they learn through accessing and sharing information
The above-mentioned documents can be found at these links.
Quick Reference Guide
Tools for Writing Process
Key Tools for Specific Needs
Assignment 3: Quick Reflection on Boardmaker
I like Boardmaker for students that require visual support, I find it works particularly well when we use it for “First-Then” language with students with ASD, so they can see what responsibility or task is before getting a choice or reward. This is how we use it in my school for a student with exceptionalities who doesn’t have a lot of functional communication. She gets to use the pictures to choose a preferred activity after we have shown which picture they have to do first. We have found that it works better when you use the format of board maker with actual photos of the spaces, objects, or students doing a task. I think this helps them to make stronger connections between their environment and themselves. I also like the idea of a student using the Boardmaker Editor function to communicate a flow of events or steps, as another way to communicate their understanding of a concept or topic. I think that there are a lot of possibilities with the new customizable symbols with higher contrast for students with visual impairments. I will keep the video from the assignment here for use in the future.
Assignment 5: Toolbelt Theory
I enjoyed thinking about a specific student for this assignment and considering the various needs they have, and how we can help them to access learning materials, engage in the learning process, and represent their understanding through tech tools employed by the teacher and the student. Please see the slideshow to learn more about my thoughts on Toolbelt theory, a student profile, and how we can employ technology to help them in all aspects of their learning. I can see how creating a simpler version of this slideshow in a document format attached to a learning plan can be a valuable tool for educators. Concerns and questions about the process are in the last slide.
Please see my Action plan slideshow above. The speaker notes for each slide is attached to my credit slide and can also be found here.