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Week 5 Post

      The journal article, " Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for Alignment in K–12 Blended and Fully Online Learning Materials," published in the Journal of Special Education Technology is a focused examination of the variety of online learning opportunities and in what ways they do and do not align with the Universal Design for Learning framework.  Specifically the researches developed a tool by which different blended and online materials could be measure for their alignment to this framework.  This measurement system is designed to aid educators as blended and online learning continues to grow in use around the nation.     The article notes that, in general, digital learning material that has been created since 2014 is generally well adapted to meeting the needs of students who may have sensory or other physical challenges.  Built in text to speech tools would be an example of the type of accommodations already common within most d...
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Week 3 Post

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     The following infographic was made as an effort to synthesize an incredible amount of information.  Synthesized from hundreds of pages, this graphic tries to present that information in an accurate fashion, while also still being concise enough to be useful for a teacher without being overly burdensome.   The insight of the content on how curriculums should be crafted with the science of learning in mind has great value and it is hoped that this graphic is helpful to teachers as they craft their lesson plans within specific content areas. References: Brooks-Young, S. (2017). ISTE Standards for Students: A Practical Guide for Learning with Technology . International Society for Technology in Education. Gura, M. (2016). Make, Learn, Succeed: Building a Culture of Creativity in Your School . ISTE. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. Washington, DC: The National Academies P...
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Week 2 Post

 Authentic Intellectual Work requires the use of higher level critical thinking skills to solve issues or problems of a "real world" nature.  This involves not just the rote knowledge, but the knowledge of the proper application of that information into the proper context.  This work extends and has meaning beyond the classroom and any normal classroom assessment Authentic Intellectual work requires the construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond the school environment.  Disciplined inquiry requires the student to build upon their existing knowledge by going beyond into the patterns and connections that make the information relevant.  It also requires students to be able to communicate the information in ways that shows mastery of the information and how it is connected to the task or problem at hand. An example of this would be the crafting a proposal for a city ordinance.  This requires some rote knowledge, but also requires connectio...
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Week 1 Post

My name is Jeremy Avery and I've been a teacher for 10 years now. I teach US History at the high school level in a small school in eastern Oklahoma. Creative Communicator Indicator 6B asks students to "create original works or responsibly repurpose other digital resources into new creative works." Within a US History framework there is plenty of room to put this indicator into action. One of my classes is currently examining the opening stages of the Cold War. A student or group of students could address standard USH.6.2 by creating their own digital recreation of the material created by the Civil Defense Administration for consumption by the American public. This may be the digital creation of posters and propaganda, up to the creation of their own video commercials outlining the dangers of nuclear warfare as in the "Duck and Cover" video created by the CDA for use in the school setting. This would allow students a creative avenue to explore the concerns...
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