EDU 6714: Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology – Reflection

I’m now at the culmination of one more course and have one more to go. It is always good to complete a course but it also good to know that what one learned from the course is something one can use in one’s classroom to help all learners. Differentiated instruction is something I was not very familiar with. To me it sounded more like special ed instruction. I found out I was wrong, as differentiated instruction can be applied in any classroom to ensure that learners with different backgrounds, learning styles, and ability levels have the opportunity to learn in multiple ways. Without knowing it, I was already using some of the differentiated instruction principles in my classroom as I use a wide range of technology tools to make my students learning more engaging, fun and meaningful. I was also doing differentiated instruction by teaching my students how to use different software to create digital content to show their knowledge in various ways.

Learning about Universal Design for Learning was very beneficial to me. I gained more knowledge about technologies that I can use in my classroom to make my teaching more effective to increase learning and higher achievement in my classroom. I also have a better understanding of some of the assistive technologies that are available for learners with disabilities. Knowing about the different formatting options that some programs offer can make a difference in some of my student’s learning.

I’m excited about all the new technologies I can add to my curriculum. This week I started teaching my students how to create a Glogster. They will create a digital poster for science including video clips, their video with narration, and digital art. Technologies like this keep my students engaged in their learning and excited about creating content to share with others. After TAKS testing, which is next week, I will dedicate more time of my instruction to have my students do more project-based learning using a differentiated instruction approach.

This summer I will be done with my masters so next school year will be very different. I will have more time to create lessons that include multiple technologies to teach, assist learning, and create content. I also want to do more hands-on projects. My class just finished creating landforms using tissue paper and paint. Their projects looked great and they had fund collaborating with their peers. I believe that effective lessons can be planned to help all our learners if we know how they learn, what interest them and also understand their culture. I understand how important is to assess our students to find out their interests and learning profiles in order to make better decisions in regards to our curriculum design. Small modification to the curriculum can make a big difference for some or all learners and can mean higher achievement in the classroom.