Final Thoughts and Takeaways

I  want to begin this final blog post for my course by saying that I have learned so much in the past 3 months about so many important aspects of education that are very relevant today. Since beginning my journey of completing my Masters of Education at MSVU, I have had the privilege to learn from some very intelligent and compassionate instructors. Each of the instructors has portrayed their passion for learning and education throughout the various courses we have completed. I am looking forward to what I will learn next.




Overall Takeaways

I have learned so much in this course. Some of it was things that I have encountered during my teaching but increased my knowledge. And some of it was brand new that really challenged me to level up and helped me expand my knowledge of technology and specifically in the area of assistive technology. Our instructor, Barbara, gave us an amazing repertoire of resources that connects with the area of reading and writing and how we need to be conscious of ALL learners in our classroom.

Here are some of my favorite takeaways from the whole course:


Blogger: I have always been intrigued by starting my own blog, for teaching as well as personal, but I was always nervous and didn’t really know how to go about doing it. By using this type of platform to do assignments, I have gained confidence and some knowledge on how to start one. I think it is a great tool to use in the classroom and I have already started one to use.

Read and Write 4 Google Chrome: This is a very valuable resource that needs to be used in every classroom. I am very happy that I got a chance to really explore in depth the toolbars that are related to Read and Write. I will definitely be using this in my classroom in the Fall. 

Universal Design for Learning and Katie Novak: Learning about UDL in this course has been a life-changer. I have tried since the beginning of this school year to try to get my head around this concept. Listening to the video “The Myth of Average” really put the idea into perspective to me. Being introduced to Katie Novak was also a game-changer. I have enjoyed going through the website, Novak Educational Consulting has been very beneficial to me. I have purchased her book that she co-wrote with Allison Posey, “Unlearning: Changing Your Beliefs and Your Classroom with UDL” and I am looking forward to reading it this summer.

                                                     

   

Resources: I want to give a big shout out for all the resources that Barbara shared with us. I now have a large repertoire of websites, apps, etc that I can bring back into my class as well as share with my colleagues.

How will I share this knowledge with my colleagues?

I am very excited to have so many resources to share with my colleagues.  I have already shared, through email and our PLC meetings on Google Meet, some of what I have learned in this class.  I did up a list of the apps and websites in a google doc and shared it with the primary teachers in my school. I have also informed them of edWeb and I am hoping that we will get a chance to partake in some of the webinars together for our Professional Learning days.  I am hoping that I will get a chance some time throughout the next school year to share my knowledge, hopefully with my presentation, of Read and Write 4 Google Chrome with my colleagues. 

                                       

How has the information I learned impacted my teaching? 

My way of thinking about teaching and the way I go about planning lessons has been impacted greatly after doing this course. I have learned so much information and I now have so many resources at my fingertips.  I now have a much more in-depth understanding of UDL and how I can incorporate this into my daily teaching. I understand that I need to reach ALL learners and have more knowledge on how to do this. I think one of the main ways that my teaching is impacted is that I now know and understand that it is ok to let go of control. I think that as teachers, it is in our nature to want to control how our students learn. But really, the students need and should have control over how they feel it is best for them to learn.

3 Takeaways from Class #3

Dinner Party

The Dinner Party activity was such an eye opener for me. It really put the difference between UDL and DI into perspective for me. Throughout this past school year, I’ve been trying to understand more about UDL in the perspective of the Responsive Teaching and Learning system that we have in our school system right now.  Everyone kept telling me “Teach to the edges, teach to the edges.” But what did that really mean to me as a teacher and how could I implement that into my daily classroom teaching? After participating in the activity and seeing how different groups took on the task, I started to see the difference between differentiated instruction and universal design for learning. I watched the video and read the article by Katie Novak which I found very beneficial and gave even more clarification on the difference between the two terms. 

Apps

As with class #2, I found the overview that Barbara gave on the various apps that are available very beneficial.  Some of these apps included Speech Tutor, iMovie, Voice Dream Reader and Immersive Reader (Chrome extension for reading websites). Having a repertoire of available apps and websites to use for different types of learners is very helpful to have on hand. I am looking forward to using these apps with my students and also sharing them with my colleagues. 

Read and Write 4 Google Chrome

Getting the time to work in my group for our Read and Write for Google Chrome Presentation was very beneficial. It is allowing us the time to explore and learn all the features that are available within the toolbars.  Read and Write is an excellent tool that can and should be utilized for all students and also holds many benefits for teachers as well.  I am currently completing the Read and Write Level I certification. Read and Write for Google Chrome fits well into the Universal Design for Learning concept.  Here in Newfoundland, it is only available to students who have a diagnosed LD. I wish that it was available to ALL students.