Welcome to my showcase! Below I have featured some of my work surrounding the impact of educational technology within the topics of unique lesson design, overcoming obstacles, deaf education, and a step further into the personal side of teaching. Please feel free to explore the following work as it may lead you to some new information, and many other helpful resources and tools.
Unique Lesson Design
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing curriculum that allows all students to enthusiastically learn knowledge and skills. This framework has a variety of supports for learning and diminishes barriers to accessing the curriculum. Click the button on the right to read a blog post I have written explaining how to use UDL when lesson planning. There is also an example included of my own worked which I later went back and made changes utilizing the UDL principles.
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I designed a foot piano using a makey makey to use as a tool to help a student learn and practice syllables. This students needs are quite unique both physically and educationally, which was the driving factor behind my lesson design. I designed my lesson to uniquely fit this student needs because I truly believe each student is unique and thus learns differently. This lesson plan allows me to accommodate the students differences through using his feet and integrating crucial listening skills. In addition, the lesson gives me the opportunity to interact with the student to scaffold support. I have written two blog post that I would encourage you to check out which contains the actual lesson plan and links to more resources about differences between learners.
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Overcoming Obstacles
I have spent some time researching what had been coined a "wicked problem" facing education, re-imagining online learning. Exploring different problems within online learning a colleague and I focused on the quality of courses being designed and delivered online. This information is now available through a curation of different multimedia sources where we present possible solutions, including focusing on problem solving skills and teacher preparation.
Through my work with students who have special needs it became evident that general education teachers needed resources for gaining a better understanding of technology for the student with special needs. To begin on this journey, I created a resource that is meant to be a conversations starter and to facilitate discussion about integrating technology into the classroom for learners with special needs. To convey this information I created a prezi and also encourage others to watch a video from edutopia which explores how technology has impacted students lives.
In continuing to think about technology in the world of special education I also sought information related to iPad effectiveness in the classroom. Therefore I examined research and drew some conclusions on the relationship between iPad use and acquiring content vocabulary knowledge. I choose content vocabulary because this is a specific area many student with hearing loss, that I work with, struggle to acquire. You can read my findings in the attached file to the left, or you can find it online, here.
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A Deaf Education Focus
Deafness is a low incidence disability, meaning it is not all that common to encounter or deal with. However, if you tell a teacher they are going to have a deaf student in their class next year, you can see the panic forming in their eyes. This is because teachers are not trained to know what a student who is deaf or hard of hearing may need in the classroom. I created a manifesto, viewable at the link or to the left, to help those interested in learning more about deaf education and helping students with hearing loss. This manifesto is not a replacement to consulting with a licensed teach for the deaf and hard of hearing or audiologist, but a list or resources and important content knowledge areas. |
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As a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing I am sometimes sought out by teachers who think students are having a hard time listening in class. Some student who do not have hearing loss may still have other problems making it difficult for students in class. One of these areas I have done some work in is Auditory Processing Disorder, or APD. Student with ADP can hear information but may struggle to store, locate, retrieve, or clarify the information, making it difficult to use the information for academic or even social purposes. I did a technology highlight for a tool, Fun with Directions by Hamaguchi Apps. Click the button to the right to check out the full paper, and click on the picture to check out the app!
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A Step Further
We all know teaching is so much more than content, pedagogy, technology, curriculum, and a paycheck. Everyday we sacrifice ourselves in order to give to our students. Two things are required to do this: passion and curiosity. This passion fuels us and keeps us motivated, caring for our students no matter what our personal problems. The curiosity sets us out to seek new, life changing, information. This information is what keeps us seeking and being true lifelong learners. If we can support and affect each other as teachers, that will spill over into each teacher’s students. It is like bucket filling, when your bucket is full you can’t help but have it spill over onto others! (McCloud & Messing, 2006) Check out this poem I wrote to reflect on passion and curiosity in my teaching journey thus far.
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