Chapter 10

Focus Question

What are differentiated instruction (DI) and universal design for learning?

Differentiated instruction (DT) is an instructional approach that gives students “multiple options for talking in information and making sense of ideas.” Differentiated instruction (DI) and universal design for learning (UDL) are frameworks for teachers to use in adjusting their curriculum and instruction away from a one-size-fits all model toward approaches that address the needs of students within the same class.

Photo credit: New World of Education

Summary

Chapter ten starts off talking about differentiated instruction and universal design for learning. DI and UDL are often associated with instructional changes designed to meet the needs of students with special educational needs, gifted and talented learners, or English language learners. It’s important as a future educator to become aware of all the different technology resources that can be incorporated into the classroom. There are two main routes for designing your classroom using technology: changing the classroom learning environment or changing how the curriculum is delivered. All teachers need to be prepared for students who will need assistive technologies. Assistive technologies are tools that make academic material more accessible to students by minimizing barriers to learning. An example of an assistive technology is an electronic speller and dictionary. This device can find correct spellings, listen to words spoken aloud, and check the accuracy of their spelling without adult help. By plugging headphones into the machine, students with hearing impairments can see and hear words they may not be able to sound out phonetically. Another assistive technology is the calculator. A calculator is a basic device that we all use as we continue our education process. Speech recognition software translates a person’s spoken words into written text on a computer screen. For students who have been unwilling or unsuccessful writers, speech recognition software offers a new way to record their thoughts that then becomes their writing. Text reading software is another example of an assistive technology that lets computer users hear written text aloud by the computer. The last assistive technology that book talks about is the interactive electronic storybook. There is some debate about the storybook. Educators have differing views about the usefulness of electronic storybooks for young readers. Some see interactive storybooks as open ended classroom resources. Other educators, concerned about students becoming overly dependent on computers, they wonder if the interactive features of electronic storybooks may distract students from the process of reading by decoding written words. There are tons of opportunities to involve students with technology based tools.

This is a video on how Speech recognition software is used.

Tech-Tool Link

The tech tool link I checked out was “Jim Martindale’s calculator’s on-line center.” Martindale’s calculator’s on-line center features links to more than 22,000 calculation programs. The website is what I would consider to be information overload. The background is a royal blue color with a page full of hundreds of links to click on. The site is extremely overwhelming and in my opinion not easy to navigate.

APA:
Maloy, R. (2011). Transforming learning with technologies. Boston: Pearson.