Chapter 8 Statements

Tori's Statements:

• "The key to comprehension is to connect, connect, connect."
• This quote stands out to me because it is a reminder that my classroom is not the only classroom the students will learn from. According to this, in order for me to have the students truly learn, it is important for me to help them understand new things by tieing in the knowledge they already have: experiences, other classroom knowledge, etc.
• "The second principle to follow when designing a curriculum is to provide multiple ways for "output"- ways for students to show what they know.
• This is important to remember because not all students are going to be able to be assessed the same way effectively. This is something I need to remember when I get in the classroom so that I will help all of my students succeed. It is important to remember that just because a student fails a traditional assessment, it does not mean they do not know.
• "There are three primary principles to UDL."
• The three primary principles to universal design for learning are to provide multiple means of representation, to provide multiple means of action and expression, and to provide multiple means of engagement. These all build on the idea that all classrooms should be highly differentiated for maximum learning for all students.

Tyler's Statements:

Chapter 8 Statements

“The first principle to follow when designing a curriculum is to provide multiple ways to represent the contents to be learned-the "input."”

1. The input can be a variety of things such as lectures, assigned reading, instructional videos, and activity centers. I will incorporate as many of these as I can into each lesson.

“Perception is needed to learn new information. It teachers present information or early, for instants by lecturing, there are students who will be able to hear the information, but may not be able to make sense of it because they do not perceive auditory input very well.”

2. Some students will be better a perceiving what the teachers say, some will be better at perceiving what they read. I, as a teacher, will provide an array of ways students can get a hold of the information

“The second principle to follow when designing a curriculum is to provide multiple ways for "output"-ways for students show what they know. The two most common ways that we have students demonstrate their knowledge is through writing or oral response to teacher post questions in class.”

3. Not all students can show what the know on a test. They get nervous and then cannot perform as well. In some cases this needs to be accounted for.

 

 

Courtney's Statements:

• The purpose of UDL (universal design for learnig) is to meet the needs of all students in an inclusive classroom.
• It is my goal as a teacher to meet the needs of any child that is in my classroom. I have to figure out in what way in which I can teach a child so that they reach their fullest potential. Every child learns in different ways so I have to teach in different ways so that the children may learn. 
• If you just provide the content in one way, only the students who can access it that way are going to benefit from it.
• It is important to differentiate my instruction so that all the children in my classes may learn. 
• The more connections you can make from what students already know to new information that is learned, the more opportunities you open up for students to comprehend it. 
• It is important that individuals can make connections with what they are learning. It creates ways that people can think and remember vast amounts of information. 

Jenna's Statements:

• In summary, if teachers present information in only one way or assume there is only one way to perceive it, they are excluding many students with differing perceptual abilities.
• With the universal design for learning, it is not developed so that there is one way to best teach the "average" student. It, in my opinion, is a starting point. It is an injustice to not differentiate curriculum for students. Every student have unique ways of learning and perception, and it is my job to try my best to meet as many students where they are at that I can. Otherwise if a student never grasps any perception of knowledge that is presented then he/she won't be able to bring meaning to it and comprehend it.
• Comprehension can be improved when teachers utilize many different ways to activate existing knowledge. The more connections you can make from what students already know to new information that is learned, the more opportunities you open up for students to comprehend it.
• This is important to remember because learning is more than just rote memorization. In order for students to truly learn and understand something there must be connections to something else. Therefore, I can not just present information with no sort of connection to something that my students already know. This is a good way of reviewing old information if presented with new information that is similar, that way students do not just forget old information.
• For students to self-regulate their learning behaviors, they need to know what those behaviors are and how they can be improved.
• I remember from one of the previous chapters that is important to allow students to learn how to self-regulate their learning. Another way to increase their ability to do it, is by the feedback I give my students. I need to remember to give back more than just number grades for feedback. Students can not learn about ways to improve their ways of learning with just a number or letter grade. My feedback has to be helpful for my students.

Alex's Statements:

“Some people are more comfortable with words, while others are more adept at understanding numbers and mathematical symbols.”

            This statement stood out to me because it showed how different students have different ways of learning. When it comes to teaching, I will need to make sure that I understand each of my students needs. I want them to be as successful as possible, therefore I will need to know what it takes to make them succeed.

“The more students know about their strengths, needs, and best strategies, the more they will be able to take charge of their own learning, including self-regulating their performance and progress.”

            I really liked this point because it is all about positive reinforcement. When you tell your students what they are good at, then they will continue to focus on their positives and have self-worth. I want my students to feel important and know that they can always contribute positively to the classroom. The more I tell them about their positives, the more they will contribute to their own learning.

“Assistive technology can be a wonderful support if it allows a student to perform a task that he or she would otherwise not be able to do.”

            Technology can be a really good thing, but it can also be a very distracting thing. If it is not helping the student learn and challenging them, then it can take away from the learning process. Technology is really cool, but sometimes it can be more of a hazard than a help. However, if done correctly then it can be very beneficial to the learning process.