Assignments

**1**. Explore the **[|Simulation activities on the PBS.org]** website.
Each student will participate in an online discussion, describe their reaction to the simulation activities and make connections to struggling learners using a [|Google Doc] or [|TitanPad] (online document). Please make sure to include your name when you post your reactions. respond to someone else's reaction as well. You may change the color of the font to reflect your work.
 * Total possible points – 10**

**2.** **Neuroscience and Learning**
Either alone or with a partner, review the neuroscience websites that are on the class wiki and identify the most critical aspects that apply to technology-rich projects. Integrate these elements into a universally designed lesson that bypasses the learning challenges for your students. The lesson can address any content area and any topic that you choose. For example, you may want to teach The Water Cycle, or Sign of the Beaver or Double Digit Multiplication.

This assignment should consider how the brain works during learning and what conditions promote learning. Make connections to the neuroscience as you design your lesson plan. (I **added this information for the next cohort**). Resources are found here:

[|The Neuroscience of Joyful Learning] [|By Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed] [|A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education] (Phi Delta Kappan) [] [|How can Research on the Brain Inform Education?] [|A Neurologist Makes the Case for the Video Game Model as a Learning Tool] By Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed [|Want Children to “Pay Attention”? Make Their Brains Curious]! By Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed.

Upload your lesson ideas on the class wiki at http://spnd456Tec.wikispaces.com **Assignment 2 Page** by **Friday, May 11**.
 * Total possible points – 15**

** 3. Education websites, Freeware, Microsoft Office Features**
In many classrooms, teachers present information through lecture and/or textbook. Students demonstrate what they know through paper/pencil activities or through oral presentation. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) suggests that students learn best when provided multiple methods of representation, engagement or expression. For this activity, you will think outside the box, explore, and integrate new media tools into your classroom.

Students will work individually or in groups of two to explore free, readily available resources. Each student will recommend features built into Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint or Excel) that they have never used before the class and explore the free online resources at the http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com wiki that will help accommodate for students with learning style differences.

Choose at least four features/resources that will be used with your students to Plan and Deliver Instruction and show how you will use the free tools. Connect your choices and explain the educational rationale behind each choice considering UDL and brain research. Consider what we know about effective teaching that taps into our understanding of how the brain works. These recommended resources will be used to create a list of resources on the class wiki for all participants. Identify the resource, explain the educational rationale, describe how you will use the resource, tool or strategy and identify the type of student who will most benefit from your resource choices.

You may find the following VoiceThread helpfu

l media type="custom" key="16772166" One possible format follows:
 * ~ =Resource= ||~ =Educational Rationale= ||~ =How Resource will be used= ||~ =Type of student who will benefit= ||

Upload your information to the class wiki Assignment 3 page by **Sunday, May 20**.

 * Total possible points – 15**

**4.** Read **[|Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading]**, by Graham and Hebert.
Refer to the previously read article [|Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing][|of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools] by Graham and Perin. Make connections between the identified strategies which support the development of reading and writing skills and the use of educational or assistive technologies. Which tools or strategies promote independence with reading and writing tasks according to reading research? Consider what you have learned from the Simulation activities, Neuroscience and Learning activities, free resources, apps and software and identify at least five tools which connect with the research and **identify the connections**. Use whatever media you would like to demonstrate your learning and post it on the class wiki Assignment 4 page. //This is your opportunity to think outside the box and use a creative tool to summarize your learning thus far and think of how these tools help students with high incidence reading and writing disabilities overcome their learning challenges.If you need ideas, please feel free to contact Karen via email or cell.// (Multiple methods of expression)

by **Tuesday, May 29th**. **Total possible points – 15**

**5. Assistive Technology Software Feature Comparison (In class assignment)**
Work in small groups to compare three software programs, tools or apps that offer similar features (for example, text-to-speech, word prediction, or graphic organization, writing support software) using the Comparison Sheet found online. Describe what type of learner most benefits from each of the programs that you are evaluating. Which features does the learner require? Which features are extraneous? Which program would you recommend depending upon the learner profile? Possible comparisons include:

a) Word prediction (Co:Writer, WordQ, IntelliTools Classroom Suite or Kurzweil or Typo HD iOS app), b) Full featured Reading and Writing support software (Kurzweil and Read and Write Gold), c) Executive Function Tools (from wiki or apps) d) Free digital storytelling tools (VoiceThread, PhotoStory 3, iMovie or specific apps) e) Writing support software (Write:Online, Draft:Builder, Inspiration) f) Video Modeling Options (iPad apps, Activity Trainer) g) Bookshare and Learning Ally

Please let the instructor know which category you will compare. We will try to cover as many categories as possible to avoid duplications.



Google Doc

 * Total possible points – 15 points**

** 6. Final Project**** : ****Make it Real**
Emerging technologies require a flexible final assignment. In an attempt to model what we have learned in this course by recognizing the need for highly interactive, engaging tasks, you have the opportunity to choose one of the following to demonstrate what you have learned:


 * a. A Day in the Life…**

Take a day in the life of a student with learning challenges and modify their program for the entire day. Describe the learner’s profile in one or two paragraphs. Identify obstacles that prevent school success. Describe the classroom activities for the day and provide a list of strategies and tools that you would use to remove the obstacles to learning for your student and help them more independently demonstrate what they know. Consider UDL principles that will benefit all learners in the classroom. Provide the rationale for your decisions. Your paper should be at least four to five pages or your multimedia presentation or tool choice must include:
 * Learner profile [3 points]
 * A description of the classroom curriculum activities [3 points]
 * A list of specific learning goals aligned to the curriculum frameworks [5 points]
 * A list of emerging technologies and technology strategies that will be used to support your learner [8 points]
 * A rational for the technology recommendations that you have made [11 points]
 * Total possible points – 30 points**


 * b. Reflection:**

Reflect upon your experiences in this class and the projects that you have completed. What has changed in your approach to your students? What has been effective for you as a learner? Describe the strategies and tools that you have implemented or intend to implement within your own work situation. Provide the rationale for the decisions you have made. You may choose to complete a paper, which should be at least four to five pages in length, and be an honest reflection upon your own participation as well as the instructor’s methods or utilize digital media in an innovative way. Include any suggestions that the instructor needs to know as well. If you choose to utilize digital media, please first discuss this with the instructor.
 * Total possible points – 30 points**


 * c.** **Complete a project of your choice** that is real for your current work situation. One possibility is to write up an Assistive Technology assessment on a prototypical student with reading and written expression challenges or one who presents with Asperger Syndrome. There are numerous other options that provide opportunities to integrate and assimilate knowledge gained in this course. Final choice must be discussed and approved by the instructor with clear guidelines provided by the instructor


 * Total possible points – 30 points**


 * Submit your Final Project via email no later than Sunday, June 17****.**