Empowered by Tools

I must admit, that before this past semester started, I was not too savvy when dealing with digital technology. I did have some experience with some social media, like Facebook and Instagram, but other than that, I felt pretty lost. I had seen other teachers, mainly the younger generation or CATE teachers, using digital technology to a larger extent, but I never felt comfortable enough to ask. I am glad that I have learned how to use digital technology in a way that I would have, otherwise, not done so.

This semester: I was able to learn and use the following types of digital technology:

Blog Readers- which are powerful in that they can hold all of your diverse blogging needs in one place! No more need for notebooks with scribbles to remind you where you can find blogs of interest. 

Social Media- Yes! You can use social media to promote literacy, school library programs, and the classroom. Librarians are already using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote their programs and bring awareness to the community. Don't be afraid of social media in schools and use it to bring in all patrons. 

Using social media to promote the school library program is essential and a way to get information out to the community. I strongly believe that using it as a means to communicate will benefit the entire school community.

Infographics- can be great to present ideas in an innovative, clean, and organized way.

Videos and QR Codes- Please do yourself a favor and check out how fun and easy creating videos is! You can use them, and QR Codes, to entice students to read books by creating book trailers! These were my favorite tools that I learned to work with. I also feel that students would greatly benefit from my using both platforms. Videos are engaging and can be a quick way to relate to or grasp their attention. QR Codes are just convenient, can provide links to a vast amount of information, and can be fun for all. 

Cartoons and Comics- Students, and people of all ages, love cartoons. You can tell stories, promote upcoming events, introduce new techniques, and so much more!

Podcasts- Believe in yourself. What you know is important and people want to hear. Podcasts can be daunting, but they are easy to create and the benefits outweigh any minor inconvenience. Podcasts allow you to get information out to learners who prefer to listen and learn via audio. Initially, creating the podcast was the most difficult for me because I was hesitant in recording myself speaking. 

Take a look at this fun book I created using Book Creator to tell a story.

https://read.bookcreator.com/AJABlHAgjAZcFM2bxQKBD8vWfsP2/_8J8c-1nQrOtj2jLEvc-4g

Using digital technology can truly be magical. Don't be afraid of putting yourself out there. I have learned that it is easy to find innovative ways to engage my audience. Teachers need to feel prepared to ask questions, collaborate, and engage all learners. Let digital technology help you. 

Universal Design for Learning

 Universal Design for Learning is Possible

The education field can feel overwhelming at times for educators. It can be a struggle to find a balance between planning instruction, keeping up with grading material, meeting an ever-growing list of deadlines, managing classrooms, and trying to teach, reach, and guide all students. Using a Universal Design for Learning can help you reach all your students and allows for a variety of learning needs to be fulfilled. 

As I have become more aware of what Universal Design for Learning is and how it works,  I realized that I have already been implementing several guidelines. The Principle of Engagement is one that I have been using, but I do need to ensure that I begin the planning process with a true purpose. When I assign classroom projects,  I do provide students with choices as to how they can submit their final product. When I do use these types of assignments in class, I have learned that students are more motivated to work and to find the relevant information needed. Additionally, it will be easy to accurately implement the "what" by providing multiple means of representation. I would love to integrate the use of multiple examples and non-examples to emphasize critical features. This will help make the lesson cohesive and show students how to implement this learning design outside of my English classroom. 

I would like to know more about the Principle of providing multiple means of Action and Expression. Specifically, I would like to know more about how to properly navigate students to build their own appropriate goal-setting and checklists. I always provide students with my "Why, What, and How" for my assignments, but would love to provide them with opportunities to take ownership of what and how they learn and present for their learning. To support 21st-century skills, it is important to show students how to break the product, or final goal, into smaller, attainable sections. 

I would like to study the impact that using the process of Universal Design for Learning has on student achievement. The more that I read about UDL the clearer it seems to me that this concept should be used more in school settings. The following are some resources I have identified which have helped me clarify the purpose of UDL:

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/universal-design-learning-meeting-needs-all-students

This discusses how different populations will benefit from having different kinds of supports and scaffolds which can be implemented when using UDL. This is different from what you would find in a traditional educational curriculum. 

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/4-steps-implement-universal-design-learning-classroom

This article presents steps that will help educators implement UDL and flexible content in the classroom setting. 

https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

This site really helped me break everything down and gives great insight as to each specific principal and what it would entail. I would recommend this site to everyone and anyone wanting to learn more about what using UDL offers both the educator and the student.

Another valuable resource will always be mentors or fellow educators who may be already implementing UDL in their classrooms. Speaking and working with colleagues who have already had success with this would be ideal. They can help guide and provide feedback on how you may be able to improve this process for you. School librarians would also be key to seeking help. School librarians are instrumental in finding ways to offer choice and to suggest innovative ways to engage all learners. 

Podcasts

 The Age of Podcasts

Podcasts are becoming very popular. You can now find podcasts on any topic and for any interest that the listener may have. At a time when the world seems to be on the go, it is nice to be able to pause sometimes and listen to topics, new concepts, reviews, and suggestions of choice. Podcasts can also be used in classrooms and maybe a way to go as education seems to be leaning toward a hybrid of virtual and in-person sessions. 

I never saw myself as someone who could actually record and create a podcast, but it is not as difficult to do as it seems. There are great applications and sites which make it easy for anyone to join the vlogging world. I would recommend that you play around with podcast platforms. Become familiar with them because some are more user-friendly than others. As I played around with a few platforms, I noticed that I was drawn to some more than others. Additionally, I had previously created a podcast and later found that I had to go back and really look through various sections to understand how to edit my material. Overall, I have enjoyed creating vlogs and seeing how powerful they can be in a school setting. 

Three of the podcasting sites I have used or played around with are: Podbean, Anchor, and Buzzsprout. They are fairly easy to work with and user-friendly. They were all easy to set up, but one difference that I noticed, was that Buzzsprout walked you each step of the way to set it up. The other two sites did too, but I found that Buzzsprout was a bit easier to follow. Anchor is a blogging platform by Spotify which I had previously used. I liked it but ultimately selected to go with Podbean because I feel comfortable with it, it is very easy to use and I was easily able to collaborate to record a podcast. Click on the link to listen to our podcast.

https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-7a9tb-1306748

Podbean made it very easy to collaborate and work together at a distance. I would highly recommend it and continue to use it. It even allows you to edit, if needed, and you select from a variety of introductory music. You are walked through every step of the way and once you are ready to publish, you simply wait a few minutes, merge the recording you will receive with your partner's voice, and the recording will be ready. 

You can easily find different educational podcasts by simply searching your apps, like Podbean, for specific educational needs. You will be able to select what podcasts you choose to follow. Additionally, you are able to see who published each episode and the topics. Another way you can find educational podcasts is by simply searching the web. You will get a varied list of suggestions from educators who are experienced with using and listening to podcasts. 

I love the flexibility that they offer. You can listen to podcasts anywhere. I have found that I even enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks while running. Unlike audiobooks, I love that listening to podcasts allows you to further listen to more episodes that relate to the topic you are listening to. This invites the listener to follow podcast channels and continue to be a listener if they are interested. Go ahead and try it! Create your podcast. Your listeners are waiting!