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Discussion Question 2
Traditional assessment methods of measuring a student's intake and retention of curricula content contain many barriers that affect the learner's ability to accurately express his/her understanding of the material that was presented to him or her. As teachers, we have been trained to present course content in a lecture based format, along with independent reading from the textbook to add to the students' level of comprehension. To assess whether the students were successful in understanding,remembering, and applying the content; we present them with a series of questions that they must answer with a certain level of accuracy. Whether the answers be written out or bubbled in, the expression of knowledge involves putting information on a sheet of paper in a written format.

What is created using this method is a limitation of and,possibly, a disabling of
a student's self expression. The student is trapped into a single form of assessment and not allowed to work within the manner of expressing knowledge that is instinctively inherent to him or her.

To combat this, UDL suggests allowing varied measures of student understanding to be offered. Giving students options allows them to tap into their personal strengths and show learning in a way that is most comfortable for them. Therefore, providing the teacher with a more valid measurement of understanding from his/her learners.

Although it is very easy to understand and agree that this would be a better way of handleing assessments, there are many chal- lenges that go along with this method. Having the time to create the different assessments options; comparing the measurements across the classroom of students; and creating a standard for measurements that take into consideration each students individuality are just a few of the challenges that I see happening from the beginning. In spite of these, however, I feel that it is very important to vary the assessment methods offered to the students. By doing so,we will gain more insight as to the learning capacities of our students and have students who are more eager to learn and more engaged during the learning process.

Discussion Question 1
I apologize for being late on this assignment. I had some trouble pulling up the site from work.

I strongly feel that by using different materials and teaching methods will reach more learners in the classroom because students learn and take in knowledge differently. One of the first things I read in this module is how each brain is as different as a person's fingerprints. Imagine, with a class of 20 students, how many different types of brain activity is going on at once.

Different methods were listed that are typically used in classrooms, such as text, images, manipulatives, video, paper/pencil, computer and audio. Even though a teacher may say they use the different methods, most likely it would be connected to what they are teaching. I can see a teacher giving manipulatives for a math assignment, but how often would they give manipulatives for a writing assignment? The same would go for a video. I often see teachers putting science videos on but not for other subjects. Using the different methods through all of the subjects would benefit the learners greatly.

The challenges may seem difficult at first but once a teacher gets in the idea of breaking the same ol' same ol' routine, they will find that students will be able to catch on easier and retain more information.

The important thing to remember is that if we learn to reach the different type of learners in the classroom, but then use the same assessments that we always have ie: pencil and paper, multiple choice questions, we will continue to fail our student's needs. Just like they learn differently, they also express themselves differently e need to accuracy assess their knowledge.

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Alissa and Karen were able to attend this year's Assistive Technology Industry Association and Florida Educators Technology Conference. The conference presenters shared tons of great resources. Below are just a few that you may find useful!
Edmodo is a social network for teachers and students to interact.
Wordle is a fun tool to use. Here is a presentation on 50 ways you can use it in your classroom.
Do you use home/school communication books? Here is an interesting presentation to make your's on the web!
There are lots of ways to use VoiceThread. Group conversations are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world. All with no software to install.
UDL Bookbuilder- Use this site to create, share, publish, and read digital books that engage and support diverse learners according to their individual needs, interests, and skills.
Louden County Public Schools UDL Resources

Discussion Question 1
Yes, Susan. We had some of the first Mac's in our classroom.

What's a typewriter? :)

Discussion Question 1
Computers in the classroom???? You must be young! We had typewriters!

Discussion Question 1
Susan and Dana: We are all on the same page. Personally, I get giddy thinking of the potential that technology has to offer our students. New software and sites get introduced daily that benefit ALL students. I have a very clear memory of a teacher I once had that only let the "star" students (the ones that finished their work quickly and displayed "teacher-pleasing" behavior) use the computers in class. What a mistake! The whole class deserved a chance to use them. She was actually one of the motivating factors in my choice to go into ESE. I knew that struggling learners needed something more than text books and worksheets. I am glad something good came of it!

Discussion Question 2
Headsup: Yes! We each have such diverse students in our classes. It can be overwhelming at times. With such unique needs, especially regarding students with Aspergers or ADHD you really have to think out of the box to keep them engaged and motivated. You really have to go beyond a student's IEP and learn their needs and interests.

Discussion Question 2
Kim: You have made some good points. During pre-planning teachers are often so crunched for time but making a point to really become fluent in your curriculum materials can make all of the difference. You are able to see where you may need to add more hands-on activities for your tactile learners for instance.