(Graphic created in Canva, n.d.) Week 3 Blog: Course Design and Coaching for SMART Goal One of the biggest challenges with technology integration is making sure tools don’t just exist in classrooms, but that they are actually used in ways that support students. For my SMART goal, I’m focusing on Read&Write, an assistive technology tool built into all of our 1:1 Chromebooks. My goal is to embed it intentionally into instruction so that students with IEPs can use supports like text-to-speech, speech-to-text, word prediction, and vocabulary help. I also see this as an opportunity to coach a colleague in doing the same, because when Read&Write is used well, it benefits all learners, not just the ones with documented accommodations. Part 1: Framework I chose the Triple E Framework because it is simple yet effective. It makes us ask the question, like does this tech engage students, enhance their learning, and extend their learning beyond the classroom? To help me design my LMS...

  (Graphic created in Canva, n.d.) Coaching a Peer to Develop SMART Goals For this week's assignment, I worked with Joanne and Sarah. For the purpose of this BLOG, I will be reflecting on Joanne’s SMART Goal. Joanne’s area of weakness was one I see all the time in schools, that is most teachers don’t know about technology resources that support students with learning disabilities, or they don’t know how to use them effectively. Joanne’s SMART goal is to research and share one new technology resource each month with her teaching colleagues throughout the school year, while also modeling the tools in her own classroom. I think her goal is really practical and needed. Teachers are busy, and often professional development comes in overwhelming bursts. Sharing just one resource per month feels doable, and I like that she’s committed to using the resources herself before passing them along. That gives her credibility and shows the tools actually work in practice. Looking at this through ...

Triple E Framework: Education First, Technology Second by: Dana Setchell When I think about technology in schools, it's easy to feel both grateful and overwhelmed. In USD 266 (Maize, Kansas), we're fortunate to be a 1:1 Chromebook district, which means students have access to a wide variety of tools every day. But with that access comes the big question: how do we know which tools are actually worth our time? For me, the framework that makes the most sense is Kolb’s Triple E Framework (Kolb, n.d.). Not only does it align with what our district is already doing, but I also had the chance to study and implement Triple E in my most recent class, EDUC 5313. Implementing that framework in other assignments has given me a good foundation in using it, and I can see how it connects to the this assignment too. In my opinion, out of the options available, Triple E feels like the most practical and applicable choice. (Graphic created in Canva, n.d.) The Triple E Framework is built aroun...

Image Source Week 5 Blog: Reflection on my Lesson with UDL Principles in mind      For this week’s reading, I chose the article UDL and Intellectual Disability: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go? by Rao, Smith, and Lowrey (2017). The authors describe how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can support students with disabilities to make meaningful inclusion by making sure they are truly engaged in learning with their peers, instead of just placing them in classrooms. They emphasize UDL's strength in its flexibility and also deliver multiple opportunities for representation, action and expression, and engagement, allowing students with diverse needs to participate in the classroom and succeed among their same-age peers.      The study argues that, while UDL is usually advocated in policy and practice, research on how it especially benefits students with intellectual disabilities is limited. The research they analyzed shows promising outcomes when UDL princip...

  Image created in Canva by Dana Setchell Activity 1: Blog  Accessibility For this week’s blog assignment, I tested out the accessibility of my Week 2 post by using a screen reader. I headed over to the Chrome Web Store and downloaded the first one that popped up... Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader.  It was super easy to install and use! Listening to my Week 2 blog took a total of 5 minutes and 28 seconds, and overall, I thought it read pretty well. I didn’t feel like I needed to make any changes or shorten anything. The flow felt natural, which was good. I did notice that the screen reader automatically numbered my bullet points (1, 2, 3), even though I hadn’t numbered them in the post. Not a big deal, but something I observed when listening to the read-aloud. I also added some accessibility features to my blog. After doing a quick Google search, I landed on elfsight.com .... again, it was the first thing listed, so I went with it (are we sensing a theme?) . I ...

  Motivated to Learn: What Educators Can Take from How People Learn II This infographic shows key concepts from Chapter 6 of How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures . It shows how learners' cognitive beliefs, social identity, cultural context, and the learning environment itself all affect their motivation. The study stresses how important it is to encourage growth mindsets, create a curriculum that supports students' identities, and give students more freedom to learn. These ideas fit with Gura's focus on creativity in education, especially the idea that giving students a say and a choice might help them get interested in what they're learning. Rivero's ideas, such scaffolding for mastery and creating culturally responsive learning spaces, give teachers real tools to use to get their students interested in learning. The ISTE Empowered Learner standard follows these ideas by telling students to set their own goals, work toward mastery, and take charge ...

Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/a5TNEnX5Qa9QhUdj7 AIW, NETP, and the Triple E Framework Part 1: Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) involves students engaging in meaningful, disciplined inquiry that produces work with value beyond school. Unlike traditional instruction, which often emphasizes memorization and isolated skills, AIW encourages students to apply knowledge to real-world problems, requiring critical thinking, construction of knowledge, and elaborated communication (Newmann et al., 2007). The three components of AIW are: Construction of Knowledge: Students organize, interpret, and analyze information. Disciplined Inquiry: Students apply prior knowledge to develop in-depth understanding. Value Beyond School: Work connects to real-life contexts. In Chapter 2, empirical evidence from Newmann et al. (2007) shows that when students engage in work emphasizing construction of knowledge and disciplined inquiry, they demonstrate higher level...