Reflections

     I have definitely found many things that we have learned in this class useful for my own personal benefit. For example, I have always wanted to learn how to use Photoshop, and although this is definitely a program that takes awhile to master, I'm glad that I at least caught a glimpse and was able to work on my own project. I won't go as far to say that the material we have been working on is challenging, because I am pretty computer literate and I think I pick up on things quickly. So while a program may be new to me, my prior knowledge about computers has allowed me to understand how to use these new programs or techniques fairly quickly. 
     I hope that during the second half of the semester we can touch upon some of the programs designed to meet the needs of students with special needs. I know that this information is not in the syllabus for the coming weeks, but it would be nice to discuss using SmartBoards or technology that serves as communication resources for students who have speech difficulties. Since I am studying to be a Special Education teacher, this material would be very beneficial to me. Overall, I believe that I have learned a lot in this class and hope that I can continue to benefit from it and put it to good use in my future role as a teacher.

Inquiry-Based Learning

     I believe that as a student I have definitely used inquiry-based thinking and learning, but perhaps I have not been aware of it. I find that asking questions during a lesson is a way to further your learning, not an implication that you are confused by the content and need further clarification. That being said, I think that educators at any grade level should encourage their students to ask questions, and not give the impression that questions are wasting valuable class time or diverting from the subject matter. Who knows, a question that one student asks could give another student the answers they were looking for, but were too shy or uncomfortable to ask. A question one student asks could help others to look at the curriculum in a new way that they hadn't thought of and create some new insight.

     This being said, I believe that I, as a future educator, will be encouraging my students to ask questions. Although my students will be receiving special education services and may not be capable of the deep multidimensional thinking that typical students can do, this does not mean that they will not be curious about what they are learning. Students should always be encouraged to become excited about the subjects they are learning about. Discouraging asking questions is basically saying that we want students to memorize information and regurgitate it on a test, plain and simple. Students should take away something more from their education, because school is about learning new things and taking these ideas to another level of thinking, not passing tests and moving on. Now that I have been made aware of this type of learning, I will definitely be making an effort in the future to encourage student inquiry.

Implications of Copyright Issues for Educators

     I was surprised to find out during our class lesson on copyright issues that we as educators actually have a lot of freedom when including copyrighted works into our lesson plans. It does make sense when you think about it though, that, for the most part, an educator is allowed to include many copyrighted works into lessons as long as they serve an educational purpose. And of course, as long as they are not kept and used for an excessive amount of time. This eases my mind a little because now I know in the future that I will not have to worry a whole lot about breaking the law when writing my lesson plans!

     However, it is important for all educators to be aware that they are likely breaking the law by including some kind of multimedia presentation in the free time they give their students. I was surprised to find out that schools are not allowed by any means to show movies for entertainment purposes without obtaining permission. Permission, of course, gets expensive. This made me think of all the times during my schooling when we would watch movies in class before a vacation or a holiday just for fun. And I'm sure that my school didn't have permission to do this. 

     Overall, I think the most important thing for educators to take away from this lesson is to simply be aware of the laws. Most of what educators and their students are doing with copyrighted works will be fine, as long as that educational component is recognizable. When using a protected work becomes more about enjoyment than education, you should probably step back and rearrange your agenda for the day, just to be safe.

Dexter's eTIPS and Universal Design for Learning

     I think that nearly all types of technology that are appropriate for classroom use, not just those that we have been using in class, add value to the teaching and learning experience and contribute to UDL. The vast amount of technology that is available to us as educators give us so many more possibilities to meet the needs and interests of diverse groups of students. I immediately think of web 2.0 and the ever-expanding list of websites that allow students to learn interactively and be creative with their school work. Web 2.0 resources are available for every grade level and for many different intelligence levels as well. I feel very comforted knowing that I will be able to find web 2.0 resources for my future students who may present great difficulties in learning. Not only are technology resources available for students with different intelligence levels, but I should also be able to find and utilize resources that allow my students to learn in ways that benefit them the most (i.e. visual, auditory, kinesthetic), which definitely fits in with the UDL model.