Reflection - EDUC-6714

In the last few years I have heard many myths from teachers, administrators, and speakers at seminars talk about UDL and DI in the classroom and never thought that it was something that I could do without revamping my entire curriculum. I also thought that it would be difficult because each year you would get a new set of students that would require different activities than the last, thus improving lessons from year to year would be difficult when the next group of students would need a different lesson. However, in this course I have learned that these myths are just not true about UDL and DI. UDL and DI are not just tools, it is a mindset that teachers must adopt, that not all students work and learn in the same or just one way.

I plan on using UDL and DI in a way that allows student the opportunity and responsibility to learn through variety. In the past year I use preset online labs simulations that come with the course text, however they do not allow the students the opportunity to play around with the simulations and make discoveries on their own. Currently I am planning differentiated learning activities that allow students to learn concepts by doing online lab simulations. The lab simulations are set up so that students can design their own lab procedures allowing them to discover different information and share with other groups or individual students to further their understanding of the concepts. Along with varying the way that I have students complete lab assignments on the computer I am also designing inventories with the help of this year’s students for next year to help determine student interests and learning profiles. I have assigned groups assignments on their favorite activities and ways they can relate it back to physics. So far the students have come up with activities with cell phones, iPods, skateboarding, and marching band. I have also changes the way I group students in my current classes based on the feedback that I have gotten from them on my physics class blog.

In addition to my blog I also plan on using a social network like the Ning site that we used in our group to communicate with other teachers and student. Next year we are starting a freshman academy where four classes of freshmen students will be grouped with 4 teachers for Math, Science, English and History. As one of those teachers I would like to start a network with the other teachers included to discuss unit topics and also to post ideas. When I have worked in groups like this in the past it is difficult to meet with teachers and have everyone bring all of their binders to a central room. Using a social network with a chat option (possibly even a video chat), will allow us to work from our classrooms where all of our materials are. I hope to even get students working in social networks with each other and myself. I think that as a high school teacher I am responsible for getting students ready to go to college and online communication is a big part of college now. I am also planning on using a network for students to discuss activities that they have done in class with other students that worked on different activities so that they can compare what they learned.