Universal Design for Learning


I have completed the UDL checklist to critique a Lesson Plan I have produced. This was an eye opening experience. Items that were not represented or underrepresented in my lesson plan were marked as “barrier” and those that were well represented or mostly represented were marked as “feature” I have also explained why.

This activity did point out many week points in my lesson plan. The problem is that it seems as though to cover all these bases it would take a great deal of time and effort to plan the lesson, to go through the lesson and to provide feedback on the lesson. It looks like a sound and well research theory, but how does this actually translate to practice? I would like to hear from high school science teachers that are effectively using this technique to see how they are doing it.

Merlot Review "Ideal Gas Law Simulation"

This simulation is of high quality as it correctly represents the behavior of gases under variable conditions and amounts.

The simulation could be used at any of the stages in the learning cycle depending on how it is applied. After using this simulations students should understand how each variable in the ideal gas law affect one another.

For this simulation to be effective, students should have been exposed to the kinetic molecular theory and the combined gas law.

The simulation make the interactions between the variable visible with data and but animated atoms. It could be used with current pedagogy depending on the needs of the instructor and the students.

Depending on how it is presented, this simulation could be used in a variety of ways. It could be used to describe the ideal gas laws, to demonstrate one variable changing another. to allow students to practice using the ideal gas laws by using it to help them solve problems and it could be used to apply the ideal gas law to a new problem they have not seen before. This versatility makes it an easy tool to apply to the classroom.

The simulation is very easy to navigate and easy to understand. Controls are clearly labeled and easy to reset. Slide bars make is easy to change any variable quickly and accurately. It also has some features that allow the user to track a single atom to see how altering the variables affect it. These visual representations would be engaging and easy to recognize for students. However, it does not present students with problems for students to try on their own to assess them on their understanding of the concepts.

Personal Learning Reflection

Through my experiences in this class I have discovered many interesting types of education technologies and their possible applications. More importantly I have learned how to choose an effective technology based on education standards such as NETS-S and my own personal experience in using these technologies.

 By using the various forms of technology in this course I have been able to experience the positives and negatives of using these tools to complete an assignment. For example, I have learned a lot about the benefits and frustrations when it comes to collaborating on a group project without ever seeing or talking to any of the group members. The collaborative semester project I have assigned recently is vastly different from the one I assigned in the first semester. I made sure to hold each group member accountable, set up checkpoints along the way to monitor progress, provided an opportunity for peer editing, and offered students ideas for effective collaboration as well as etiquette.

 My main goal was to improve my online course delivery. Having used Google Docs, RSS feeds and blogs has enable me to incorporate them into my class effectively. These all sound like great resources for students to use, but it can be confusing and even pointless to implement their use if the tool does not match the task. Google Docs has enabled students to collaborate on class projects by sharing documents, presentations and data in an AP environmental science. Chemistry students have also been using Google Docs and Presenter to do their semester project. RSS feeds have been helpful for AP students in connecting with professional communities to further develop their projects. The AP students will also have a blog to show off their accomplishments once their semester project is complete. This could make an excellent addition to a college or job application.

Our SIG presentation about Popplet was a strong representation of good teaching because it is not only an effective educational piece itself, but an example of what can be accomplished through collaborative technology use. It was by no means easy. However, I do believe that a collaborative project is more powerful than a solo project due to the multiple points of view represented as well as the development and refinement of these ideas through team work.

I have met each of my goals for this class while at the same time developing new goals. I have improved online delivery of both of my Moodle courses by effectively incorporating blogs, RSS feeds and Google Docs. Although this has been a terrific learning experience, it has also opened my eyes to other possibilities and all the new technologies I would like to implement in my classroom. I am in contact with a handwriting recognition company to eventually allow how written math calculations to be graded automatically. This will allow for immediate feedback during practice and assessment in chemistry, but will also have applications in math and physics courses. I am also working on refining my online delivery by learning more of the capabilities of Camtasia Studio. I am excited to continue my own education while at the same time improving the education of my students through the use of technology.