Universal Design Concept Map using Inspiration

I created the concept map shown below using the Inspiration software program.  The source material used to create the concept map was Chapter 4 of Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice by Anne Meyer, David H. Rose, and David Gordon. 

Standard

I have chosen to focus on the Virginia World History 5 Standard of Learning for this course.  The standard falls under the World History and Geography to 1500 curriculum and would probably be taught at the Eighth Grade level. 

WHI.5: The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western civilization by

a)   assessing the influence of geography on Greek economic, social, and political development, including the impact of Greek commerce and colonies;

b)   describing Greek mythology and religion;

c)   identifying the social structure and role of slavery, explaining the significance of citizenship and the development of democracy, and comparing the city-states of Athens and Sparta;

d)   evaluating the significance of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars;

e)   characterizing life in Athens during the Golden Age of Pericles;

f)   citing contributions in drama, poetry, history, sculpture, architecture, science, mathematics, and philosophy, with emphasis on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle;

g)   explaining the conquest of Greece by Macedonia and the formation and spread of Hellenistic culture by Alexander the Great.



Providing students with options for learning and demonstrating what they have learned is important.  I remember listening to a conversation between classmates from a course I took recently.  As part of the course requirements, each of us had to create two presentations.  Several of the students were discussing how they would prefer to write a paper on the topic instead of creating and giving a presentation on it.  I remember thinking that I feel the opposite.  I would much rather create a presentation than write a paper.  Although both tasks probably take a similar amount of time to complete, I enjoy the process of adding visuals and building the story of a presentation much more than focusing on the topic sentences and proper format of a paper. 

There are a number of activities that could be incorporated into the lessons that would take into consideration the different learning styles of the students.  For example, blog entries written by students from the perspective of individuals living during the Golden Age of Pericles would support visual learners.  Students could also create podcasts to narrate Greek mythology.  This would be particularly helpful for auditory learners, but visual and kinesthetic learners would also benefit from writing or acting out the dialogue of the podcast.  Students could also be provided with a choice in terms of presenting a particular contribution to the rest of the class.  The students could first choose an ancient Greek contribution from drama, poetry, history, sculpture, architecture, science, mathematics, and philosophy, and then decide how they would present the topic to the class.  For example, the visual learners could create a blog entry, or a PowerPoint presentation to describe the contribution they chose.  The kinesthetic learners could recreate sculptures or architectural elements, while the auditory learners could perform the poetic, dramatic, or historical contributions. 

Educator Blog Review

After reviewing the list of recommended blogs, I chose to read, The Innovative Educator.  The blog was created in 2008 by Lisa Nielsen.  She began her career in education by working as a librarian in Harlem, New York.  Over the years, she has held a number of high-level positions pertaining to the promotion of the use of technology within the New York City Department of Education.  She states that her inspiration for developing the blog was her desire to make education relevant and fun.  She also states that her blog is designed to provide information for educators, parents, and youth.

As I browsed the home page of the blog, I began to feel a little overwhelmed.  There were so many categories to choose from that I did not know where to begin.  The categories listed included: cell phones in education, Facebook in education, Google in education, Twitter in education, BYOD, SMARTBoards, Flipped Classroom, and iPads/iPhones in education.  Each category had anywhere from 12 to 185 entries.  I began to bounce from entry to entry.  I read about making schools more welcoming for visitors, using social media to connect with parents, and incorporating programs such as Thrively into the classroom to identify student interests and strengths.  Entry after entry listed tools and programs I had never heard of before, such as Cel.ly, iPadio, Remind, UStream, and Vimeo. 

An entry entitled, "Back to School Tips for Students to Keep in Mind When Using Social Media," encouraged students to start developing their social media presence by creating profiles in the "biggies:" LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, and Twitter.  It also encouraged the students to create profiles in About.me and Flavors.me.  Again, I had never heard of several of these platforms.  The idea of maintaining so many profiles is not at all appealing to me.   

My biggest takeaway from reading through The Innovative Educator entries is that there are a variety of ways technology can be used to enhance the educational experience for teachers, students, and parents.  For example, technology allows teachers to differentiate the delivery of course content in a way that is relevant and useful to students.  However, I will have to overcome several hurdles before I am able to successfully incorporate the use of technology into my teaching.  First, I will need to learn how to use the numerous programs and platforms.  I imagine that this will take a considerable amount of time.  Second, I will have to change my mindset regarding the use of social media.  As a result of serving in the military for over seven years, I have tried to limit my social media presence.  While I recognize the value of developing a level of familiarity with the different programs available, I am not completely sold on the idea of actually creating and maintaining numerous social media profiles.  Perhaps my opinion will change by the end of this course!     

   

"Teddy Bears Go Blogging" Response

Brenda Sherry's article, "Teddy Bears Go Blogging," describes the collaborative blogging effort between two classrooms of second grade students.  One of the classrooms was located in Canada, while the other was located in Australia.  Although the project appeared to be quite easy to implement, it provided a variety of learning experiences for the young students.  For example, through their blogs, the students learned about a different culture, developed computer and social media skills, and practiced writing creatively.  Additionally, due to the blog entries being published on the web, parents were able to participate in the project.

I think this is a fun way to develop the writing and communication skills of students of any age.  It is a good example of the intersection of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK).  For example, through the use of the blogging technology, the students were able to work in small groups to develop journal entries describing aspects of American culture, while learning about the culture of their Australian counterparts. 

As a pre-service secondary educator of social studies, I could see myself incorporating the concepts of the "Teddy Bear Project" into my classes.  Even if I were unable to develop a relationship with an overseas classroom, the students could still work in small groups to develop blogs about historical events or different cultures.  This would require the students to research the assigned topics rather than being provided with the information from a partner classroom.  Additionally, I would ensure that each group had defined roles.  Examples of these roles could include a creator of visual aids, a designer of the blog format, editor, researcher, and writer.  Over the course of the project, I would require students to take a turn at performing each of the roles.  This would hopefully allow them to develop new skills and discover new interests.