Digital Divide

“Law, software fuel new ‘digital divide" article by Alec MacGillis, reminded me of a recent movie I saw, “Don’t Wait for a Superman”.  It addressed the problems of the achievement gaps in public school systems in inner cities.  As an educator, I would like to propose some questions. 

1.     Can a ‘digital divide’ fit all?

2.     Can the test-preparation software close the different achievement gaps?

3.     Should “No Child Left Behind” become a barrier to motivate talented students to move forward?

This article describes that inner city schools have been influenced by the business world and being amid a technology society.  They should invest in good teachers and students 

No matter how advanced the technological skills are developed, they won’t replace a teacher who nurtures individual students’ needs.  This personal attention will sustain their lifelong learning.   

Digital Equity

Should girls deserve the same opportunity for digital equity? 

I read the article,“Closing the Gender Gap” by Diane McGrath, which reminded me “The Female Brain”, written by Louann Brizendine, that I read in summer 2007.  I noticed that girls need to be encouraged to explore the digital or mathematics field, not becasue they are less intellegent.  Girls tend to have stronger desire to be informed; to be connected; and are more sensitive on physical spaces .  Nevertheless, that girls would do as well as boys in technologies and mathematics fields if they were given enriching and open learning activities.  I will keep re-enforcing that all children deserve the attention to develop their best learning skills in any way.

NPR story - Power Point use in the classroom

I have been using pp but now I also use Smart Board. 

I believe most teachers are using power  point in the classroom.  After reading the NPR story, I wanted to think beyond the program.  Technologies, like textbooks, are part of the tools or vehicles for us to facilitate our teaching.   We should not depend on the program, and forget students’ learning objectives.

In teaching Mandarin/Chinese, I insert pictures on power point.  I do not eliminate communication; on the contrary, I use pictures, like a painting to trigger students’ imagination.  It also invites students to raise dialogues to discuss the pictures. After the discussion and communication, I create a skit for them to use the language in a real situation. 

I also follow up with a project, to extend the classroom learning into a greater depth.  Sometimes, my guidance allows students to follow up with an oral or written homework.
I agree with Mr. Brown that we can develop deeper understanding on how to use it, such as importing sound, images, movies, or other programs into the power point.  I also design a pre-quiz and post-quiz to check their understanding. 

 

Personal Reflection on MD-400

I was very nervous, in the beginning, for the following reasons:

1)      Being my first course towards my MA Educational degree, I was nervous

2)      English is not my first language

3)      As a mature student, technology has become harder to learn

Nevertheless, I love this class so much for the reasons below:

a)      I learned so much new network technology. I heard about it a lot, now I am using it

b)      I created my own blog and I would like to use it as a platform to invite other colleagues to
         comment

c)       I designed a personal website which I started using for classes and in a conference.  It is practical and useful

d)      UDL contents remind me of the importance of pre-designing lessons and to reach out/fulfill each child’s need.  No child left behind

e)      Inquiry-based teaching and learning enriches a student-centered method

f)       Photoshop was a challenge.  I am still trying to become familiar with it

g)      I created a “Chinese Characters” digital story to introduce the most challenge part in learning this language.  I am so surprised to see that one of my students asked me if she could develop her own digital story.

I am glad that I started taking MA with the first class MD-400.  I am confidence that I will be doing fine with the rest of my journey.

URL for my website

Here is the URL for my website: https://sites.google.com/site/joannewuhavemeyer/

Have I used inquiry-based learning as a teacher?

In order for students, who are learning Chinese as a second language, to be able to survive in a situation, they have to learn “how did they know” and less on “what did they know”. 

In my early teaching, I focused on fun, interesting learning, and the hope that students would maintain their life-long learning.  Nevertheless, I found that they did not learn as much as I expected.  It clearly demonstrated that without decent assessments, we cannot measure results.  On the other hand, should we be concerned more with in-school success, or with equally important life-long learning?  In other words, without testing, I don’t really know if students learned or if they just mimicked me.  Therefore, this year, I give the same interesting activities with comprehensive formats to test, to check, to provide help and to adjust the teaching path. 

In the 21^st century, technology empowers the connection between local and world communities.  I use facebook, twitter and moodle to facilitate network by which teachers and students write to each other.  Now, I am learning that blogging and websites induct the learners to a real world in which second languages are spoken.  How cool it is!

After this reading, I will provide paintings or photos for students to ask and post questions and comments, so that others solve the problem by thinking critically. 

I should also guide or nurture students into modern life and to new ethical and practical issues.  Teaching a relevant context leads to broader understanding.

I have used inquiry-based learning for all levels in my Chinese classrooms.  When appropriate, I have used dialogues, music, TPR, games, drama, drawing, and role play. I have also created skits or situations for students to get around in real life.

I have not used historical thinking at this moment, because students’ Chinese  competency level is not high enough.

Inspiration concept map on UDL-Universal Design for Learning

I use three concept maps to analyze my understanding:

·      The power of digital media map

·      UDL and its three principles map

·      UDL implementation map

The power of digital media has four important aspects; versatile, transformable, to be marked and to be networked from one medium to another.  It enables educators to design lessons with different students’ background and learning capacities in a diverse classroom. 

UDL-a universal design to create structures that is access for all, including those with disabilities.  In order to be efficient, I know essential instructional goal to guild my students when to support and when to challenge them.  There are three principles to support recognize learning; to support strategic learning; and to support effective learning.  1. How to support recognize learning?  We need to recognize the barrier, provide multiple presentation and bottom-up nature of learning.  2. How to support strategic learning?  Using digital media programs, flexibility in presentation, express an apprenticeship and engagement options.  3. How to support effective learning?  Provide hyperlinks to overcome cognitive barriers and give appropriate challenges.

UDL Implementation provides students supports in any ways.  It also challenges teachers to become more flexible.  But how do we use UDL to develop systematic methods for the flexibility?  UDL has the Role of Applied Neuroscience; the Role of Digital Media and the New Role of Assistive Technology. 

The UDL challenges educators to rethink the nature of curriculum material and how we teach.  Again, we need to set clear goals with individualizing instruction with proper assessments.

After I read these two chapters, I am looking forward to reading more chapters about it.