Brianna+Waddle

This is my webpage I created with html for ISTC.

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This voki discusses the importance of standards.

UDL assignment

1. In completing the learning styles survey, did you learn anything new about your personal learning style, or did the information confirm what you have already determined about how you learn best? Were there any suggestions offered for improving your study skills that you had not considered before? This survey confirmed what I already had learned through two years of college classes. I was homeschooled through high school so most of my instruction was from reading textbooks. I really struggled in classes like physics or math where I really needed someone to explain to me the concepts. I am mostly an auditory learner with a slight mix of every other style. I take notes during classes so that for tests I just look over them real fast and remember what the teacher said for each section. It suggested reading my textbooks out loud and after trying that I can say that it has helped me better comprehend what I am reading. I also realized that I need something to be shown to me in many different ways. I am mostly auditory but I also learn through other ways like kinesthetic. A lesson that incorporates multiple senses is better for me than just a lecture.

2. What was your overall impression of the CAST website? I think that the CAST website is great. There are so many resources for both students and teachers. I really like the classic texts. It is amazing how they can put interesting and academic books in UDL form. CAST seems to really care about making UDL a reality. There are so many options for all age and ability levels. This website has so much information about what UDL is, plus a whole book that teaches about how to use UDL in the classroom, as well as professional development and learning tools. I was really impressed by this website, I felt like they really did their research.

3. Did you find any interesting information in the electronic version of **//Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age//**? Describe how you might incorporate that information in your teaching. I really liked the section about using different media and teaching styles in class. As we learned from taking those surveys, each child learns differently. Teachers need to be able to prepare lessons that can reach many different children’s learning styles. There were many ideas and resources about using varied media in the classroom. Many teachers teach with paper and pencil tests, lectures, and textbooks. Some students need music, tactile lessons, or creativity. When I am a teacher I want to plan lessons that can help reach students of each learning style. I want the lessons to be flexible so they can incorporate any type of learning that comes into my classroom. It is important for a teacher to be able to recognize what type of learning a child does best in and then teach so they can do their best.

4. What was your reaction to the 2 activities in which you participated? Did you gain any new insight into your strengths and talents through these exercises? I really liked the cooking an Indian dinner because it was relative to my life. Having traveled around the world, and enjoying cooking I could really relate to the activity. I liked looking at a situation and thinking about what you could bring to it. It was interesting considering the challenges or weaknesses you’d have and the strengths you’d have in different situations. It made me think that I should do that when it comes to group projects or other things that I do in my life. Considering your strengths and weaknesses can help you in any situation. The other activity was also interesting. I really liked seeing the eye patterns of the person who analyzed the picture for different reasons. It is interesting that when we are looking for different things we use different parts of our brains even when it is in the same picture.

5. Many of my students have responded quite positively to the materials at CAST. How do you feel about this approach to developing differentiated instruction? I feel that many of the materials on CAST could be helpful when developing lessons in my future classroom. Some of the programs seem like they could be very useful for students. Also the different information and research could be very good for a teacher’s professional development. I feel like this website should have some more information on resources that do not have to do with technology. There can also be UDL ideas that are generated from nature or hands on activities. I fee like this would be a good resource as a teacher but not my only go to place.

6. What would you like to know/explore more at CAST? I would really like to explore the book builder website more. I found it extremely interesting because reading comprehension is my favorite subject. I personally love to read and I hope to someday become a reading specialist for ESL students. I would be interested in finding out more about the benefits of this website. I think the little characters that ask insightful questions that get the children thinking. I think it is neat that teachers can make books about the lesson they are currently teaching and help each student stay on track with their learning. I would like to someday make a book like that that can help children with reading. I like that you can make books for little children or create questions and reading comprehension strategies for older children. That combined with the classic texts that are made into UDL books can really improve children’s reading skills. Because I love reading so much I would really like to explore those two sections more.

Assistive Technology assignment

1**. From visiting the websites and viewing the videos in Part I of the assignment, what information did you learn about assistive technology for disabled individuals?** I learned that some students really rely on technology. We think that we rely on technology to get by each day but some students would not be able to talk or move without it. It was slightly eye-opening realizing how helpful technology can really be to students. It was amazing watching Ellen be able to talk and move about in ways she never would have been able to a few years ago because of technology. I was also surprised about the students who were learning using assistive technology in college. We have progressed so far in the past few years. I grew up with technology but many teachers had to learn to use it in the past 20 years. The quote, "Assistive Technologies are the tools and strategies that act to liberate the use of technology for all students as well as to provide new ways to "assist" interactions and learning. They act to "augment abilities and bypass or compensate for a disability" (Lewis, 1994). from: [], was very helpful to me. Even thought assistive technology seems like an easy term to define I found it helpful to have it explained to me. As a teacher I am going to need to explain assistive technology to students with disabilities, parents, and other students in my classroom. In order to do that I need to be able to know what it is.

2**. Were there any sites, products, or resources that particularly impressed you and that you want to remember as you prepare to become a classroom teacher?** I thought the American Sign Language browser at this website: [] was pretty impressive. As a teacher I can use this if there is a deaf student in my classroom. I can help them feel more at home and comfortable if they are able to communicate with me. I can also use this to teach hearing students different words. Throwing in different types of languages and cultures is important in the classroom. I could also use it if there was a deaf parent of one of my children. I really loved this website,[], because reading is my favorite subject. I have dreams of one day becoming a reading specialist and this website was very helpful. I love how it uses the five biggies of reading like phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. I think its great that they have both Spanish and English books. Students can use the computer to write stories, create their own books, and record themselves reading. I would like to use this program in my classroom as well as regular reading. It seems to be UDL to me because students who may have some sort of disability could use it as well as the other students in the classroom. 3**. What promises/potentials does technology provide for students with diverse learning needs?** As some of the students in the second video were discussing technology is allowing them to do well in school and go to college. The one lady said that she probably wouldn't be able to do here homework without her computer. I might feel like I could not survive on campus without my computer but she actually could not do any homework. The boy who could not move his arms or legs was able to play an instrument in band. He actually wanted to go to college and study music. If he did not have a modified instrument he probably would not have been able to play let alone study music. The technology he used opened many doors in his life. Assistive technology can help students reach goals they might not be able to on their own. 4.**Have you ever had a personal experience with a student or other person who has used some form of assistive technology to help them function in learning or everyday life? If so, describe what you observed from that experience in terms of meeting the special needs of those individuals.** I have not had a personal experience but as I plan on becoming a teacher I know I will in the future. From what I have seen from videos I have watched and what I learned in my Special Education class, technology can change someone'[s life. We once watched a video of a man who went to Towson University. He had cerebral palsy and could not really control his limbs. He was an artist and was able to communicate through typing works with a stick on the computer. He was able to paint because of a contraption someone invented for him that went on his head. Many people did not expect he could go to college but he ended up living on his own, getting an art degree, and getting married. He was not sure if he could get a degree because a sculpture teacher would not let him in his class but he ended up creating a sculpture on the computer and using a machine to create it. Technology can do wonders for many.

5.**From this assignment, what will you carry with you as you prepare to become a teacher – one that will, most likely, face the challenge of meeting the needs of special education students along with non-disabled learners?** I think the biggest thing I have learned is to never underestimate someone or give up on them. Do not limit someone because of their disability. I now know of so many ways that others have helped students by using technology. If I have a student in my class that needs assistive technology I have now learned more about it. I will help that student reach their goals. Even if something seems impossible, like someone who has no control over their arms or hands becoming a great artist, I know not to doubt that it is possible. I want to cultivate all student's talents and dreams and help them become the best they can be.


 * Toondoo **

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 * Fotobabble **


 * Glogster **

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 * Virtual ** **Field trip**

What struck me the most about this assignment was what I learned about virtual fieldtrips more than what I learned from the virtual fieldtrips. When I went to all the websites, one idea kept coming to me: virtual fieldtrips are a very good example of Universal Design for Learning. UDL is about making something accessible for everyone. Just as ramps make a building more accessible for people in wheel chairs, people with walkers, people with strollers, and the average person who does not like stairs, UDL can be used in learning as well. In learning, UDL is about making knowledge readily available to students with or without disabilities and it is about reaching all types of learners. The first website I went to was the British Museum on Mummies. I noticed how many pictures and interactive activities there were and how it could help visual learners. Then the virtual tour of the Smithsonian made me think about how it could bring the museum into the home of special needs students who can’t leave their house, allowing them to experience and learn something they could not do physically. This also helps children whose parents can’t afford for their children to travel to D.C. to see the museum in person, or for teachers who want to take their students on a fieldtrip but do not have funding for it. Every student can benefit from taking these tours and learning from them. That was what really made me think that virtual tours are UDL. Not only can special needs children benefit from it, but children with varied learning styles and “average” children can as well. The whaling activity is a perfect example of how a virtual fieldtrip can reach many different learning styles. First there is text and pictures on both of the websites which helps with verbal and visual learners. There are audio and video parts as well, helping audio and visual learners. Students can explore parts of history that may not have been available to them before the internet and these virtual tours. Going through these activities I learned more than I probably would have if I had just sat in a lecture. The knot-tying activity made this fieldtrip more realistic and kinesthetic. Students who learn by touch or movement were able to use their strengths. Also, I realized how hard it was to tie knots which helped me connect personally and understand a tiny bit about what a whaler’s life was like. Overall taking these virtual fieldtrips helped reinforce how technology can enhance each child’s education. In my future classroom I would be able to use these virtual tours to supplement my lessons. If we were learning about mummies I could have the children do a small report on the subject. I could first go through the tour with them and then allow them to use the website for sources. The Smithsonian would be a perfect tour to do with the whole class. If we had been learning about fossils and dinosaur bones, I could take them through the museum to look at the fossil exhibits. If a student got sick and was not able to make it to class I could send the website to their parents so the student could learn as well. As I said before, these tours are a good example of UDL and I could use them with students who need more pictures or audio. I could also use it for students who needed special modifications.

A link to Brianna's webpage for her Keystone Project.


 * Digital Story**
 * [|The Very Hungry Caterpillar]**

Technology is now a major part of the world for both teachers and students. What used to be incredible and unheard of is now a part of everyday life. As educators we need to help support the children in every way possible, by teaching them the skills they will need in the future. Technology is used extensively in college and in most jobs children will be encountering in the future. Many jobs these students will have probably have not been created yet. We need to be proficient in using technology so we are able to teach the children the appropriate way to use it. Many children have computers and phones at home and are able to work them but we need to teach them the professional and learning aspects of technology. Also any child who may not have those resources at home will only be able to learn about technology in the classroom. We want to be able to close the gap between lower economic families and higher economic families by providing a chance to learn the skills children may not be able to learn at home. It is important for teachers to be able to use technology because it sets a good example for the students. Children learn a lot of their behavior through the modeling of the teachers. Albert Bandura’s learning theory states that children learn through modeling and imitation. Teachers need to be able to incorporate many types of technologies into the classroom so the children are able to learn from them. Also Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences tells us that children have multiple learning styles. Not everyone has the same type of intelligence. Using technology can help us teach children with many different learning styles. A child who is high in musical intelligence may greatly benefit from hearing a song the teacher found on YouTube about vowels or fractions. By using technology we are exposing the children to different ways of learning as well as to a skill they will greatly need in the future. Our society is becoming dependent on technology and children need to learn how to use it. If we do not teach them in the schools then who will? // Young children are so capable of using technology that it astounds me. I am only twenty yet I feel old when a five year old can work a computer better than I can. Computers can be used in the class for small periods throughout the day. It can be used as stations or to help children with reading, spelling, or math skills. // // In my classroom I do not want the focus to be on technology but I do want to help prepare the children however I can to live productive and successful lives in the world. I want to teach them the skills they will need in all aspects of life. //
 * Final Reflection**
 * From my webpage: **
 * My mind has been opened to so many different uses of technology. When I wrote this technology to me was computers. Now I know how many different applications there are to use on these computers. When creating my lesson plan for this class I found so many resources I never knew existed. I am still astounded by the ability of young people to use technology but I know that I am capable as well. I need to stay on my toes so I am able to keep up with the students in my class. I have somewhat changed my mind about not wanting to focus on technology in my classroom. I still want to have a lot of projects and time spent outside, but I have learned that technology can benefit many students. I know that technology can help us reach students on a whole new level. I still agree that teaching technology is important because it is a skill that children will need in their future jobs. I now have a better idea of what it can mean to use technology in the classroom. **