Amin Saberi and Anne Trumbore  recently  talked with Vicki Davis on episode #67 of Every Classroom Matters about encouraging creativity.  Only 17% of creatives felt a teacher had taught them to be creative.  As our economy moves  away from the industrial workforce, into the information age and beyond, the question arises, "How does one teach creativity"? Well, Stanford Professor Tina Seelig, the designers at NovoEd and some pretty amazing rock stars may just be on to something. Show Notes: What Are the Best Ways to Teach Creativity? ECM #67 Listen to Every Classroom Matters #67 For the first assignment in the Creativity MOOC, over 5,000 people turned in an album cover representing their life. Amin and Anne focus on teaching creativity through a MOOC (Massively Open Online Course by creating a course  through NovoED in collaboration with Tina Seelig at Stanford University entitled, "Creativity: Music to My Ears". Students peer review work and more than 10,000 people are taking the course in April and May 2014. (You can still sign up.) ~ Amin describes the six week free course in the episode, which anyone can take. Josh Groban, Lily Allen, and LinkinPark are just some of the artists involved in helping to teach this course.  Anne emphasizes that publishing work to the world online encourages collaboration and community. Learning creativity in safe communities as in the course enhances the learning of creativity. The assignments are peer-reviewed against a rubric for course assessment. (See the awesome first assignment where participants were asked to create an album cover of their life.) Amin created NovoED to teach students in the same way students are taught at Stanford. Many courses are business courses, teacher training, and entrepreneurship. Student-centered learning is at the center of all these courses, that is the courses are experiential, social, and innovative. ### Listen to the Show to Learn about Stanford’s Creativity MOOC Listen to Every Classroom Matters #67 Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly podcast by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network dedicated to excellent education. Listening will help you teach with better results, lead with a positive impact, and live with a greater purpose. Subscribe. Show notes prepared by Lisa Durff, Production Coordinator for Every Classroom Matters. Thanks for the BAMMY nomination. If you like this show, please vote! Need help to figure out how to listen to the show? If you’re clicking "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, this often works best in Internet Explorer. Or subscribe in a podcatcher. Here’s a tutorial to help you. The post Massive Creativity MOOC with Rock Stars, Prof Tina Seelig, and NovoED appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

When you have meaningful, authentic projects using technology, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. Casey Cox,  one my students from  the very first Flat Classroom project in 2006  is now a college graduate. Take a look at her latest water conservation project and see what this type of education does. Casey is a young graduate from the University of Florida and has  moved back home. She’s becoming an advocate for environmental conservation and water use. She’s written a piece for IBM’s Smarter Planet Blog: "How Big Data is Helping Seed a Farming Transformation." Big Data and Water Conservation She and some other local leaders are featured in the  YouTube video on the IBM Social Media Site. In her article, Casey @caseymco says: My work with the Flint River Partnership focuses on leading outreach initiatives to help farmers implement conservation-oriented agricultural practices to minimize environmental impact and enhance farm efficiency. Working with top agricultural scientists, we’re developing new and innovative farming practices using big data analytics that will ultimately transform agriculture at a global scale and create a more sustainable food supply. The ultimate goal of our Partnership is to optimize irrigation water management by building new services and tools based on emerging technology, and then assist agricultural producers in using those tools to irrigate more efficiently. IBM’s Deep Thunder is one of these tools. While Casey deserves the credit for her work, I’d like to think she got her start as she collaborated globally in her tenth grade classroom, as she composed poetry and studied the history of the Flint River, and discussed big data in my classroom eight years a go. (You can see exactly what she did on our class wiki. She was also mentioned by name in Thomas Friedman’s book The World is Flat along with her partner Cannelle. Doesn’t she wish it was her full name now? ) ### Epic Starts With an Excellent 21st Century Education There’s a direct correlation between what she’s doing now and the conversations she had here when she was a student at Westwood Schools. I see a direct impact of our visionary curriculum director Betty Shiver who pushed us to do projects with students that had meaning and relevance in our local community. I see her literature teacher Betsy Caldwell who helped her hone and improve her already strong writing skills. I see her science teacher Pam Dean and her math teacher Azalee Vereen and so many others who poured their life into her. I see studying the World is Flat and the Horizon Report. And yes, I see just the tiniest bit of me. ~ My student Casey Cox got her start into technology and the Flint River when she was in high school. She is mentioned by name in Thomas Friedman’s book the World is Flat. But mostly I see just Casey- a polished, professional, savvy woman well versed in technology, science, and the history of the area she loves. I see epic. It is awesome to have even a small part of epic. ~ When you use true 21st Century Teaching and Learning Strategies, that is what you do. You become part of epic, life changing experiences. You help students get on track to their own version of epic. ### 21st Century Teaching Isn’t Just Good Teaching: It’s Revolutionary I love how Casey ends her article There’s no denying the potential data analytics can have on business, but for agriculture and today’s farmer, only one word can describe its future impact: revolutionary. Dear Casey, Casey Cox, your Computer Science teacher is so proud of you. You’re making a difference in the world and our community. You’re also confirming to me that what we’re doing in this classroom works in the long run. You’ve given me the gift of seeing all this hard work does make a difference. Because as much as I love teaching, I also love the earth and the agriculture, and the beautiful Flint River we must protect. I love this community and helping you become epic is helping this community I love and this world we must protect. By helping give you a great education, I’ve helped give the world a gift: YOU. Being well educated isn’t about science or technology or collaboration or  math in isolation but what understanding those things together can do in the hands of a creative mind. We need help with the hard problems without multiple choice answers. Now that’s revolutionary.   The post Being Part of Epic: 21st Century Teaching Can Do That appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Learning shouldn’t be for a test or an event; learning should be for everybody claims Dawn Casey-Rowe @runningdmc on this episode of Every Classroom Matters. Like many of you, Dawn teaches in a  challenging situation but she loves her students and finds time to innovate anyway. Let’s learn how. This history teacher of 235 students feels the educational paradigm needs to be changed towards developing successful people.  She supports changing terms from "administration" to "educational leadership" which reminds her of successful actions.  We need leaders not administrators to move ahead in challenging situations. Listen to Every Classroom Matters #15 She remembers many reiterations of standards through the years but does appreciate the present Common Core standards as more skills based and believes these standards have the potential to positively impact classrooms. In college, she learned about being an educator who paid personal attention from a professor who cared about her as a person.  It is an educator’s duty to really care for students and show those students they care with personal attention. In Rhode Island, Dawn is part of EdUnderground, a group for sharing best technological practices in education. She also works with Learnist, developed for educational uses for engaging learners. As she claims, learning shouldn’t be for a test or an event, learning should be for everybody. Dawn’s favorite hashtags on Twitter are #edchatri #edunderground and #learnist Add Dawn Casey-Rowe  to your PLN @runningdmc Dawn’s FaceBook Café Casey ### Listen to Show #15 About Innovating When You’re In a Challenging School Situation Listen to Every Classroom Matters #15 Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly internet radio show by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network dedicated to excellent education. Listening will help you teach with better results, lead with a positive impact, and live with a greater purpose. Subscribe. Show notes prepared by Lisa Durff, Production Coordinator for Every Classroom Matters Need help to figure out how to listen to the show? If you’re clicking "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, this often works best in Internet explorer. Or subscribe in a podcatcher. I have a tutorial to help you.   The post Dawn Casey-Rowe : Innovating When You’re in a Challenging School appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

If you are looking for a way to take your student’s comprehension to a whole new level in any subject area, Close Reading is just the strategy for you! It is a very simple and easy way to take students through multiple readings to increase comprehension and encourage metacognition. This is something I do in my sixth grade ELA classroom weekly. This is a sponsored guest post by SNAP Learning @SNAPLearning and authored by Heidi Morgan @heidiamorgan, 6th grade ELA teacher in New Lenox, Illinois. As Heidi and I talked, I wanted her to share her classroom experience with using the Close Reading technique she uses. (You can get a free demo of Snap Learning here.) They also made a very cool, pinnable infographic explaining close reading strategies that you can pin and use as you teach close reading. — Vicki Davis ### Test Snap Learning in Your Classroom What is close reading? Close Reading is a way of reading text that encourages students to read and reread with a purpose each time in order to help students achieve deep comprehension. According to PARCC, "Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole."(PARCC, 2011, p. 7) The goal of Close Reading is to teach readers how to read and reread with a purpose. As time goes on, and students become more familiar with the close reading strategy they will begin to read and reread independently. Thus, mastering the strategy and having a deeper understanding of the content of the text they are reading. ### 10 Tips for Close Reading Activities ————- Close Reading Tip #1: Select Short Passages These short passages of high interest text should be long enough to be meaningful, but not too long for students to lose focus or get lost in the reading. Close Reading Tip #2:  Make Your Focus Intense Pick a skill or literary element, like cause and effect or figurative language, you want to focus on and make sure that the text has an adequate amount of this skill or element in it. Close Reading Tip #3: Extend Focus Through the Text The focus should extend from the passage itself to other parts of the text. Once students begin to notice or see the focus skill or element, they should be able to find it throughout the text. Modeling is so important when you’re teaching reading strategies. This is what makes the portfolio approach fit so well with close reading - you have texts students can mark up and teaching materials to help share and add emphasis. Request a SNAP Learning Demo Close Reading Tip #4: Students Markup the Text as They Read As students read they should mark up the text with symbols that help them think through what they are reading. (Use this Sample Mark It Up Poster with students. Close Reading Tip #5: Encourage Exploratory Discussions Encourage exploratory discussions between students between reads. Students talk about what they read, what things they marked up, and about the focus skill or literary element. The Think, Pair, Share strategy works well with close reading discussions. Close Reading Tip #6: Encourage Rereading Students read the text at least three times with a different focus each time. (See below for more info on how this works in my classroom.) Close Reading Tip #7: Read in Every Subject Area Use the close reading strategy in all subject areas. Close Reading Tip #8: Annotate the Text If you can not physically mark-up the text (like in traditional textbooks) use sticky notes. Close Reading Tip #9: Use Close Reading Marks Independently Encourage students to use close reading marks in their independent reading to help them focus and comprehend. Once students see the value in close reading they will begin to use the strategy on their own. Closed Reading Tip #10: Use Close Reading Strategically in Small Bites Don’t over do Close Reading. Use articles, short passages and short texts, don’t close read a whole novel. ~ An Excellent Close Reading Resource ————- I think SNAP Learning’s Close Reading Portfolio can guide any teacher through the Close Reading process with amazing success. It is a well planned and constructed portfolio of short, high interest, nonfiction text that kids want to read. It is perfect for any day, but really great to take the stress out of those three-day weeks when you can’t get  a whole week’s unit in. Request a Snap Learning Demo in Your Classroom Here’s an example of how I use SNAP Learning’s Close Reading in my classroom. First Reading: Get the Gist As students review and explore the text in the first few minutes of the lesson, they are drawn into the text and want to read it because of the nonfiction topics and images associated with the text. During the first read students read through the text to get the gist of what the text is about. Second Reading: Digging Deeper and Marking It Up During the second read students dig into the text and focus on analyzing the meaning of a passage of text at the word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, and passage level. Thus exploring the author’s craft and how specific words and phrases make meaning. Close learning is an excellent technique to help students learn to read deeply (especially non fiction texts). I like the approach of Snap Learning, the sponsor of this post, because it gives you materials to mark up (most schools would frown on having their textbooks marked up for close reading.) I thought this would be something many of you would like. — Vicki Davis Third Reading: Looking for Evidence During the third read students use evidence in the text to determine and support an answer to a question. This skill is so important in a world of CCSS and in light of the upcoming PARCC test. Following the third read, the student is given the opportunity to respond in writing to the text. What SNAP Learning’s Close Reading Portfolio does that is unique is that it gives the students fluency practice. It is a fact that fluency is an indicator of comprehension and this added piece is very valuable to all teachers. The last piece of the Close Reading Portfolio is a culminating activity to show how well students are able to answer text dependent questions and demonstrate proficiency. Request a Snap Learning Demo in Your Classroom ~ Snap Learning Resources (Have a free demo) Want a free demo of SNAP Learning’s Close Reading Portfolio? You can request one here http://www.snaplearning.co/request_demo. SNAP Learning also has an impressive guided reading program. You can learn more about it here http://www.snaplearning.co/guided_reading. If you are an Edmodo user SNAP Learning has apps in the Edmodo App Store https://www.edmodo.com/home#/store too! If you want to know more about the Close Strategies I use in my classroom, you can take a look at the presentation I did at the Raising Student Achievement Conference in December 2013. 9 Essential Close Reading Resources to Learn More Strategies Teacher’s Guide to SNAP Close Reading Portfolio Closing in on Close Reading [ASCD] Pinterest Close Reading Board Snap Learning Teacher Resource Page (Placement Test, Beginner’s Tutorial) Fisher and Frey YouTube Channel Close Reading of Literary Texts [Read-Write-Think Strategy Guide] Newsela Readworks Notice and Note Strategies for Close Reading References Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. (2011). PARCC model content frameworks: English language arts/literacy grades 3-11. Retrieved from www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/PARCCMCFELALiteracyAugust2012_FINAL.pdf ### Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to edit and post it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.) The post Top 10 Tips for Close Reading Activities appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Why You Can’t Find Black Boxes: Infographic Worth Sharing The Washington Post 2014 This powerful infographic shows why it is so hard to find some black boxes in the ocean but also shows the complete and utter power of an infographic. The Washington Post made this one about the downed Korean airliner and the quest to find the black box. Some don’t know why it is so hard — take a dive through this infographic and start to understand. If you’re studying the ocean, it will also make an incredible infographic. Bring it up on the screen and scroll down and discuss. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. You feel like you’re diving and descending and wondering when it ever ends. Note that it is drawn to scale for a reason and probably breaks most infographic rules and yet that is part of the information in this graphic. Hats off Washington Post for explaining a question many have been asking with a powerful visual. The post Why You Can’t Find Black Boxes: Infographic Worth Sharing [Link] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Ira Bickoff  uses a new way to read primary source content in his marine science classes at Rondout Valley High School in New York State. Ira creates an overlay in Google Maps to create virtual BookMaps to integrate literature into the science content. If you think these are a traditional "Google Lit Trip" - you’re wrong. Ira is putting the full book text into the map.  For lack of a better word, let’s call it a Google BookMap because what Ira has created isn’t a synopsis, but the full book. Listen to Ira Describe BookMaps Students read the book, learn geography, and investigate marine science with these map-based reading experiences.  The books are older with expired copyrights. Ira Bickoff has created a new genre of book: the BookMap. Ira has written a manual to help you get started. Tweak your Google Map settings and you can read a full book. His resources are free. He has  incorporated Civil War content, artwork, and other primary source material into the experience. The Voyage of the Beagle is the most popular BookMap so far.  For his next project, he’s talking to the daughter of the only American on the Endurance in the 1800’s about the material she co-wrote with her father. Ira is a physics teacher. In Every Classroom Matters Show #70, Ira describes how he’s integrated physics activities into one of his books. Ira explains how to tweak Google Earth to use it with students in a full series of video tutorials. (See below.) He is using BookMaps to change the way people read books and to engage students in literature. I’m curious if some students relate in positive ways to text embedded on a map. Note to the reader. A traditional bookmap lists pages and page numbers, this is different. I guess you could call this a Google BookTrip. But, to me, in some ways, that term diminishes the work because students are reading the full book.  BookMap turns it into a proper noun, so that might work. What do you call this new genre? Does BookMap work for you? Discuss in the comments. (I’m happy to update this post as you add your thoughts.) What a fascinating teacherpreneur! I hope you enjoy Ira Bickoff’s free BookMaps with your students. Listen to Ira Bickoff - Every Classroom Matters #70 Add Ira Bickoff to your PLN Ira Bickoff Sail the Book Facebook Sail the Book 7 BookMaps Available from Ira Bickoff The Voyage of the Beagle Two Years Before the Mast Sailing Alone Around the World The Cruise of the Snark In the South Seas The Log from the Sea of Cortez South! The Story of Shackleton’s Last Expedition 1914-1917 2 ArtMaps Winslow Homer The Sea Poets Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly podcast by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network dedicated to excellent education. Teach with better results, lead with a positive impact, and live with a greater purpose. Subscribe. Show notes prepared by Lisa Durff and enhanced by Vicki Davis, Production Coordinator for Every Classroom Matters. Need help listening? If you’re clicking "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, this often works best in Internet Explorer. Or subscribe in a podcatcher. (View the tutorial.) The post Ira Bickoff Creates a New Way to Read Books: Google BookMap appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Two important security issues loom over computer users right now. Take steps to solve these problems NOW. No excuses, tell everyone. These two security risks are THAT important. 1 - Internet Explorer Bug Experts discovered a bug that allows a hacker to remote control your computer when you’re on Microsoft Internet Explorer(IE). Even if you don’t use IE, you should still install the patch. (This impacts Windows XP, Windows 7 AND Windows 8.) Go to Programs and Windows Update. In Windows 8, go to the Start screen and type "Windows Update." Run the "Security Update for Internet Explorer" or install the newest version of IE. (Shown in the picture.) ~ RECOMMENDATION: Use Chrome or Firefox As Your Primary Web Browser As part of the Windows operating system, IE gives more access to your computer than other web browsers. Your computer becomes easier to hack. Using IE to access the Internet is like playing football without a helmet - hackers can directly access to your computer’s brain. Fix the bug but use Google Chrome or Firefox instead for an extra layer of protection from future security glitches. ### Last Pass is my new password protection service. I’m using it to generate super-strong unique passwords for every website. In the face of the improving abilities of hackers, this is necessary to keep from forgetting passwords. Just set a very strong master password AND REMEMBER IT. The only drawback is that you can end up being unable to retrieve your passwords if you forget your master password. 2 - Heartbleed Bug The Heartbleed bug infects the security that underlies encryption for websites called "SSL certificates." While not every secure site is affected, you can install a Chrome add in to see if your online financial services or stores are safe. Because of the bug, many passwords are now compromised. With the massive numbers of passwords recently stolen, hackers ferreted out the patterns for how we set our passwords. They can now crack most passwords in hours if not minutes. ~ RECOMMENDATION: Change Your Passwords; Get a Password Manager Service To be safe, go change your passwords. But what a pain! To simplify, create a LastPass account and use the password generation feature for unique, uncrackable passwords for every website. LastPass is safe and convenient. (It does take time to learn.) ### Tell Everyone and Help Them Be Safe Technology is here to stay. If you are smart enough to fill out forms our government has us complete, you are smart enough to download software and setup a password service. You can do this! The way I look at it, when I protect my passwords and patch my computer, I’m protecting my family. Tell everyone you know. Note to readers: This article is intended to simplify for a general audience. I’ve linked to the detailed technical resources that you can use to more deeply understand these two important issues. The post SECURITY ALERT: How To Fix the Internet Explorer Bug and Heartbleed appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Book Review: On Writing by Stephen King (Scribner - 10th Anniversary Edition, 2010) Wow! On Writing  by Stephen King is a nonfiction book you can’t put down. If you’re a writer, an aspiring writer, or teach writing On Writing  is an essential read.When my husband sees me engrossed in a Stephen King book, he gets worried. (Because I dream vivid nightmares about things that scare me, horror is a no no. When I read scary stuff, Kip prepares for a few nights of combat as I fight creepy things in my sleep.) But this book isn’t a horror, it is a joy. For the first section of the book, Stephen King does a great job of making himself his own character. He shares his raw quirks as well as insights into why he became… well, Stephen King. As a kid, he aspires to be a writer. His stories of getting in trouble in high school make me think twice about how I see my students. Everyone has their story about "that" teacher and King has a few teachers emblazoned in his mind (not for good reasons.)I love when he gets into the craft of writing - from what makes a good book to grammar. Who makes a distaste for adverbs so vivid but the master of horror? When you DO action -adverbs are a waste of words. I now slash adverbs like one of King’s demented characters. He also explains why active voice is so important in writing. (FINALLY I understand!) This book is encouraging to writers. I like King’s admission to authoring a bad book. (People who never write anything bad don’t write.)But the epic part of this book is his description of his 1999 accident. ( He admits being hit "by a character from one of my novels"). King goes on to show how writing helps him get his life back.  In many ways, like Jesus making the good wine at the end of the wedding feast, King’s last few chapters are the best. I found myself reading and rereading the end and wanting more. At this point, this book abruptly turns from the craft of writing to finding purpose in life.I recommend King’s aptly titled "On Writing" as one of the best books you can read on writing. Writers and lit teachers should pick up this book  for page turning nonfiction. On Writing is a must read if you’re doing or teaching any writing. ~   A K12 Student Note: Be warned, King is explicit about his drug and alcohol use. (Also how he overcame and is better for it.)  He also doesn’t mind using profanity a bit. As one who doesn’t care for profanity in books, his explanation of why he uses profanity makes sense. For this reason, I’d have this book but read aloud sections as you promote writing with K12 students. The section on adverbs and passive voice are fantastic explanations any writing teacher can use. This is definitely a book for college students and adults. The post Book Review: On Writing [Book] appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Digital citizenship can’t be taught from a book. Anne Collier’s views are rich with examples from around the world of best practice in digital citizenship education. Anne should know. She works on Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board and edits NetFamilyNews.  Anne argues "digital citizenship" shouldn’t even be the term - in today’s world, these conversations are part of citizenship. Listen to "An Educators Guide to Digital Citizenship" She makes the surprising assertion that the United States is behind many classrooms she has visited around the world. (Hear why.) After listening to Anne, many schools should reevaluate their approach teaching digital citizenship. ### Add Anne Collier to Your PLN @annecollier NetFamilyNews Listen to Anne Collier - ECM #71 Show Notes Anne Collier #71, "An Educator’s Guide to the Emerging, Expanding View of Digital Citizenship" Anne Collier, the co-director of a nonprofit in Silicon Valley, talks with Vicki Davis about digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is beyond netiquette, digital safety, and online classroom management.  Citizenship includes participation, a sense of belonging, and rights / responsibilities. Bronwyn Stuckey and Marianne Malmstrom with their work on Quest Atlantis are shared as a best practice in her description of digital citizenship. Anne stresses that digital environments are not separate from physical environments.  Teaching these skills is important, but practicing is imperative. The biggest issues in this field right now include active and responsible participation.  She advocates working in an online community of practice. Join a learning community in which students rise to the challenge of exercising digital citizenship when allowed to use the tools in their education. Anne recommends looking at what people have written about citizenship and applying salient points to the digital environment. She tries to focus on social literacy, media literacy, and digital literacy. Listen to Anne Collier - ECM #71 Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly podcast by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network with best practices for busy teachers.  Subscribe. Show notes prepared by Lisa Durff, Production Coordinator for Every Classroom Matters. Need help listening to the show? If you’re clicking "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, this often works best in Internet explorer. Or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial. The post Anne Collier: The Best Digital Citizenship Curriculum appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

Design online learning materials for students with special needs using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles and everyone learns more. UDL advocate Karen Janowski shares a power-packed 10 minutes of ideas for designing online learning experiences to reach every child.  Go on a turbo tour of Karen’s popular UDL Toolkit wiki in this show. Listen Karen Janowski teach UDL Principles Add Karen Janowski to your PLN Karen Janowski @KarenJan EdTech Solutions - Teaching Every Student ### SHOW NOTES Karen Janowski #72, "Universal Design: How to Personalize Learning for Every Child" Karen Janowski, Assistive Technology Specialist with the Newton Public Schools, talks with Vicki Davis about the Universal Design for Learning  principles (UDL) that will reach and teach every student. She traced the term ‘universal design’ back to its use in architecture, where it meant a design that was useful to everyone. She advocates teaching every student throughout the school day by using good design tools. When you design lessons to help those with special needs, everyone benefits. Audio recording, Voicethreads, slideshows (Animoto), and other alternate methods to paper and pencil are her favorites.  Karen emphasizes the reusability of screencasts, as other reusable learning objects (RLO’s). Karen has built a wiki along with Joyce Valenza, of UDL Resources, just for the classroom teacher who is searching for alternate tools for students. Karen mentions Cast.org, one of the originators of Universal Design for Learning in education.  Using text to speech tools for assessment is one tip she wishes every teacher knew.  She likes VoiceThread, Schmoop, Rewordify, and TLDR (a chrome extension). Vicki recommends teachers study Karen’s UDL Toolkit wiki to learn more  UDL Principles. Listen to Karen Janowski teach UDL Principles Every Classroom Matters is a bi-weekly podcast by Vicki Davis on BAM Radio network with best practices for busy teachers.  Subscribe. Show notes prepared by Lisa Durff, Production Coordinator for Every Classroom Matters. Need help listening to the show? If you’re clicking "Play" on the BAM Radio Site, this often works best in Internet explorer. Or subscribe in a podcatcher. If you need help, use this tutorial. The post UDL Principles to Reach Every Child (with Karen Janowski) appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog.