The Home Stretch

I am in my final week of classes through Marshall University and WV learns. I have learned many new and interesting ideas through these classes.


One class that I am taking is called Special Students in the Regular Classroom. It is a course specifically in helping to implement UDL - Universal Design for Learning. If you would like to read about UDL here is the website: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter4.cfm


In the course of the class we have had the opportunity to try many new software products that could help us in implementing UDL. Here are three that I especially enjoyed and feel would be a wonderful tools in my classroom.

• CleverKeys: a software programs that allows individuals to have instant access to definitions, synonyms and facts. This can be used with teacher and student created work as well as web pages and email. This will help to boost comprehension for all students. http://www.cleverkeys.com/
• Textaloud: Uses voice software to convert text into spoken language. I can also be used with teacher and student created work as well as web pages and email. This is a great program to help students who have a difficult time reading and it is also a great proofreading tool. http://www.nextup.com/
• Intellitools Classroom Suite 4 features: Reading instruction aligned with national standards, Math instruction targeting number sense and automaticity, Writing templates across many genres, Creativity tools for whole class instruction and student presentations, Early Learning activities for emergent learners. Students have access to many graphic organizers and learning activities to help increase learning. http://www.intellitools.com/

The other class that I am taking is 21st Century Teaching and Learning in Science. Since I was a science major in college I felt that I would have some background knowledge in this area. I found that many technologies exist that I never realized were available, but 21st Century learning is not just about technology.

It includes collaboration and communication (teach students to do both of these), Thinking skills and assessments (used to see if learning is occurring),Evaluating and applying instructional models (research based teaching) and teacher roles (changing what a teacher is in the classroom). All schools are working toward 21st century learning and I think that with the completion of this class I have a better understanding of what this includes.

Although these classes have taken a great deal of time to complete (about 4-6 hours a week for the past 6 weeks) I feel that I have learned material that will help me in the future.