Learn-Lead-Grow: Recent Episodes
Matt Bergman
Learn – Lead – Grow is a weekly blog podcast devoted to sharing innovative and creative ways to engage all students through educational technology to help all students learn.
Join Matt Bergman as he shares new ideas on how to help ALL students learn.
Follow Matt's blog at http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
The Common Core emphasizes the need to get students writing. This can be a difficult task for any student; however, what if your student has a physical impairment or learning disability? This can create a "barrier" in the learning process and make writing even more difficult. Let's look at some tools that could reduce barriers and provide students with a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach.
UDL looks at reducing barriers by frontloading supports, so that ALL students can accomplish a learning goal or task. When a learning task is Universally Designed, the learning goal is not changed, but the means (or tools) of accomplishing it are flexible. Here are three tools to help students with disabilities in the writing process.
edtech #udl #writing
Writing can be a difficult process for any student because it involves a combination of communication and organizational skills. There are a variety of barriers that students experience when writing. Some struggle to organize their thoughts. Some do not understand the physical structure of a paragraph.
Class Dojo understands that relationships between teachers, students, and parents are one of the most important elements of a school. If you are not familiar with the website and App, it is a behavior management system and communication tool for teachers, parents, and students. It is available on iTunes and Google Play stores.
edtech #ipaded #google
How can you use #twitter during the #last5 minutes of class? http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2014/07/an-elementary-idea-using-twitter-during.html
What are you doing with the last five minutes of class? In this challenging time period, I want to offer a way to use electronic post-it notes in a creative way to address ALL learners.
The last five minutes of class are often the most unproductive parts of the school day? What are you doing to increase engagement during the last five minutes of class? Check out a cool way to use Audioboo to engage students.
Have only 1 iPad? You can still use it in your classroom. Check out http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com for details
Are you a "one and done" App user? What I mean is do you only integrate one App per class experience? This may work for some of your students, but it will not work for all of your students. Why? Not every student learns and interacts with Apps the same way.
If we only focus on using one App per classroom experience, we often leave out many of our students who don't learn this way. My advice is to try to incorporate 2 or more Apps into your experience that will allow different types of learners to connect with material. In other words, don't be a "one and done"!
Over the next few posts, I want to share with you a common way to introduce your students to new vocabulary terms, while using multiple Apps.
iPaded
We all have various ways of reviewing for tests. Some of us use stations, others review sheets, and some have students create cheat sheets. Why not use MoveNote as a tool for review?
Stoodle is a real-time collaborative virtual whiteboard available online or on the iPad. Create your own classroom without a username or password and share it through a URL. Learn more...
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
Are you stretched for time and want a way to informally assess students without the hassle? Are you looking for simple ways to gather feedback from your students? Are you an elementary school teacher who would love to use technology, but find NearPod and Socrative too complicated for your students?
Over a year ago, I had mentioned a site that I found called Stich.it, which allows you to pair multiple links together in a “stich.” Once you have paired all of your links together, you are given a unique URL to share with others. It gives you the ability to share a series of webpages, pictures, YouTube links, into a shareable experience that Stich.it calls a “micro web.” If you want to see a “stich” in action, check out this cool example!
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2014/03/sharing-web-through-stichit-how-it.html
This week's post is very abbreviated because I am still putting the final touches on both presentations. You might be familiar with Weebly already, but I would like to get you excited about AudioBoo. Check out my blog for resources: http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2014/02/getting-ready-for-petec14-with-audioboo.html
I found a great site that can help you covert and download audio, video, documents, eBooks, and images. It is called Online Covnert.com .
edtech #udl #education
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If you haven't noticed, I haven't been posting as frequently as I would like. This is partially due to the fact that I have been working on some really cool projects (more on that later), teaching, and going back to school online at the University of Akron. I hope to earn a second Masters Degree in Instructional Design.
In my current class at Akron, I met a foreign language teacher, who uses Google Voice to assess the pronunciation and language development skills of her students. She created her own Google Voice number, which students call and respond to her weekly prompts. Students were given parameters like the number of responses, the minimum amount of time to respond, etc.
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
I recently heard a quote that resonated with me. The author had mentioned, "if a 50 year-old seventh grade teacher takes a web design course and develops a class website about the Civil War and an actual seventh grader designs a website with the same content, which site would seventh graders actually use?"
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
The writing process is a necessary skill that all students should be able to master; however, many of our students struggle with getting their ideas to paper. In order to help all of our students, perhaps we need to rethink the way we have our students organize their thoughts. #iPad #edtech
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Are you a one and done? Are you an educator who uses only one App per educational experience, meeting the needs of some and ignoring the needs of others? In this series, I am continuing to explore how you can use multiple Apps to address the needs of ALL learners. In other words, how do you Universally Design an iPad experience? Let's begin with a topic that we all have to do in our classrooms. How do you use iPads to give reading assignments that meet the needs of all learners?
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
How can you use post-it notes and mints to create a positive classroom environment?
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2013/12/tools-for-reflecting-creating-positive.html
If you ever watched Fox Sports 1, you may notice that they have a news feed that is titled “3 Things You Should Know,” which communicates a brief summary of the 3 most important sports happenings of the day.
It made me think some ways to use PowToon and the “3 Things You Should Know” idea in my class:
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For my next couple of series, I plan on inspiring you to use new technologies in 140 words or less, because I want to challenge myself to say more with less. Start counting now!
A few weeks ago, I had discussed putting together a toolbox of UDL friendly tools for students to use. Powtoon is a new presentation tool I plan on adding to my toolbox.
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
Engaging our students differently requires looking at different pathways to gauge their interests. For example, you could read about a particular topic or you could find someone to serve as a guest teacher through Skype. Which method will engage the most students?
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In the 21st century, it is difficult to be an absolute expert on every single topic in your curriculum. Especially with all of the information that is available at our fingertips. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we may not be an expert of everything. Instead we may be the "jack of all trades, but master of none." There is nothing wrong with this.
As we grow in our teaching career, we start to get more comfortable with our curriculum, but as we know in education, what we teach and how we do it often changes. In this series, I would like to share some simple ideas to bring experts into your room without much time or effort.
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
Many of us are using Edmodo to make a social learning environment, a paperless classroom, or a creative way to assess students. Did you know that Edmodo is more than a social tool? It can help our students stay organized in a variety of ways. Here are a few tools to help your students:
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I cannot believe that is is almost the end of October already. Many of us have already gathered our bearings and have set ourselves up in a routine. We are starting to see that the "honeymoon" period is over and now our kids are really starting to show their real personalities. How can we use technology to keep ourselves and our students on track? Over the next few posts, I would like to explore a few web tools to help you out. Today? Google Forms and Student Performance Reviews!
For more information: http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2013/10/web-tools-to-help-you-manage-your.html
What do you do when students are not very comfortable with using the new technologies or with content in class? This is a common barrier that occurs in any classroom, regardless of whether you use technology or not. You need to think of some supports to help your students overcome these learning barriers, so that they can fully participate in their learning. I want to offer several common barriers students face and some tools to help them "get-it."
Tools discussed are Screencast-O-Matic, Educreations App, and Audacity.
http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com
When I first learned about Universal Design for Learning several years ago, I read an article from Dave Edyburn, Ph.D. that stated that although technology and UDL were not the same, "technology (was) essential for implementing UDL." Although there tons of high-tech tools out there, there are still many low-tech options for implementing UDL too. This quote really made me think about how we could go beyond using "high-tech" options like YouTube clips and iPad Apps.
Over the next few posts, I want to help you put together a toolbox of tools to help students in your classroom solve problems and understand topics deeper. Before we can begin, we need to have a toolbox to put our tools in.
UDL #edtech #web20
In order to solidify a concept, students need to have it represented in different ways (aka Multiple Means of Representation). The back part of the brain or Recognition Network addresses the “what” of learning and is responsible for how we perceive the world around us.
There's more to it than just showing information in many different ways because it involves giving students opportunities to absorb knowledge in their own way.
For more info: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
I'm continuing my series on the new Edmodo AudioBoo App. My previous posts have focused on how AudioBoo can help students "show what they know" and why it is considered by many to be the"YouTube of Audio." Today I want to conclude my series with a few more innovative ideas:
audioboo #edmodo #udl #edtech #web20
Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of testing out the beta version of the Edmodo AudioBoo App. I have used the iPhone App for several months now, but I had no idea how much of a game changer this is for Edmodo and AudioBoo!
socialmedia #edtech #web20 #edmodo #audioboo
Reading an assignment is one thing, but comprehending what you have read is totally different. Check out the final installment of this 3 part series!
UDL #Literacy #Edtech
Some of us are so busy searching for “THAT” place that we forget the everyday miracles of THIS PLACE. What if there were no ordinary moments? What if we stopped and searched for God’s fingerprints in this moment?
In previous posts, I have mentioned that when working with students in poverty, "the achievement gap is largely a vocabulary gap." One of the main reasons why reading assignments are such a challenge, is that students do not understand the vocabulary.
UDL #Literacy #Vocabulary
Reading assignments can pose a challenge in many schools. Over the next few installments, I will be sharing how you can structure a reading assignment that is UDL "friendly":
literacy #udl #edtech
Over the next few posts, I would like to share some basic Universal Design for Learning techniques that ALL teachers can use to create a positive learning environment for ALL students.
edtech #udl #quizzes
PlanBoard gives educators the ability to easily create lesson plans, find lesson plans, collaborate with others, share materials, track standards, and share lesson plans with students and parents.
edtech #education #web20
This is a free site, which you can sign up as a teacher to send text messages to students and parents. Before you tune me out, the best part is that you do not have access to your student's cell phone information and they don't have access to yours!
Remind101 #edtech
Many of us would like for our students to create webpages, but we may lack the patience or technical knowledge necessary to create one.
For more: http://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2013/06/have-your-students-create-temporary.html
dinkypage #edtech #web20 #education
socialmedia #edtech
I never realized the power of social networking in education until a few years ago when I joined Twitter...
bergman-udl.blogspot.com
If you are a teacher and love technology, there is nothing better than learning from other like-minded people.
udl #simplek12 #edtech #ipaded #summerresolution
For more info: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
summerresolution #edmodo #edtech
Social networking is the name of the game in education today. If our students are already using it, why not use it in your classroom? Today I am going to talk about how teachers can use it as part of my Summer Resolution series.
For more ideas: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
wunderlist #edtech #ipaded #organization
Having an idea of what you want to accomplish is nothing new and is as old as time. We all keep track of what we want to do in different ways. Some of us fly by the seat of our pants, while others tend to be more strategic and write things down. Those who write things down tend to be more efficient.
See more at bergman-udl.blogspot.com
Students in today's classrooms can use the Essential Skeleton to gain a better understanding of the skeletal system in this 360 degree model. It is an easy-to-use and user-friendly application, providing a highlighted outline of the bone, the actual name, and Latin name.
For more info: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
ipaded #udl #edtech
How do we engage students with history? How do you connect students with today and yesterday? World Book's This Day in History is a unique iTunes App that provides students various ways of connecting and representing historical events, through photos, illustrations, and even music!
history #edtech #ipads #udl
For more, visit: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
math #education
MyScript has users write a mathematical expression and converts the numbers and symbols into text. For more ideas go to: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
If you are an educator, you know that summer is not just a time for “recharging your battery,” but it is also a time to gather new ideas for next year. For many of us, we want to have a better grasp on technology and how it can be used to enhance student learning. With so many different technologies available, where do we start? I would recommend using the power of social media to connect with other like-minded educators. Here are some ideas to get you started.
education #socialmedia
Changing America: To Be Free is a free App by the Smithsonian help personalize the historic Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
apps
My blog post mentioned yesterday that it comes down to understanding vocabulary. If students don't understand it, then they won't read. What other strategies can we use to get our students reading?
poverty #teaching #learning
According to research, by the time MOST children start school, they will have been exposed to "5 million words and should know about 13,000 of them." What does this mean to educators? We may have to help our students in poverty "catch up."
As we continue our discussion on poverty, we have discussed the definition of what poverty is and how to create a positive learning environment for our students. Today, we will focus on how to influence growth.
With over 47 million people living in poverty, chances are that you are teaching students who are living in one of the 6 types of poverty mentioned in my last post. The fact is we cannot control the fact that many of our students live in poverty; however, we can control what happens within the four walls of our classroom. So where to we begin? Today we are going to discuss creating a positive learning environment.
Over the next few recprdings, I would like to stray from my normal educational technology posts to explore strategies for dealing with students facing poverty. Today we will focus on what poverty really is.
For more information go to: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
SMS Generator is fictional text message generator and a creative way of having a conversation between two historical figures or even characters from a book! When you create your own SMS conversation, you can save it using a unique URL. For more ideas go to: bergman-udl.blogspot.com
Check out a great way to download your favorite blog into an eFile!
bergman-udl.blogspot.com
Use Livebinders as a way of enhancing assignments and providing the supports students need.. #edtech #udl