Equal Access to the Digital World!

Providing equal access to the digital world should be a standard for all learners.  The National Center on Universal Design for Learning (NCUDL) was established based on the ideas that Universal Design for Learning helps break down the "unintentional barriers" that are created by "inflexible, "one-size-fits-all" curricula" (NCUDL, 2012, p. 1).  According to NCUDL (2012), "average [students] may not have their learning needs met due to poor curricular design" (p. 1). Additionally, in 2004 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was revised and the requirement that every child must be "considered" for assistive technology" was added (Mittler, 2007, p. 82).  

The use of technology to provide individualized, effective instruction provides the opportunity for teachers and students to meet the 21st century learning standards that are part of the Common Core Standards (CCCS) and the International Society for Technology in Education standards (ISTE) (Levin & Schrum, 2009).  
When schools and teachers strive to meet the principles of Universal Design for Learning all learners benefit.  It is a difficult approach that does require time and dedication from all members of a school community.  Above all it is necessary for teachers to have access to technology.  Additionally, it is essential for teachers to have training on ways to integrate technology.

There are ways parents can support the initiative to promote the principles of Universal Design for Learning in the classroom.  Reach out to the school board and superintendent and let them know if you feel your child has access to the digital world.  Raise awareness to other parents about the needs for technology in the classroom through PTA meetings.  Write grants for the school to receive donated technology.

References:

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2014). Retrieved on April 12, 2014, from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

International Society for Technology in Education. (2010). Retrieved on April 12, 2014, from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf

Levin, B. B. & Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21^st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Mittler, J. (2007). Assistive technology and IDEA. In C. Warger (Ed.), Technology integration: 

Providing access to the curriculum for students with disabilities. Arlington, VA: Technology and Media Division (TAM).

National Center on Universal Design for Learning. (2013). Universal Design for       Learning Retrieved on April 12, 2014, from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl/conceptofudl

Edmodo

Edmodo Group 

I am excited to announce that I have created an Edmodo account. According to Tech Talk (1999), “Edmodo is a social learning network that gives teachers and students an easy way to connect and collaborate in real time” (p. 15). Teachers, as well as parents can use Edmodo to search for information on all educational topics from book suggestions to solving math problems. Teachers can use it to post links to websites, articles, and videos or post lessons and projects. It is helpful to think of Edmodo as Facebook for the classroom. There is a wall that is set up by the teacher, which can have different groups. Anyone can post to the wall, but just like Facebook, it is monitored by the creator or the teacher. Having students share their ideas and work on Edmodo provides them with the opportunity to experience a real world application in a safe and secure setting. Additionally, this learning environment provides teachers and parents the opportunity to discuss netiquette. Netiquette is the proper behavior that should be used when sending emails and using the Internet (Levin & Schrum, 2009). Students can also save their work on Edmodo, which is great since it can be accessed anywhere with an Internet connection. Since I am new to Edmodo, I want to share with you some ways Jan Wells, a fourth grade teacher from Kansas uses Edmodo to enhance her instruction.

Jan's class had a guest speaker via Skype and while the speaker was presenting the students were using Edmodo to “carry an online conversation about the spoken remarks” with another class (Dobler, 2012, p. 12). She also uses Edmodo to introduce new topics by posting links to videos, images, and sites on the same topic. In her class, students post their independent or group work to Edmodo, so their classmates can see what they working on during the day. Lastly, she uses Edmodo to encourage conversations and connections. For example the students might discuss school events or holidays.

As you can see the possibilities and uses of Edmodo are endless. I am looking forward to jumping into this new adventure with you. Please feel free to post to our board often.

Dobler, E. (2012). Flattening classroom walls: Edmodo takes teaching and learning across the globe. Reading Today, 29(4), 12-13. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/926994460?accountid=3783

Levin, B. B. & Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21^st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Tech talk: Edmodo. (2011). Instructor (1999), 120(6), 15. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/865333109?accountid=3783