My Final Reflection               

On the very first day of this course I felt very overwhelmed and anxious!  I worried about not knowing enough about computers and technology!  I mean, as a teacher, I am able to use technology in my classroom but taking part in an online masters course is something else.  I wondered if I could balance the work load while also teaching my grade two students online and supporting my own children's learning.  In the beginning it wasn't easy, I was like a fish out of water!   But little did I know at that time, that I would learn so much in such a short time!  I spent hours on my computer completing assignments and learning about different resources and platforms that can be used in the classroom to enhance learning for all students.  With lots of practice and inquiry I now feel much more confident in the virtual world.  I have this course to thank for that!   

  

This course has taught me so much about UDL and Assistive Technology.  I now know that UDL is a curriculum designed approach which increases flexilbility for learning in the classroom.  It helps to break down the barriers that many students face.  In a UDL classroom the teacher acts as a facilitator rather than a director.  Students are given choices and options to learn in the way that best suits them.  I found Katie Novak's Dinner Party activity really helped me understand the UDL approach.  All students learn in different ways and it is our role as teachers to provide them a buffet of choices to help them learn.  The traditional way of teaching the outcomes is no longer acceptable.  

In Newfoundland, studies have shown that 24.1% of students have an identified exceptionality.  As a result of these findings, The Premier's Task Force in Newfoundland has come up with an education action plan and one of the main components on this plan is Universal Design for Learning.  This year my school will be a Phase 3 school in this plan and I feel like I already have much to offer my students in UDL.  I can't wait to learn even more!

Of course, we can't talk about UDL without Assistive Technology.  I am still so blown away by how many resources are out there to help all students.  During every class we were introduced to numerous apps/resources/websites/videos that we could use with our students to help them enhance their strengths and assist with their weaknesses.  I was happy to learn that many were free and accessible to teachers.  Here is a quick list of just a few that really stood out to me:

Newsela
Tarheelreader
Snapverter
Voice Dream Reader
mentimeter
Wheel of Names
Cast Website
Understood Website
Vision Simulation
Keeble
Iris
Cowriter
Voice Dream Writer
Speech Tutor
Immersive Reader
Phonemic Awareness Speech Bubbles

Of Course, my favourites were the ones that I learned the most about when completing Assignment One and Two. 
      
Read and Write for Google 

                 
Book Creator

Both of these are fantastic tools for teaching and I am eager to use them in my classroom.
Read and Write for Google can be used with any student in your classroom (struggling or students needing enrichment) and Book Creator is such a flexible teaching tool.  You can use it for a wide variety of purposes. 
I especially enjoyed working and collaborating together in groups on these assignments and sharing them with the whole group.  The resources that we created will be something that we can keep forever and share with our own staff.  

Overall,  I became a teacher because I enjoy working with children and I love to watch my students improve and learn new things.  I feel very happy about completing this course!  I know that I will be a better teacher for my students because I now have many more resources in my tool box and a different understanding for how a classroom should work for each individual student. 

Thank you so much, Mrs. Barbara Welsford and Cohort 25 colleagues for sharing all your knowledge, experience and wonderful assignments, ideas and discussions throughout this course.  It was truly a memorable experience! 

My Three Main Takeaways From Class # 4

1. Unite for Literacy 
                     

During our fourth and final class we were introduced to a fantastic reading sight by our instructor.  I was quite surprised that I had not heard of this site before.  I will definitely share it with my colleagues and use it next year with my students.  Unite for Literacy is a website with free digital picture books for students from different cultures, backgrounds and languages.  This free site provides access to 130 books that are categorized into groups.  Some of the categories are: animals, technology, health and family.  All books are narrated with the touch of a button or you can have children read the books on their own.  As a teacher, I could use this site to do a virtual guided reading group with my students.  I could also use it to help extend knowledge and vocabulary on specific topics.  The goal of this site is to create life long learners who gain a love of reading in the home at an early age.  The creators of this site believe that most homes do not have enough relevant picture books for children to make reading a habit .  There solution is to provide a virtual library that is open at anytime and anywhere!  What a great idea!

2. Katie Novak Website
                     
We learned about this site during our last class.  It was developed by Katie Novak and Allison Sancinito. This is a wonderful site to guide teachers and families through online learning.  In recent months, we have all had to deal with very uncertain times and as teachers, out of nowhere, we had to modify and adapt our teaching to fit the virtual classroom.  This was a very daunting and overwhelming task for most teachers.  This site is a perfect guide for teachers and families during these times because it provides actual daily lessons for up to 30 days of learning.  The format of the lessons is very user friendly.  When you click on each day it will bring you to an attached Google Document that outlines what you can do for the entire day from morning until evening.  You can print off these documents or follow them online.  Each day provides lots of options and choices that are very homebased and accessible for all learners.  There are a large variety of topics covered so families can choose what interests them and their children.  The UDL principles of learning are closely followed throughout each lesson.  This site also offers lots of opportunities for professional development and an abundance of resources.  I strongly recommend this site to all educators!   




                         
3.
                             

Throughout my teaching career I have attended many Professional Learning Days.  Most times, these PL days have a set schedule and the focus area has been chosen for me.  Most times, I have little say as to what I will be learning about.  I regret to say, that I have walked away many times wondering how I can actually use what I have learned in my classroom.  

During our fourth class we learned all about the edWeb site.  
The edWeb site is a Professional Online Learning Community.  
Some of its benefits are:
* It is free. 
* It offers many educational webinars/videos - live or on demand.
* It gives educators the chance to collaborate with other educators.
* Educators can earn CE certificates.  

Most of all this site offers so much freedom and choice to educators.  It is a fantastic site because educators can choose a time that suits their own schedule, they can choose what they are interested in learning about and they can do everything in the comfort of their own home.  This site allows educators to personalize their own learning and professional growth.

During our last class we watched a Webinar done by Kara Magee - Arick called "Supporting Learning from Home for Students with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities".  It was wonderful to watch parents working with their children at home with different degrees of support from the teacher.  
The Three types of support a teacher can give a parent of an autistic child or a child dealing with any type of developmental disability are:
1. Support Caregivers - Helping Parents
2. Instructorless Learning - Home Packages
3. Synchronous Remote Learning - Support, IEP's 
It was certainly a perfect example of how important the parent and teacher relationship is to student learning. 
    
I look forward to watching more Webinars on the edWeb site.  It's a wonderful resource for all educators!