Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The original goal for universal design for learning UDL was for the inclusion of students with disabilities. IEP teams were set up to identify short term objectives and improve involvement in programs for students with disabilities. The teams identified what services were needed, what modifications were needed and what programs the child could not participate in. UDL was originally meant for students with disabilities, but it forced educators and administrators to recognize that one size fits all education does not work for students and that we as educators must understand and recognize diversity to effectively facilitate learning. The core components of UDL are multiple presentations of information, multiple means of demonstrating knowledge, and multiple means of engagement. Assistive Technology is another concept that overlaps UDL and is also meant to assist students with disabilities, but can often benefit other students as well. There are a variety of software programs and other products available which can be used to apply UDL principles, but UDL principles can be applied without these products.

Is Google Making us Stupid?

After researching and reviewing both the affirmative team arguments and the negative team arguments my opinion remains the same.  I do not think Google is making us stupid.   There were some legitimate arguments in favor of the theory, but overall my opinion stands. 

As with any new technology it can be used as a source for growth and development, but can also have negative effects.  Google and internet access has been a source for people to access information easily and efficiently.  Information that took hours to find can now be found in minutes.  We still need to cross check our references for accuracy and authenticity, but that is also true when researching in the traditional sense.  The web 2.0 has increased our ability to access tons of information and anyone with access to a computer could essentially educate themselves on just about any topic, both informally and formally.  The argument that we are merely skimming rather than deep reading is valid.  Observation of my own behavior since reading this information has proven this true, however that is probably equally true when researching in the traditional sense. Finally, the idea that students are used to being entertained and expect to be entertained in the classroom is arguable as well.  I question this notion again from my own experience.  I was bored throughout most of my secondary education.  Traditional lecture based courses were un-engaging and most courses were taught in the traditional agrarian style learning environment.  Students today know there are alternatives.  They know they don’t have to sit through a boring presentation in a traditional classroom structure to get the information, they can simply turn to the internet to get the information they want and need. Learning Designers should embrace technology and the power is holds as an alternative to presenting course information in a creative and engaging format.

My contribution to the voicethread debate consisted on helping Misty coordinate, researching and organizing information for the initial post as well as providing comments to the slides.  For the rebuttal I also researched and organized information.  Our group worked well together.  We cooperated in dividing up the work and then collaborated and pulled it all together.  In my opinion the rebuttal went a little smoother than the initial post.

Multi-modal Learning

Multi-Modal-Learning

Beyond Two Decades of Motivation:By: Patricia Hadre

Instructional Design, Human Performance Technology, and Human Resource Development

all 3

    see learning and performance as critical outcomes.

     develop knowledge, expertise, and charachteristics.

     influence productivity, retention, and workplace culture.

     operate on adaptivity and sensitivity.

Instructional Design is to update, remediate, and refine; Skills. then who, what where when must be identified.

Motivation is critical to learning, is critical to performance, is critical to organizational success.

New I.D motivational model must be:

current, include factors related to motivation, integrative, and flexible.

On Intelligence By Jeff Hawkins Chapter 4 and 5

In Chapters 4 and 5 from the book On Intelligence, author Jeff Hawkins discusses the idea that the neocortex of our brain is responsible for our intelligence.  The neocortex has billions of neurons that constantly make probabilistic predictions about what is about to happen.  These predictions draw from our memories of patterns and sequences that we experience throughout our lives.  We can often recall complete memories with only partial inputs given to us by temporal patterns.  Temporal patterns are small details that bring entire memories back.  Hawkins explains there are 3 properties of cortical memory, which include storing sequences, auto associative recall and invariant representations.  Our brains use stored memories to constantly make predictions about everything we see, feel and hear.  When we notice something is different our neurons set off low level sensories that lets us know something is different.  This is the primary function of the neocortex.

We experienced something similar to Hawkins example of  neocortex/pattern behavior example at our home this week.  Our back door knob broke and needed to be replaced.  The old door knob was the fancy french type handle that you pulled up on or pushed down on to open.  To save a few dollars I purchased a traditional door knob for its replacement.  My two boys complained for a week that they are reaching to open the door in the way that they did for the old handle.  Apparently it took their neocortex a while to recognize they needed a new pattern of behavior if they were going to open the back door. 🙂

Digital Learning Theory

Research Proposal

What Types of innovative online teaching strategies are most effective for teaching art in the digital world.  This research will look into arts education at the higher education level.  It will examine what it means to be an art educator and what it means to be a student learning art online. Finally, it will look into what is involved in online education as well as the arts learning experience in the digital world.

On Intelligence

1: In what ways can learning designers use these insights into how the brain works?  

A teacher teaches a subject to a learner, but a learning designer creates a plan for teaching something to someone or develops a plan for teaching.  A learning designer’s insight into constructing a well rounded approach to teaching the same subject from several different perspectives distinguishes them from a teacher.  By understanding some of the basic ideas of intelligence and the brain,  a learning designer can develop a plan for teaching that uses a variety of the learners senses as well as their memory, organization, prediction, and most importantly the neocortex’s most important element – pattern.  Hawkins seems to capitalize on these elements throughout the first three chapters.  He uses stories to draw parallels and to tap into our memories and patterns.  By using descriptive stories we are able to visualize the complicated biological information.  

2: Have these chapters changed how you view intelligence and the learning process as a whole?

These chapters really have not changed how I view intelligence and the learning process as a whole.  I see intelligence in the same way I see learning styles.  Everyone is different; everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and certain teaching methods that work well for them while other methods do not work for them.  Hawkins ideas on intelligence gave me additional insight into how people learn.  His examples of seeing with your finger tips and learning through our various senses were interesting analogies on how versatile our learning process can be.

On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins

“On Intelligence” by Jeff Hawkins

1.  What is Intelligence and how does the brain create it?
   1. The Brain is a memory system

                                                             a.      Intelligence is based on Predictions        

1. Our predictions are based on Patterns
2. Real Intelligence
   1. Neural networks

                                                             a.      Connectionists

1. Real brains process rapidly changing streams of information. Nothing is static about the flow of information into and out of the brain.
2. Real brains are saturated with feedback connections.
3. Real brains have a complicated physical architecture. Most notably the neocortex.

                                                            b.      Functionalists

1. Organization
2. Artificial intelligence.
   1. Produces human like behavior
   2. Artificial neural networks
   3. Auto associative memories
3. N eocortex
   1. Contains memory and allows us to predict.

                                                             a.      Skills, memory, knowledge.

1. Patterns are the currency of intelligence.
2. Memory is auto associative.

Smart People or Smart Context

 I think gifted and accelerated programs are beneficial for students who have the capability of meeting the paper/pencil testing procedures that are used to indicate those students who qualify for the program. Those students who excell in these types of testing environments benefit and that is a good thing, but how do we identify those students who may not excell under these types of testing practices. How do we identify students who excell in other areas such as art or music. Many times the first programs to take cuts are visual arts and music. Those students who are gifted in these areas may not be identified because the learning environment does not stimulate or engage those talents. In addition many students do not excell in traditional agrarian type learning environments because they find them unstimulating and they may not find their interests and talents in the traditional school setting. The traditional testing procedures identify a specific type of “gifted” student and those students are stimulated in their interests and continue to excell while non-conforming students remain in the typical classroom structure where the environement may not be as stimulating. As Aaron mentioned it is impossible to teach to every persons learning style, but de-standardized testing practices may help to identify a variety of gifts and talents that could be stimulated by using a variety of teaching methods.

My ideal learning environment or experience usually has to do with hands on activities and directed learning. I generally excell in learning environments that have demonstrations and activities intertwined with lectures. Courses that stimulate creativitiy and use activities to foster learning work best for my learning style and are environments in which I generally excell.

Smart People or Smart Contexts by Barab and Plucker