Digital Badge #G-Chapter 10

Digital Badge #G- Chapter 10

After reviewing Chapter 10, it was quite interesting to read how technology can expand learning opportunities for teachers to reach all of his/her students.  Technology is also reaching those students that have learning disabilities, special needs, or may have diverse cultural backgrounds.  When technology is incorporated into one’s lesson plan, students will respond to various styles. 

Photo credited to: edtechreview.in, Google

The first section I discovered to be intriguing was, “Multicultural Education in 21^st Century Schools”.  In this section, it was noted that educators will organize their teaching and learning so that they can achieve multiple outcomes at the same time.  James Banks quoted, “ All students-regardless of their gender, social class, ethnic, racial, or cultural characteristics-should have an equal opportunity to learn in school”.  Wow!  These are some powerful words!  I personally believe that all students deserve an education.  As an inspiring teacher, I will have a classroom where my students will feel safe while we will all honor each other’s differences. My culturally diverse students will not feel isolated.  Students will learn in small groups, when completing class assignments or small group-projects.  When students learn in small groups versus large groups, they will get to know each other in ways that are different from their daily social life.  Another project I would implement in my curriculum is to have my students work on a multicultural research project, where they would have to choose a background outside of their own.

As teachers, it is very important to incorporate multicultural within the classroom....this video gives great insight, as to how we as educators can make a difference. 

The second section I found quite interesting, was “Differentiated Instructional for Learning”.  In this section, it was stated that differentiate is an instructional approach in which teachers create different educational experiences as ways to meet the learning needs of individual students.  Classroom teachers are using this teaching method, to have a better understanding that their students are equipped with a variety of: background knowledge, experience, and readiness.  I believe that when I become a classroom teacher, I will use the “KWL”, (know-what-learned), this simple tool can be used when working in small-guided reading groups.  After each student has read their book on “bookflixs”, they would then write in their “reading response” journal.  In this journal, they would use the KWL tool. From this activity, I can collect data to determine where my student’s weaknesses and strengths are.  Another differentiated tool I would like to use in my classroom is the: “Check for Understanding” poster.   Students would give a thumbs up if they understand, thumb to the side if they kind of understand it but they need help, and a thumb down if they don’t understand it.  Teachers can also arrange their desk, so that there is a sense of flexibility and also moving their students down to the carpet.  If we as teachers can incorporate some of these differentiated tools in our classrooms, our students will be successful.   

This an example of Check for Understanding poster-Photo credited to:Teresa Migliore Pintrest

This is an example of a "KWL" organizer-Photo credited to: creativeclassroomlessons.blogspot.com Google

              

The third section I found to be resourceful was, “Word Clouds”.  In this section it demonstrated ways for teachers and students to arrange large amounts of words in an engaging format.  It was noted in the text, that Words Clouds are a software program used to take a number of words most frequently used in a document and strategically positions them in a nonlinear pictorial image.  As a teacher, I believe that I would implement this into a compare/contrast lesson.  Students could be assigned topics, and at the end of the assignment they could compare each other’s work.  They can explore common themes, main concepts, and also what they may differ in.  I believe when and if teachers implement word clouds in their lessons, their students are effectively learning.  This visual display helps those students, who are more likely to learn with a visual tool, be creative and strike an interest in learning a new concept.

Word cloud made with WordItOut

Ways a "Word Cloud" can affect a student's learning

  

We as inspiring teachers, need to incorporate differentiate instruction within our classroom.  We need to address the diverse needs for all our learners while we incorporate student-centered strategies.

References

Check for Understanding. (n.d.). Pinterest. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://www.pinterest.com/

KWL. (n.d.). Creative Classroom Lesson. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from creativeclassroomlessons.blogspot.com

Make a word cloud. (n.d.). Make a word cloud. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://worditout.com/word-cloud/make-a-new-one

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Multicultural Education. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/

[Infographic] How Canadians are Integrating Technology into the Classroom. (n.d.). - EdTechReviewâ„¢ (ETR). Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://edtechreview.in/data-statistics/1382-infographic-how-canadians-are-integrating-technology-into-the-classroom