We all need these — personal learning networks — digital spaces and containers that chronicle our learning. I like these for allowing students to share their varied ways of learning and as a digital repository of my own work. Listen to this 7th grader’s perspective..
This is an interesting post and review that addresses some important issues around blogs and the importance of accessibility! http://buyaccessible.net/blog/?p=57#more-57
If you’re passionate about universal design for learning, consider joining a national community of practice at http://www.sharedwork.org.
This is one of my new favorite education websites. When I think about universal design for learning (UDL), I think of a framework for education. A way that we consider the environment, the tools we use, the technologies we embed, and the experiences we craft so that all learners can learn. Among the selections at this website, I think these videos provide great examples and carry the true “spirit” of the UDL message quite well.
http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-albano-berberi-video
Here’s a new read that sounds like something that I might like and something that follows the thinking around UDL, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574600492977891168.html
Recently a colleague and I made a presentation at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education conference on social media. Our talk entitled, “Using social media to support learner generated content” offered participants a chance to consider the growing connect and disconnect on this topic. In our experiences, college students were typically not as engaged with many of these popular social media tools. Our review of the research and noted authors also supported these findings. Noted author Henry Jenkins offers a poignant discussion around this topic of what he terms the “participatory culture“.
Today another twist on this conversation is highlighted in the Washington Post within the article, “Lack of computer access hampers some students“. Another interesting discussion about the “digital divide” that currently exists with many across our nation. While many of us find ready access to internet connectivity at work, home and in leisure settings — such is not the case for all.
Several years ago this digital divide related to a lack of computer access for many whereas today this speaks to a different concern. Today we face a challenge where all cannot always have internet access to the range of technology resources many are afforded. And in an information rich society such as ours, this is an important concern.
As educators, this presents a challenge. For many of us, directing students to the wealth of tools and resources on the web is the right thing to do. Teaching students how to utilize the various social media tools to acquire and manage information makes sense. Incorporating educational websites and resources adds richness to the content. In many instances this also affords those with differing learning approaches a way to actually access the content. Yet, how do we approach this perplexing issue of digital participation? Is this a time for open wifi access for all?
These are exciting times for the growth and awareness of universal design for learning (UDL). As a fan of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) on Facebook, I receive regular updates about their new research and developments. For example, this past week the following were announced:
In addition, Dr. David Rose, one of the co-founders of CAST and UDL was named to the National Education Technology Plan Working Group and will have the ability to inform an important direction about the benefits of UDL, http://bit.ly/6ln0E.
These are exciting times!
Here’s a great resource out of Scotland entitled Access Apps, http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/eduapps/compare.php These folks have organized a range of free, open-source programs that can be downloaded by area (Access, Learning, Teaching) or customized for a user’s USB key/ thumb drive. This provides then a range of digital tools that can be carried for “anytime” access. More importantly, this website includes an accessible toolbar that enables text-aloud functionality, the ability to capture an mp3 audio file from the text, and the ability to magnify as needed. A wonderful model of universal design for learning in process! Kudos to the developers!
Apparently there’s a new portable reader on the market, the Kindle DX. In reading a review of this device, http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20090610/the-latest-kindle-bigger-not-better-than-its-sibling/, I’m struck by the fact that this new version still does not include color or something close to that option. As this reviewer notes, the larger size of this device and the ability to rotate the text at different angles adds to the user’s reading view. I’m still amazed however that some of the tools that can enhance reading such as speech-to-text, color, color highlighting, and embedded hyper linking are not the features that are added in these new versions. The National Center on Technology Innovation offers a comprehensive review of how many of these features enhance reading skills in http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/demo_renamed/matrix/docs/AReviewTechnology-BasedApproaches_final.pdf
These are exciting times in the world of digital text and digital readers. For many it seems, these tools are being designed for all those who read text in a digital format, who’ve grown up in this digital culture, and who like to have materials instantly available. Yet, there’s value in remembering the importance of additional digital tools that can enhance and enrich that reader’s experience.
This weekend, the Wall Street Journal had a great article about a researcher’s study of Albert Einstein’s brain, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124293408731044311.html. As this author noted, Einstein’s brain was overly developed in certain areas–possibly accounting for his genius and/or unique perspectives. Einstein also had difficulty in traditional school settings and excelled when he had the opportunity to attend to his intuition and senses. Understanding this research and much of the same that informs the practices around univeral design for leaarning can help us all be better educators — recognizing the differences.
