Emma VanBuskirk

  Emma VanBuskirk Blog 5 Part 1- Summary of Article This week, I read an article regarding the idea of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and how to apply it to online learning. Rao (2021) explains that UDL can be used within classrooms to create an effective online learning experience. UDL is a teaching strategy that gives students equal opportunities to learn in a way that works best for them. According to Rao (2021), UDL is based on three core principles, which are the following: Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Action and Expression, and Multiple Means of Engagement. To put these three principles in simpler terms, we are looking at the "what, how, and why" of learning. To do this, the UDL Design Cycle and the UDL Reporting Criteria should be used by teachers to implement it in a way that is beneficial to both themselves and their students. Rao provides a detailed process of the UDL Design Cycle within the article that breaks down each component. These c...

  Activity 1: When making accessibility changes to my blog, I chose to add an image with alt text, and I added headings to break up the 3 parts of my post. I added a picture of fractions with pizza to go along with the context of my post, and provided a hyperlink to the end to give readers easy access to the image. I also changed Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 from normal text to heading style text. This allows the reader to differentiate the 3 parts of the text. When I used the screen reader to read my blog, it took a little over 10 minutes. Seeing how long it took for the screen reader to read it aloud to me, I think I would need to shorten my blog. I am a wordy writer and now know how my online publication needs to be harder for some to read because of this. In the future, I will try to keep my writing more concise and straight to the point, so it is easier and less time-consuming for some to listen to.  Activity 2: Part 1: The quality of this lesson plan is higher than what is...

     This blog post contains an infographic that highlights key ideas of what motivates students to learn, connections from two experts on how they support these ideas, as well as how the ISTE Student Standards align with it all. From this infographic, you will learning that creativity is the key to success when it comes to motivating students to learn. Getting creative with curriculum and assignments is how teachers need to keep students engaged, especially in the fast-paced, ever-changing world we live in today. Allowing students to have a choice towards a common learning objective will foster a growth mindset and will help them see the value in their learning.  

  Part 1: The nature of Authentic Intellectual Work is to get students invested and thinking beyond the classroom. Unlike traditional approaches to education, such as memorization and summarization, AIW enables students to apply real-world scenarios within the classroom and piques their interest more effectively than a textbook. Instead of memorizing information to ace a test, the assessment requires students to apply the knowledge they have learned.  Three parts make up AIW: Construction of Knowledge, Disciplined Inquiry, and Value Beyond School. Construction of Knowledge is where students go beyond rote memorization, but rather take the information they are given and analyze and apply it to deepen their understanding of the concept. This requires teachers to provide strong instruction that involves high-order thinking. Disciplined Inquiry happens when students have a deep understanding of a concept and are able to have a meaningful conversation about said concept with the te...