Culminating+Activity+III

NET GENERATION, helping others to understand.

by: Maria Sproat Joseph Page Lyndsay Trenge

From an educational viewpoint, what could be more important than understanding other cultures through direct dialog and collaboration? Furthermore, given recent economic times, worldly views of the student can be expanded with zero cost allocated by the distict. The Internet permits free video conferencing which permits interaction in real time with sister schools in other countries. Technology is no substitute for an inspiring teacher. Information technology allows learning anywhere, anytime; not just in one particular classroom for forty minutes a day. In a typical high school a student has access to a teacher 40 minutes per day. That means she has access to that teacher 5% of her waking day, and even that time is shared with 25 classmates. Students have access to the Internet 100% of the time. That's 20X better. Additionally, a wireless laptop has access to the teacher's course material and the entire Internet almost anywhere. This is also a vastly larger resource than can be practically carried on paper in a backpack. A laptop computer weighs about 5lb and provides access to infinitely more material via its own storage and the Internet. Finally a 40GB hard drive can hold 2 million pages with illustrations.

Interactive teaching can produce a much greater depth of understanding of a concept. Students can be actively engaged, and are able to “create” their own learning environment using outside resources. When in a classroom, it brings more of a visual and auditory learning style to the classroom which benefits more students at once. It also helps create a more flexible learning environment for you are able to record or save lessons and reteach complicated material. On the other end of things, you also have the ability to add things to lessons which students who finish early or need enrichment can easily access.

Technology allows the tables to be turned. Instead of teaching with a “sit and git” model, students can be given projects that require them to learn or pull the necessary material themselves. Key to this is the ability to get the information they need any time anywhere, without being in the physical presence of a teacher. This project-based or constructivist approach makes learning far more interesting and authentic for the student. Using modern technology enables students to: make a PowerPoint presentation, record/edit spoken word, do digital photography, make a video, run a class newspaper, run a web based school radio or TV station, compose digital music on a synthesizer, make a website, create a blog.

A vital skill in the new digital world is the ability to work collaboratively on projects with others who may not be physically close. This can best be done using modern computer tools such as the web, email, instant messaging and cell phone. Rather than laboring alone on homework, students can work in small groups wherever they happen to be and at any time. They are doing this already (it used to be called cheating) - it can now be formalized and taught as a vital skill.

 It is proven that if students in the 21st century classroom are not multi-tasking, they are not fully engaged. Technology ‘native’ require an authentic approach to teaching which includes multiple representations, actions and expressions, and lessons that spark his/her interests.


 * Adam and Catie's Persuasive Essay - Culminating Activity 3**

Persuade the principal to embrace UDL

Research suggests that the net generation learns and thinks in ways different than previous generations. So why should we be using the old ways of teaching? Our goal as a district is to pass the PSSAs. If the students are taking the PSSAs, we should teach them how they learn best rather than how we learned best when we were in school years ago. For example, students now use technology to search for information they want to learn (this could be video game knowledge or celebrity knowledge), but since they are capable of conducting online research, we should tap into that skill by allowing them use the same technology to gain knowledge here at school. UDL will help all students, including the lowest level students, be as successful as possible by presenting them with different tools to learn the necessary information. This will also help build confidence for the PSSA testing, and hopefully encourage curiosity as well. Why would we stick with the "one size fits all" approach when this strategy has caused our district to fail the PSSAs. Obviously, this approach is not working, so it is time to try a new approach, and why not try methods that coincide with interests and knowledge students already have?

End of Adam and Catie's comments

Marcia, Sacha & Donna's Persuasive Response:

With today’s diverse student population traditional methods of instruction are not adequately preparing our student s to survive in the 21st Century. If we incorporate the principles of the Universal Design for Learning into our current practices we can better meet the needs of all students. These principals allow us to tailor instruction to beat the “one size fits all” current methodology, and therefore allow educators the flexibility to adapt the methods of instruction, the materials and assessment through the use of various technological media. Our children are digital natives, in order to better prepare them for our world, we need to connect to them through theirs.

We've come upon a way we can cut expenditures while bringing our students to the cutting edge of education in the 21st cen t ury! Since our primary goal is to educate, we can do this through technology. Vast technology is being discovered at lightning speed, whi ch is exactly how our students are seeking knowledge. We can cut down the amount of paper and books to be purchased by using ebooks wherever possible! We can differentiate projects, engage students globally and prepare individuals for the digital age by increasing the amount of technology used in every class. All of our academic teachers agree that we have a tough time keeping students engaged in the subjects we teach. Wouldn't it make sense to try to engage them in ways that they already find appealing? For example, what if, instead of banning cell phones, we come up with assignments that use them? And instead of spending thousands of dollars a year on heavy textbooks that are hardly ever opened by students, what if we purchased Apple's new interactive textbooks? These interactive textbooks are available for trial now (I have sent you a link with this email) and cost only $15 each (as opposed to the $85 per book we paid for the new chemistry texts last year).
 * Deb and Stephanie write:**

Of course, traditional paper and pencil will still need to be a part of the curriculum but isn ' t it exciting to know there are new options for educators to reach students who are already more technologically advanced than when we were in school. It is important for us to us utilize UDL for our students. This will ensure that diverse learners are successful through instruction that is designed to reach their learning styles/preferences. It will assist educators in understanding the value of technology for providing access and engagement in student learning. UDL will provide the framework in guiding educators in understanding diversity and supports these differences through a variety of tools. The guiding principles of UDL will allow student to succeed are representation, action and expression and engagement. Teachers need to embrace technology as a tool for all students to succeed, not just those with special needs. Teachers can no longer teach step by step in a serious linear manner. They need to allow students to be active participants with opportunities for instant gratification, multitasking, and choice. Students will no longer accept being passive bystanders! Traci and Laura
 * Traci and Laura**

 Dear Dr. Roy,   We all learn differently and have a plethora of ideas to share and bring forth into our world. It is not a one-size fits all way of living anymore, since we are a diversified cultural society. In order to reach all students, educators need to utilize the integration of technology and make sure that our curriculum is being differentiated to reach all students. In order to reach all learners in this digital age, there are three principles of UDL that need to be implemented which will help enhance and improve how educators set goals, individualize instruction, and assess our students’ progress. This will be done through the representation of the lessons, the students will be able to actively participate and will be provided with opportunities to expressive themselves through their ways learning so that all are engaged.  This is a digital age and technology will n ever be obsolete. Technology will be a part of their every day lives and jobs in the 21st century. We need to take in to account our future generations. Whether we like it or not this is how our children learn today and we need to prepare them for these times, b y providing the interaction and utilization of technology. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Another reason to incoporate the principles of UDL is that it makes learning more accessible to all children. If we consider the learning styles and needs of children with exceptionalities we will include all learners. Before developing curriculum this should be established so that the supports are present prior to planning the content. This way of planning, from the bottom up, is very different from the top down approach. This approach guarantees that we are less likely to have a student’s needs go unaddressed since the child is considered a foundational part of the lesson rather than an afterthought.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <span class="author-g-grz122z2xwx41slj40qz122z" style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; font-size: 13px;"> Sincerely, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Ronni e Arena <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <span class="author-g-grz122z2xwx41slj40qz122z" style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; font-size: 13px;"> Courtney Ayre <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <span class="author-g-grz122z2xwx41slj40qz122z" style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; font-size: 13px;"> Rebecca Schaffrick