Blog 10 - Lesson Plan and The Digital Divide

Link to my lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XFrHT9I0Y7mCYpClLHnwAFADvEvyvOLHWKQjCXEZcGQ/edit

I see the digital as a real issue, which could be better addressed in schools. For example, at UNL, the primary mode of online content is through the "BlackBoard" system. While this does expose students to digital forms of learning, it is very limited. I didn't really notice this until the beginning of this Instructional Technology class. We've discussed a multitude of online resources for teaching and learning, most of which I have never used or possible even heard of. Before the class, I would have considered myself at least somewhat digitally literate, but the further we progress through the content, I realize that I was not. This is potentially the case with many college students, both present and future. This could be addressed by incorporating more of these resources into the other classrooms of UNL or even possibly including a orientation course for first year students on these resources as they will pertain to classes down the road.
My goal as a possible future educator would be to weaken this divide simply by including digital resources at least as an option for students, and orienting them on how to use these. However, not all classrooms will have the means to do so. In response, the lesson plan I created is tailored to meet those availabilities. It includes activities and assignments which can be done without digital aid, should that be the case. It also includes ideas for how any available technology could be used within the plan. The goal is to capitalize on any opportunities to expose students to digital forms of learning, while still providing outlets for if the technology is not available and sources of the invaluable face to face interaction with students. Hopefully this lesson plan can fully meet these goals in a way that will weaken the digital divide and help students to grow both in knowledge of the material and how to approach it in todays digital world.

Blog 9 - Bloom's Taxonomy and Mind Mapping

Above is the mind map I created, concerning a possible lesson structure on the systems of the human body. It is organized using the concepts of Bloom's Taxonomy, and contains applications of each concept to the central idea, that being the human body. I was able to instill the use of each to create a sort of building block model to the teaching of the systems of the human body. Bloom's Taxonomy was the basis by which I created the plan, and the mind map was simply the system I used to organize these ideas in a tangible way.
While I was creating this map and considering Bloom's Taxonomy, I realized that they have a lot of relation. It seems that creating a mind map such as I did was the create step in Bloom's Taxonomy. In terms of the human body, I have completed all the steps in learning, and now to take those ideas and put them in a plan for teaching it is a prime example of creating.
Another more noticeable relationship between the two is simply the fact that a mind map is a great way to organize the concepts which go into the idea of Bloom's Taxonomy and apply them to some subject area.

Blog #8 - Digital Citizenship

I chose to focus my Glogster on the ideas from the badges on the Mike Ribbles article. I did so because they seemed to be important guiding factors which direct the rest of his concepts concerning digital citizenship. I combined them into three main points: Ethics, Literacy, and Safety. These three sections seemed to encompass Ribbles' twelve badges fairly well and illustrate the main things that must be considering in terms of digital citizenship. Some ways that these can be presented in the classroom would be via a visual illustration similar to this one, and simply make these issues known to the kids. It would also be helpful to allow them to practice in some way. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to use sites such as the Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network examples to allow the kids to learn these concepts by actually using the technology. These resources could also be given to parents so they can help their kids learn as well.
One big issue that arises as a result the increasing digital citizenship is cyber bullying. This put simply is bullying which occurs via the interactive social websites. The main weapon to use against cyber bullying is knowledge and awareness. To do so, I would instruct the kids on the dangers, guide them to resources such as the Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network sites, and inform the parents on the issue. Also, I would not allow the use of those social network sites in the classroom, aside from instructional purposes. This will ensure that anytime they are on the site, they are using it for education and not personal, bullying purposes. I am hopeful that these strategies will be beneficial in preventing cyber bullying among my future students.

Blog #7 - Universal Design for Learning

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view%20&book=57434&page=1
(If this link doesn't work, then you can go to www.bookbuilder.cast.org and search for the book "The Scientific Method." It should be under the publisher tag TEAC259, UNL.)

Above is the link to the book I created. I created a book that takes science students through the process by which an experiment is conducted. This will allow students to have guideposts as they conduct an experiment of their choice. This fits UDL, primarily because of its universality among different types of experiments and interests. It can be applied to any experiment the student wishes to conduct. Also, as I noted in my answers to the reaction questions, the principle of previous knowledge is an important factor of UDL's. This is because, without the prior knowledge which your instructional content is built upon, the students cannot succeed at grasping the material at a very high rate. So, I applied this to my book. To do so, I included a page which listed some important prerequisites that students should cover before going through the book and conducting an experiment. This way, they will get the most possible out of the project, and will not harm themselves or others by conducting an experiment in an unsafe manner. There are several other important principles to consider when working with Universal Design for Learning, but this is just one example which I chose to focus on, discuss, and apply.