Response to Universal Design for Learning

I found chapter 4 interesting because I think it brings up valuable ideas that could help all teachers to make their lesson plans more inclusive of each student, no matter what his learning ability. There are so many more technological options available for teachers to use today than in the past and I feel that teachers should make it a point to learn about what is out there and what could make their teaching more effective. One possibility for teachers is to use math computer programs to help their students learn better. I think that math is a big subject area where there tends to be a lot of variation on skill level. It is also one of the most important subjects for students to master, and a computer program could definitely aid in the learning process. Teachers could find programs that teach the same skills, but at varying degrees of difficulty. Students that are better in math could do more complicated problems and maybe have timed games to see how many problems they can do in a certain amount of time, etc. to give them more of a challenge. Students that have difficulty with math could complete the lessons at a slower pace and answer easier questions. This could also be beneficial to students who need special devices to help them write or to see the problems. By using a method like this, students would not become as frustrated with the subject if they did not understand it, or bored if they already knew what was being taught. Although computers and other forms of technology cannot take away the need for and role of teachers, it can definitely assist teachers in teaching more effectively, and to all students, not just the majority or minority.

Response to Digital Disconnect Article

This section of the reading was entitled "Real and Perceived Barriers to Student Internet Use at and for School." One of its main focuses was the debate on whether or not teachers should assign homework based on internet activities due to the fact that internet availability outside of the classroom is not equal for all students. While this can definitely present a problem, I think that teachers could work something out at the beginning of the school year to help avoid the issue. For example, teachers could have students fill out a survey on whether or not they have internet access at home so that teachers have a better idea of how easily their students will be able to use the internet. For those students that do not have access, teachers could try to assist the students in finding other ways to access the internet.