EDLD+5364+Week+4

This week I have learned about three different topics which were valuable technology professional development, how important cooperative learning is for our students, and how using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can improve student achievement. I learned from Web 2.0, New Tools, New School that the technology we are learning about can be as efficient for professional development as in our classrooms. We need to use blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. to keep the professional development going and not just a one-time class. I also learned that the federal government is behind the technology movement for professional development. I learned from our Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works book that cooperative learning is very important with our students. When students work in cooperative groups they make sence of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others. We need to group them together by their abilities sparingly because that does not allow them to learn from each other as well. I learned once again that UDL is a great tool for helping all students. It allows for us to use technology to help students of different abilities learn what we are trying to teach them. UDL is a great tool for all to use.