The Astronomy Dream

I really hope that I eventually have the opportunity to teach astronomy.

Why you ask?

Because of Elite: Dangerous.

It's a new space-sandbox game that has been available on PC for a while (recently released as an early access game on Xbox).  It's very open ended and does not ever really "end" in the true sense of a video game.

What does this all mean?

It means if I were to teach a lesson about a specific solar system, star, black hole, or nebula, the class could travel there within the game and explore (as long as it is within our Milky Way galaxy)! They could see the different stars in the galaxy, and actually read up on some general information about the type of body it is, as well as specific information about that individual object.

One could easily make an assignment where they would need to go out and find a specific star (you are able to search within the game itself) and give certain information about it.

An example could be to find LHS 2520 (a star which astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson found for DC comics as the possible location for where Superman was from). Once found, you will need to explain what type of star it is, how massive it is compared to our sun, and how hot the surface of that star is. 

After they had done that assignment, they could then decide to search anywhere within our Galaxy. Want to visit the coal stack nebula? Go find it! Want to find Sagittarius A*? Get a move on, and bring some heat sink launchers to avoid burning up along the way to the center of our Galaxy!

I'm really hoping to find a way to explore this in my classroom, even if it's just as an extra curricular astronomy club. I think this is an interesting way to get students interested in the topic and allow them to explore our own Galaxy!

Classroom Vs Professional Blog

Although both sound similar, there are key differences between a Classroom Website and a Professional Educational Blog. The table below gives the glaringly obvious differences.

	Classroom Blog	Professional Blog
Audience	Students Parents Guardians	Educators Administration
Purpose	To detail what is happening within your classroom Provide students with material for classroom activities Posting of homework or important documents Any other materials used within the classroom Allow parents/guardians to be more involved with their students education	To voice your opinion on different issues in education Ask questions to other professionals and receive feedback

The Classroom Website/Blog is a very nice way to create a connection with the parents. Having the connection between school and home is a proven way to improve your child’s success in education. Because you’re trying to create this connection with the parents and students, the way you type to your audience is very different than how you would type on a professional blog.

In a professional blog, you are voicing an opinion on a specific topic in Education and almost expecting your audience to post comments about their own opinions or any questions they may have. This is more about a learning and collaborative experience than one of an information giver.

If you maintained having both a Professional Blog and Classroom Blog/Website, you would want to keep the two separate. Although some parents (and maybe students) may be interested in your opinions on education, this should not but contained within your Classroom Blog, as it could become congested and confuse the readers who may be looking for just their homework, or just the opinion on Google Classroom.

Parent Night Outline

• Slideshow
• Introductions(5 min)
• Talk about topics covered in class (depends on class, either Math 10, 20, 30, Physics 30, or Computer Science 20, 30) (10 min)
• Full year project information (Physics 30 only [so far]) (5 min)
• Technologies used in class for both parents and students
• Remind
• 1 way communication with entire class / parents to cell phones or email
• Ability to remind students of upcoming assignment due dates or tests
• Ability to send out days homework
• Allow parents to sign up
• Khan Academy (for Math and Physics classes)
• Online videos that will help explain a concept
• Allow students to re-watch and attempt questions as many times as they require
• Contains question sets directly related to video lessons
• Setting up the coaching tool will allow me to “assign” videos and question sets to students in place of missed classwork
• Helps students master the topics taught in class
• Trello / Google Docs (Physics 30 Project)
• Allows students to collaborate in group tasks even when they are not directly beside each other.
• Easily keep track of all work done on project and have a place to store all of the information
• No more “John has all the work”
• Allows for immediate feedback from me
• Classroom Blog (how to get there, guide through the site)
• Store all of the above information
• Will contain each topic that was covered for the day, as well as any Khan Academy video lessons and question sets that may be important
• Homework and assignments will be posted

UDL Strategies

The Universal Design for Learning process encourages teachers to offer multiple forms of representation and engagement. There are a variety of different ways that teachers can incorporate 21st century technologies into a classroom to provide students with different modes of representation and learning.

1. Teachers are encouraged through UDL to provide alternatives for viewing visual and auditory information. By using audio books and read aloud software, teachers can limit the amount of visual information which the students must process. In an English class, rather than having a student feel isolated by reading a different book than their peers, the teacher can provide the student with an audio book to help the student better understand the content of the book, rather than solely focusing on their lack of fluency or comprehension skills. Similarly, to aid students who struggle to process auditory information, teachers can now provide students with copies of their notes/lectures, directly from the SMARTBoard or tablet device. Teachers can also utilize the closed caption feature on videos, and even many Youtube videos, thus allowing students to have the opportunity to watch multi-media presentations. 
2. Teachers are also encouraged to continuously clarify vocabulary and symbols for students to ensure comprehension and understanding. There are a variety of resources that are available online which can help to develop students’ vocabulary, such as Visuwords, an online graphic dictionary and thesaurus which uses colours and patterns to identify the links between words. The program is free, and may be easier for students to use, rather than looking up a definition in a dictionary. Wordle is another tool that could be used to help students develop their language skills, as students could make posters with synonyms or describing words for each of their vocabulary terms in order to help them remember what it means. Making these bright and colourful posters can provide a fun way of practicing ones’ vocabulary. 
3. In UDL it is essential for teachers to illustrate the content and outcomes using multiple media forms. That is, teachers need to be able to present the content to students in a variety of different ways so that students of all different learning styles and abilities have the chance to develop their understanding. The National Centre on Universal Design for Learning, suggests a variety of different online tools that teachers can use to help integrate this idea into their teaching. For instance, Search Cube is a website that allows students to search any term, and it will create pictures or different visual representations of the top 96 pages from your search. From here, students can rotate the cube or move it to see different sides to learn about their search in different ways. As a math teacher, I have used the Illuminations website many times in my math class as it provides visual representations of different math topics. The webpage is easy to use and is easy for students to understand and manipulate the animations. Particularly in math, it is important that teachers utilize various forms of media to ensure student understanding as many of the concepts are very abstract unless students can actually move the shapes around or plot their information to see a realistic image of their task. 
4. In UDL, it is also important for teachers to highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas and relationships. There are a number of online tools that can help students identify key ideas, or help to keep students focused on the purpose of the lesson. Pace Car is a great tool for students who are often distracted by other content on a webpage. The program lights up only the words that surround the students’ cursor and creates a dark shadow over the rest of the webpage so that the student can only focus on the information in the box. Students must then focus on learning the key ideas in the written text as opposed to looking at the advertisements, or other distractions on the webpage. Similarly, Readability allows teachers to create clutter-free pages from the internet, so that students are not distracted by unrelated pictures or advertisements. By solely having the key information on the screen, students will be more focused on the important information- particularly for those students who struggle with attention deficit disorders.
5. The final teaching idea from UDL centers around the understanding that information should be displayed in multiple formats for students, particularly those with exceptionalities. Using the Aim Explorer, for instance, students can take a grade-level text and utilize text-to-speech, magnification, and highlighting tools to assist them in the reading process. Additionally students can change the text and background colours which can assist students with vision troubles. Having this software can assist any English, social studies, or even science teacher when their students are presented with different readings to complete. This software will allow them to adjust the program settings to meet their individual needs to help optimize student learning. For instance, when studying a particular novel, the teacher could have some students read to themselves, have others with visual impairments (such as colour blindness) use the program to alter the colours of the text to make it easier to read, and students who struggle with the reading skills could have the computer read the text aloud to them.

For more information, or to read up on more strategies, visit UDL Center.

Universal Design Learning Theories

Universal Design Learning Theories exemplify the idea that all students should be given the opportunity to learn. As suggested in the a paper on Universal Design for Leaning, “instruction can be universally designed when, without after-the-fact adaptation, it provides information that is easily recognized by all students, diminishes unnecessary physical effort for access, or is structured to avoid unnecessary frustration and to be highly engaging and motivational for the student” (pg. 22). The first step in the design process is identifying the barriers which inhibit students from learning. Through differentiated instruction, various technologies, cooperative learning, community-based learning, and by teaching learning strategies, teachers are able to better meet the needs of the students in the class and ensure that they are learning- that is, that they are being challenged and are not solely presented with tasks that they could finish with little effort or thinking. The National Center on Universal Design for Learning suggests that this method requires teachers to provide multiple means of engagement (to develop purposeful, motivated learners), representation (to develop resourceful, knowledgeable learners), and action/expression (to develop strategic, goal-directed learners). There is not a simple blueprint to follow for UDL, as it varies based on the needs of your students. As technology is further developed however, we are finding easier and more effective techniques for incorporating UDL into the classroom. For instance, there are a variety of online programs such as Mathletics that scaffold the curriculum for students and can be adjusted to meet the needs and abilities of the students in a class. From working on concepts that a student may have missed, to challenging students who are more advanced in their studies, these programs can allow teachers to individualize lessons to best suit the learning goals of their students.

As an educator, I feel uncomfortable saying that my classroom follows all of the UDL concepts, as I believe that there is always room for improvement, and that we as teachers must do the best we can to provide an optimal learning environment based on the tools we have and the unique students we meet. While I believe that I have seen classrooms that have taken large steps to be inclusive and to meet the needs of all students, I do not believe that there are many truly UDL classrooms in existence. I have observed classes this year that have incorporated new thinking and educational trends which have really helped to bring are more UDL environment, such as guided math. Through guided math, the teacher is able to divide the students into groups (which may change based on the strand or unit being covered), and the groups are able to cycle through a variety of different stations which are catered to their individual learning needs. For instance, one group may be doing activities through cooperative learning, while another group meets with the teacher. There may be another group using the computer, SMARTBoard or other forms of technology to practice their new skills. This technique allows for the teacher to differentiate their lesson and meet the different needs and abilities of their students, rather than solely lecturing at the front of the classroom.

The National Center on Universal Design for Learning has posted some great resources on how teachers can implement UDL in their classrooms, and ways for offering alternative forms of learning for students of different abilities and exceptionalities. These resources can be found by clicking here.

It is important to understand that integrating UDL in a classroom is a fluid process that is ever-changing, as the needs of your students and available tools may continuously change and improve. The five phases that teachers must pass through while implementing UDL are: exploring, preparing, integrating, scaling and optimizing, according to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning.

21st Century Learning with Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a learning disability which can impede or affect a person’s ability to control their handwriting and fine motor skills. Often times this can lead to illegible handwriting, trouble using different types of letters (such as upper and lower case letters) and spacing, as well as difficulty copying material and multi-tasking. This disability can also cause students’ to develop cramps in their hands due to poor writing posture/technique. With the development of technology, we now have a multitude of resources that are available to help students overcome these challenges. For example:

• Penfriend and other text prediction software can help students who are slower at typing to become more confident writers as the program is able to help predict future words, thus causing less strain on the student. Other speech to text programs can also aid in alleviating some of these problems as the student would only need to talk into a microphone in order to record their thinking. Audacity would be a great example, whereby students can record their conversations and submit the audio file for the teacher to listen to. Similarly, teachers can use video recorders to record student performance, rather than asking for a written document, thus allowing the student to demonstrate their learning in a multitude of different ways. Computers can also help students with dysgraphia, as they may be able to type more accurately than they can using paper and pencil. Students could also use the spell-check feature in order to assist with their spelling and grammar depending on their dexterity. 
• SMARTBoards may also assist students as the teacher can write the notes on the device and then save/print a copy of the completed notes, thus allowing the student to focus on the content rather than trying to copy all of the information down off of the board.
• In mathematics, where sometimes it isn’t easy to explain the steps to a problem out loud, the teacher could provide the student with cloze notes (where the formula and problem are already recorded) to help reduce the amount of writing the student needs. Similarly, Excel or graphing programs, such as Geometer’s Sketchpad, could help the student to draw shapes, images and graphs instead of asking them to draw them on paper to illustrate their solution or understanding. 

Through these programs which utilize 21st century skills and technology, students with dysgraphia would be able to place a greater focus on learning the content and presenting their understanding, rather than focusing on their ability to copy down the information and neatly communicating their ideas. At the end of the day, we as teachers want to be able to assess what our students have learnt, and for students with this disability, traditional paper-and-pencil assignments may not fully represent their comprehension as writing can be a frustrating and tiring experience. Rather than discouraging them, teachers could use the above strategies to help the student reach their true potential.

Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Word Prediction Software (Penfriend)

In our school, we have started to use text prediction software (not the same one listed above, but similar). This helps a multitude of students with learning disabilities that affect their written language. According to Penfriend's website, Penfriend software “benefits users who have dyslexia, visual impairment or physical [disabilities], including Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, Stroke, limb deformities and any condition which impairs the ability to write with a keyboard.” This software can help students become more confident writers as the software is able to predict the next word in a sentence as a student is writing, making the writing process more fluid and faster for students who struggle with typing. This could be particularly beneficial for ESL students, or those who struggle with their grammar and fluency.

Audio Books (Audible.com)

Our English teachers here have started using Audio Books within their classroom for students who have troubles reading on their own. This allows students who have difficulty reading to follow along with someone reading to them. This can help increase the student's vocabulary, as well as help with their reading comprehension and fluency. Students can listen to the book as a class, or individually using a personal listening device. For some students, listening to an audiobook can also help them to make more connections and think more critically about the content of the novel, rather than trying to solely decode the text. Students can gain a greater appreciation for literacy and different texts which they may have previously felt isolated from due to their reading level or language barrier. By listening to another source read the book aloud, students who have trouble decoding emotions and humor may gain a greater understanding of its and role in the text by hearing the expression in the reader’s voice.

Personal Listening Systems

Although we only have this available in our Theatre, our school has invested in a Personal Listening System, which allows the speaker to broadcast their voice directly into the user's ear by use of headphones or earphones. The unit we have connects directly into our sound system, so no special microphone is required. These can help with students who have a hearing disability, or even those who have trouble paying attention by allowing the user to focus more clearly on the speakers' voice. Rather than having to isolate students by moving them to preferential seating, students can sit anywhere within the room provided they have the device. Student comprehension is aided by these systems as the student can listen more attentively to the presentation and put a greater focus on the content, rather than struggling to focus or listen to a faint sound.