WEEK #5- EDUC 5313

PART 1:  Article Summary and Lesson Connection

This week is all about UDL and online learning, and Sandra Rogers and Susie Gronseth speak expertly on these topics in their article “Applying UDL to Online Active Learning“ which appears in the Journal of Instructional Design (2021).  In this well-researched report, the authors give details on a mixed-method study of UDL and how the concept works in conjunction with online active learning.  The study addressed these questions:

1. How do IDs perceive connections between UDL and active learning approaches in online course designs?

2. How do IDs apply UDL to active learning approaches in their online course designs?

3. What do IDs perceive as enablers to the application of UDL to active learning approaches in their online course designs?

4. How do IDs address barriers to the application of UDL to active approaches in their online course designs?

The first question was answered with responses that highlighted the mutual support that UDL and active learning supply for each other.  Participants felt that UDL was a key factor in active learning.  Responses to the second question encouraged instructional designers to focus on students in the learning process.  The third question garnered answers such as the requirement of enough time, support, resources, and experience necessary in order to apply UDL to the active learning approaches used in the courses.  And finally, responses to question number four highlighted lack of time as a barrier to the application of UDL.

The four themes of belongingness, social learning space, structuredness, and universality were synthesized from the data taken from the study.  Categories for the instructional strategies used by the participants were also assigned; these categories included activity-centered, content-centered, and learner-centered strategies.

Lesson Connection

My current lesson contains a content-centered activity (a double Bento Box one-pager) that then allows for peer feedback on a shared online platform (Canva).  The activity becomes learner-centered  as students give and take feedback.  Students create their one-pager and share the project with peers.  Those peers then give feedback within the platform.  If changes need to be made, students may then alter their projects before submitting them for teacher review.

The lesson is adaptable to any level and any language, and it fosters collaboration in the social learning space it creates.  It is explicit in its expectations and instructions and structured to meet the needs of my students.  

Not only does my Double Bento Box project display the themes revealed in the article by Rogers and Gronseth, it demonstrates the instructional strategies reported by the participants in the study.

PART 2:  Potential Additional UDL Strategies 

Consideration 7.1 of the CAST UDL Guidelines is Optimize Choice and Autonomy (2024).  At this point, I am not sure if this will work, but I will attempt to add more choice to the Double Bento Boxes.  I used the template for the Bento Box provided by K20 Center at The University of Oklahoma (K20, n.d.).  However, I will attempt to add alternative templates to the project.  I do not want to confuse students with added instructions, but additional choices would be beneficial for the students. 

Consideration 1.2 of the CAST UDL Guidelines is Support Multiple Ways to Perceive Information (2024).  I will add an instructional video to the Double Bento Boxes.  This will provide an alternate way for the students to perceive the information and allow for all students to understand and correctly interpret the assignment.

PART 3:  Reflection on the 2024 NETP and UDL Strategies

The Office of Educational Technology’s 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) addresses the use of UDL strategies in efforts to reduce the Digital Use Divide.  The consensus is that students should be actively and not passively using technology as an educational tool (Office of Educational Technology, 2024).  Teachers can foster this active use through student choice and project-based learning.  My lesson project aligns with these strategies.  Students are actively engaged in making choices regarding their learning, and they are collaborating on a project while learning the content matter.  These factors combined lead to maximum engagement on the part of the learners while providing the appropriate supports for the diverse student population in my school and classroom.

References

CAST. (2024). Support multiple ways to perceive information. Udlguidelines.cast.org. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/representation/perception/ways-perceive-information/

K20 LEARN | Instructional Strategies. (n.d.). Learn.k20center.ou.edu. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/search?type=strategies

Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A Call to Action to Close the Technology Access, Design, and Use Divides: National Educational Technology Plan. Department of Education. Retrieved from: https://tech.ed.gov/netp/

Rogers, S.A. and Gronseth, S.L. (2021). Applying UDL to online active learning. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design. Doi: 10.59668/223.3748. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/jaid_10_1/applying_udl_to_onli?book_nav=true 

WEEK #4- EDUC 5313

 PART 1:  Lesson Plan Generator

1.  I chose to use the Magic School AI tool to create a lesson plan that focuses on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) ELAR Standard 7.7(D) which states that students will learn to “analyze how the setting influences character and plot development” (TEKS, 2019).  The criteria of the plan was also supposed to highlight the  International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standard 1.6c (Creative Communicator) which asks that “Students use digital tools to visually communicate complex ideas to others” (ISTE, 2024).

The lesson was fairly basic, but it did follow a solid lesson cycle; it started off with looking at background knowledge like definitions of vocabulary words, and it moved on to guided practice.  Independent practice followed, and , and a closing and extension activity were both included.  ISTE Standard 1.6c was highlighted in the extension activity.  Magic School also included a think-pair-share aspect to the lesson.  This would help my bilingual, special education, and shy students especially.  

While the basic outline of the lesson is not in itself rigorous, the chosen texts and questions asked could improve the rigor.  ELAR Standard 7.7(D) and ISTE Standard 1.6c were both addressed in the lesson.

2. I would make adjustments to this lesson in order to improve the rigor and make the lesson more interesting for my students.  As written, I honestly think the lesson is a bit boring.  I would ask higher order thinking questions during the think-pair-share portion of the lesson.  I would also use a short film instead of a short story or excerpt during the guided practice.  Finally, I would provide a choice board for the extension activity.  Since I teach advanced academics, the extension activity would be required, and it would be used as the assessment.

3. I think that AI could be useful for the creation of  rigorous lesson plans if the teacher actually infuses the lessons with more rigor.  The lesson I received from Magic School was basic and formulaic.  The current lesson plan calls for students to locate an example and tell how something functions.  Those are both lower level skills on Bloom’s Taxonomy (Armstrong, 2010).  In order to have a rigorous lesson, students should be analyzing, evaluating, and creating.  

4. Here is the lesson plan created by AI:  https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/lesson-plan-generator?share=0cc3b137-0971-4bad-96cb-ed56610edf68

PART 2:  AI Tool

1. I chose the Text Leveler tool on Magic School.  The Text Leveler tool allows a teacher to take a text or portion of a text and scaffold it down to a learner’s reading level.

2. This tool is very useful.  I have students in my classes who read at varying levels of English proficiency.  I also have many students with dyslexia and other learning challenges.  If my students can learn to understand a text at a slightly higher level than what they currently read at on their own, this creates a zone where students can be guided to read at the next level (Broderick & Blewitt, 2020).  The leveler feature is also useful for situations where students are required to complete work on their own.  With this tool, the text can be at the level of the student!  Students gain confidence and can actually complete assignments.

3. I would use this tool in delivering instruction to my students by giving them leveled texts for independent or group work.  These texts would allow students complete their work without significant aid from others.

PART 3:  Reflection

1. I would use Magic School in my classroom as a teacher resource.  I would use it to get ideas for a lesson plan and possibly a brief outline of how a class period might proceed.  I would recommend it to colleagues with the understanding that this AI program will not do all the work for them.  It is a tool to get ideas and to start lessons, but the rigor must be added by the teacher.

2. I am still skeptical about AI and copyright violations.  I would not want to steal people’s ideas that they could be selling on Teachers Pay Teachers or other sites.  I also do not like the thought that every classroom could look the same if AI use continues.  I like the creativity that comes from a variety of teachers with different minds!

3. Magic School and other AI tools could be useful for getting ideas and trying to see what is possible for a lesson.  It could help teachers define concepts and words more easily.  It could also provide sub plans, too.

4. This is my first encounter with AI tools.

References

Armstrong, P. (2010). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Vanderbilt University. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy

Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2020). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (5th ed.). Pearson.

Chapter 110. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading Subchapter B. Middle School. (2017). https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/laws-and-rules/sboe-rules-tac/sboe-tac-currently-in-effect/ch110b.pdf

International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards: For students. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards/students

MagicSchool AI. (2024). MagicSchool AI. https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/lesson-plan-generator?slug=lesson-plan-generator&thread=31029677

WEEK #3- EDUC 5313

Knowledge and Reasoning

Knowledge is constructed out of our memories and experiences (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [National Academies], 2018).  The knowledge we build can be used to create more information and even more knowledge.  In today’s climate of ever-increasing technological advances, students need tools to access this knowledge in creative ways (Gura, 2020).  The new knowledge they develop can give them new skills and more opportunities to gain additional knowledge.  The cycle is infinite and effective, and it is what students need to experience in order to successfully navigate the world of their futures.

The graphic below summarizes How People Learn II:  Learners, contexts, and cultures by the National Academies (2018).  It also highlights how the key points of chapter 5 may influence curriculum development and how Creative Learning Environments can foster knowledge creation and integration (Gura, 2020). 

References

Gura, M. (2020). Fostering Student Creativity. EdTech Digest the State of the Arts, Creativity, and Technology 2020: A Guide for Educators and Parents. p. 7.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards: For students. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards/students

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). How people learn II: Learners, contexts, and cultures.Links to an external site. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. http://doi.org/10.17226/24783.