Reflection for EDUC 6714

As an educator what I have taken from this course will allow me to use technology to differentiate instruction for the diverse learners in my classroom. Getting to know your students today is a lot different than when I was in school twenty years ago. I do not recall my teachers ever creating lesson plans that were geared for different types of learners. Today, in order for all of my students to succeed, I must implement the principles of Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction. By understanding UDL and DI, what the students learn can be influenced. Dr. Tomlinson said it very simply, “it matters to know the kids that we teach” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). At first I felt lost, I did not know how to determine my student’s interests, learning styles, intelligence preferences, or learning styles, but as we progressed through this class it became quite clear that all of the resources I needed were literally at my fingertips. The Differentiation Station that was created for this course was and is and will be a very valuable resource to use throughout my teaching career. Even though the majority of the teachers do not teach an elective class, the resources are geared towards the individual learner, not the class that is being taught. Along with the Differentiation Station, more avenues that are available for me to utilize are the resources that I have actually created myself. During the course of this class I have created a survey to help me determine what kind of learners my students are, and I have also created a lesson plan that implements Differentiated Instruction with technology.

As a technology teacher I utilize quite a few different technologies in my Hi-Tech Career classroom that engage my students in the learning process. My biggest hurdle is to integrate more technology into my Woodworking classes. Since the dawn of time, Woodworking has traditionally been a hands on craft, but as new technologies emerge, the tools that were used yesterday are not necessarily going to be the tools that we use tomorrow. Facing this, my goal has become to make adjustments to my instructional practice regarding the use of technology integration. With the first semester of this school year coming to an end in seven weeks, I have made it part of my lesson plan for next semester to implement the lesson plan that I created during week six of this course. This lesson plan focuses on the diverse learning styles of my students, Universal Design for Learning, and incorporating technology to differentiate a product. In the DVD program High Quality Curriculum, Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson states that, “Technology addresses all multiple intelligences” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), and by allowing my students to choose how to create the finished project not only empowers the student, but also gives them the opportunity to excel in their best area. When integrating technology to meet the diverse needs of my learners, I will be able to, “motivate, engage, and meet the needs of every student” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009)

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). High quality curriculum. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Introduction to Differentiated Instruction. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.