Ogden

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My survey results told me that I am a Visual/Verbal learner. Notes, outlines, flash cards, hi-lighting, and textbooks help me to learn. I have a difficult time obtaining information in a disorganized, lecture class with nothing to help me follow along. When I need to know definitions for a test I make flash cards and study them until I do not miss a single one. Rewriting my notes and doing problems on a white board helps me to remember information as well. Hi-lighting and color coding also helps me remember where certain things are in my notes or in the textbook. When I am reading or writing an essay I need peace and quiet. I sometimes play instrumental music in the background, but any songs with lyrics disrupt my train of thought. Picking out key elements of material by writing them down, or hi-lighting them, or starring them helps me to remember their importance. The results said that typing up an outline and printing it out for studying also helps my learning style. I have never tried this because I seem to remember information better when I hand write it rather than typing it out. But I might try it help me study for my next test.
 * Learning Style Results**

The CAST website activity confirmed my study habits as a Visual/Verbal learner. The only thingways that I had never tried before was typing out an outline of a lesson and printing it out for study purposes. I never thought about doing this because I remember things better the more I rewrite them, but not as well when I type them out. I will have to try it though because it definitely would be more organized than having a pile of hand-written notes. I really liked the CAST website. It was very easy to navigate and offered almost everything a teacher would need to incorporate the UDL curriculum. They provide examples, resources, stories, reference books, and lesson planners to help educators out. The electronic version of the book we looked through was very organized and addressed every different learning style. The first page of every chapter broke it down into sections, summarized the key points, had a concept map, gave examples, offered additional resources, and hi-lighted important words with a link to finding the definition of that word. They gave you everything possible to help you understand the chapter. This could be very helpful in my teaching to summarize a lesson for all of my students. I could give them a concept map, point out important words, summarize the important points, and offer additional resources in case they wanted to learn more. This approach meets every single student's learning styles and will help them grasp what they are learning. The two activities we did helped me to realize what kind of learner I am and how to best help myself to study and understand material. I learned a little about how the brain works and how to engage multiple parts. I feel that this approach to developing differentiated instruction is the best way to go. It is definitely a challenge that requires a lot of planning and hard work. You need to get to know your students and how they learn. It is especially important for special education teachers, like me, because their students are on IEPs and have specific learning needs which must be met. Despite the hard work, it will pay off in the end because the students will be more engaged, it provides a greater variety in the presentation of material, and it helps every child to learn the way that is best for them. The only thing that I think the CAST website should provide is more videos with examples on how to incorporate UDL into the classroom. If teachers can watch this taking place they could see how it works and take notes on how they could do it themselves. But other than that, I feel that the CAST website is an amazing resource for educators and should be used by everyone. That's the one thing that I say about the CAST website - the developers of the site practice what they "preach" in that there are a variety of ways viewers can access the information in the style that appeals most to them. It's good to see that you're already thinking about how you can incorporate these strategies in your teaching. From visiting the websites and watching the videos, I learned that there is a vast amount of assistive technology available to disabled individuals. This technology makes their lives better by helping them to communicate, learn, get around, and accomplish their dreams. Sometimes it can be provided by the school system or government at no cost to the family. One source I found especially helpful was Kathy Schrock's website. I am a special education major, and if I ever need to look up something or need help in the classroom, her site provides almost everything I could need. She offers training tools, resource guides, lesson plans, projects, professional development, and even American Sign Language (ASL) dictionaries. The special education government website would also be very useful if one of my students needs some kind of assistive technology and cannot afford it. If the department finds that the case meets the qualifications, my student can have the tools he or she needs to succeed. Technology provides students with diverse learning needs independence. Like in Ellen's video, her device helps her move around on her own, communicate, and control the television, stereo, and radio. She is able to accomplish these tasks herself without having to have anyone help her. Assistive technology helps these students to learn and grow. It gives them an opportunity to attend college and have a career. Yes, Kathy Schrock was a pioneer in using the web to provide resources for teachers, and the site has continued to grow and get better through the years.
 * Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Reflection**
 * Assistive Technology Assignment**

The speed at which technology is growing sometimes scares me, but this is the right way to channel it: using it to improve the lives of people who need it. I have not yet had an experience with someone who uses an assistive technology device, but I am sure that I will in the near future. Oh, but you have - ME! My use of hearing aids (such as they may be) allows me to hear my students better and to (in most cases) answer their questions and lead discussions. As a future teacher, I will have to make sure that my students will have assistive technology available to them. I must be their resource and their spokesperson to make sure they receive the help they need. I also need to try my best to provide them with the technology at no cost to their families. It is my job to offer my students every possible opportunity to help them learn. They must be accommodated and treated equally. Non-disabled learners will have a difficult time accepting the assistive technology used by their peers because it is unfamiliar to them. But once they get used to it, they will realize how helpful and important it can be.

I really enjoyed exploring the world of virtual fieldtrips. They are extremely interactive and a great learning resource that everyone can use. My favorite was the Memorial Hall exhibit that allowed you to dress up someone from different time periods of American history. I love history, and one of my favorite parts is learning about the lifestyle back then, what women wore, and how their roles evolved over time. I do Civil War reenacting and love dressing up as a woman from the 1860s in my corset, chemise, stockings, pantaloons, dress, and snood. I liked how you could dress up a man, a woman, and a child from every time period. A lot of students would find this fascinating and enjoy comparing what they wear now to what they would have had to wear a hundred years ago. I really hope that I get a chance to teach history or science when I become a teacher so that I could take my students on a virtual fieldtrip. If we were learning about natural history, I could show them the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, allow them to explore, and send them on a scavenger hunt. It would be a much more interactive way for them to learn as opposed to me telling them or learning about it from a textbook. There was one for the Lewis and Clark expedition, so if we were learning about that in our history lesson, this would be a lot more fun. They also try and cater to different learning needs by offering sound, text, and visuals. Some of these museums are in different countries, which would be impossible to transport my students internationally for a fieldtrip. This way I am able to transport their imagination and learning to the museum while not spending the school's money and keeping their bodies safe in my classroom. I am really glad that I was shown these tools. I will be sure to try and use them to jazz up a lesson when I become a teacher.
 * Virtual Fieldtrip**

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