Digital Blog Post #G-EME2040

Chapter 10 discusses "Promoting Success for All Students through Technology."  The three concepts I wouod like to discuss that I drew from the materials are:  Differenciated Instruction, Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technologies.

Differenciated Instructions, or DI, approach where different methods are used for different learning needs.  DI is broken down into four areas: Readiness, Interest, Learning Profile, and Affect.  Readiness is achieved when prior experiences prepare the student for learning and for the learning environment. The student takes life lessons and familiararity nd applies them to the current situation.  Interest is defined by the students curiosity and commitment to learning.  If the student is interested and excited about a particular subject or activity, the chances for success go up.  Learning Profile is how the students learn best, whether it be formal or informal strategies, traditional or hands on demonstration.  Affect is how students regard themselves and the school as learners or learning establishments. (Maloy)

Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, applies recent advancements in understanding how the brain processes information to the design of curriculum. (Maloy)  In other words, classroom lessons are designed around different learning styles.  UDL is based on the concept from the architecture field and is defined in the following terms:
----Multiple means of representation-- Give learners various ways of aquiring information and                   knowledge. (Maloy)  Working in small groups or centers
----Multiple means of expression- Provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know.          (Maloy)   Some students can regurgitate information through test answers while others are terrible       test takers but can use visuals such as graphs and power point presentations to show mastery of a         subject.
----Multiple means of engagement- Tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges and                 increase motivation (Maloy).  Getting to know students on an individual level is paramount.                 What makes an individual tick?  What gets thier attention?

Assistive Technologies allow teachers to apply the concepts of DI and UDL to the classroom and put into practice.  Assistive technology allows students with disabillities to translate text and understand spoken word and data with aids of supportive tools such as text to talk or talk to text software and interactive white boards.  The challenge for teachers is finding the time, resources, and tools to implement DI and UDL into everyday lessons.


Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc

Digital Blog Post #E-EME2040

This week we are learning about software, apps and games.  Classrooms today are constantly adding excitement to learning and classwork by incorporating educational games to the curriculum.  Every subject can be explored and grab students complete attention with games such as:  Math Blaster, Raft Race Challenge, and The River City Project create stealth learning, which incorporates academic information by embedding it into the game play, thus teaching lessons and skills to the students without them even realizing they are learning.  My 10 year old son and his friends are hugely into Minecraft.  They are going to play video games anyway so the fact that they choose to play an educational one is relieving.  I do however believe that being able to open a text book and have the ability to learn "the old fashion way" has value.

One of the main focuses of the chapter is Higher-Order and Lower-Order thinking as associated with Bloom's Taxonomy, which is an educational classification tool that distinguishes between different forms of thinking.  Lower levels of thinking range from basic recall to interpretation of information and higher levels range from comparison and evaluation to perspective and creativity.  The revised (in 2001) list of thinking is remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, synthesis and evaluation.  When I was in elementary and secondary school classroom work primarily lied on the lower end.  Lessons consisted of memorization mostly:  copying vocabulary words out of the glossary, flashcards, and copying chapter outlines for study guides off of the overhead projector were the norm.  Nowadays teachers are using much more visual and interactive activities and small groups for class lessons.

As I discussed earlier, gaming has become a huge part of education today, but how are teacher to know which games are genuinely educational and which ones aren't?  In order to help teachers discover and utilize the best apps and games, Blooms classifications are used as a rubric for evaluating their usefulness.  Games and apps are evaluated for both age appropriateness and learning content.  It is widely considered that educational games and apps should incorporate higher-order learning.  According to the textbook authors higher order thinking should include complex storylines, meaningful, age appropriate characters, realword settings with complex puzzles,interaction possibilities with virtual characters, opportunities to replay the game with different possible outcomes and interesting and engaging graphics.  Most games are evaluated within three catagories:  Entertainment, which often involve violence, confrontation or first person shooting: Edutainment, which are fun and engaging but blend in academic content and purely educational which put an emphasis on learning and promote higher levels of problem solving and complex situations. 

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.