Week 12 Texts, Print, and Literacy

3 April 2012
1. Icebreaker.
Pick an adjectival descriptor (related to access/inclusion) with the same letter as your first name. Tenacious Tovah Responsive Reem Lightening Luna Linked-to Leah Cheerful-yet-Challenging Chelsea Juxtaposing Jennifer Dynamic Diane Acknowledging Andrew Advocating Abby Best-Practices Bernard and Multisensory Mugo Lucky Lisa Anxious Allison Accommodating Anthony Justice Jenn Ass-Kicking for Access April Determined Deb

(I wasnt typing as people were saying these, so I may have botched some. Apologies if I did!)

2. Guest: Jennifer Russo (Marketing Director at SU) on blogging.

Blogging: Why, What & How? WHY? Blogging is a good medium for current, critical, social events. We live in an age of digital natives. The iPad has given people with autism and people who are nonverbal a voice and platform to participate in public discourse. Blogs can be used to journal, to build expertise, to create dialogue (and to enact change), to educate or inform. WHAT? Choose which tool youd like to use. 1. Wordpress: most popular blogging platform, self-hosted or hosted, full CMS, free and premium themes, thousands of plug-ins 2. Blogger: Google platform, hosted, free, easy to use, supports ads 3. Tumblr: micro-blogging, free, hosted, fun, links to Twitter and Facebook, offers customizable domain name, Tumbl with friends/colleagues 4. Joomla: free, hosted, powerful, offers many themes, has customizable extensions 5. Penzu: up-and-coming, hosted, like journaling, privacy settings 6. academia.edu, YouTube, flickr, Scribd, Behance HOW? Be authentic: People visit blogs for a human experience. Be nice, aka, dont use the Internet as a hate-space. Try something new. Make it pretty.
90% of what is on the Internet is crap. You have to choose the 10% that you want to engage with.

Check it Out: Social Networking for Career Success by Miriam Salpeter

Notes via Allison Hitt

Week 12 Texts, Print, and Literacy

3. Praxical Think Tank Activity: applying the readings.

As a group, create three critical discussion questions on imagery and video. i. ii. iii. iv. Group 1: Barry, Anne Marie Seward. Group 2: Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. Group 3: CSS Zen Garden & Color Theory for Designers Group 4: Considine, et. al & Story of Movies
Three approaches of theory to practice (praxis) 1. Direct application of theory to practice within a particular context. 2. Utilizing theory as a kind of backdrop to field approaches. 3. Theory as it practically informs what Ruth Benedict called habits of mind.

Group 3CSS Zen Garden Different colors can evoke different emotions, feelings. What are you trying to teach? Can you explain an image so that students can make the connections? Will there be connectors? What is the benefit of this mode vs. another? What are the benefits and disadvantages of using aesthetic design to reinforce a lesson?

Group 4Considine How can we apply this in restrictive environments and circumstances? What would it take to do so? Should we change even the most traditional forms of classes in terms of space, design, and approach? If we place high expectations on students with disabilities (placing extra pressure on them), is that setting them up for disappoint if they are unable to accomplish the task? What is the balance between raising expectations and defining limits , or possibly undermining student learning?

Group 1Barry How do we, as inclusive teachers who utilize UDL, facilitate students to translate their knowledge of technology beyond the academic context into critical meaning-makers? [Diane:] How would you assess this? Group 2Garland-Thomson In UDL, do we force students to overcome disabilities, or are disabilities integrated into what we do every day? How can we construct spaces and educational environments that are not disabling?

4. Questions & Discussions (re: assignments due).

UPDATES for next week: 1. The readings on the syllabus for Tuesday, April 10th are what we will read for that day. 2. There is a weekly reading response. 3. There is NOT a technology lab. 4. UDL Project 2 is NOT due.

Notes via Allison Hitt

Week 12 Texts, Print, and Literacy

Project 2 (DUE APRIL 17)Learning about learners: Consider a student from an under-represented group (e.g., students of color, English language learners, students from low socio-economic classes, homeless students, students in jail, immigrants, Queer students, students from non-Christian backgrounds). Think about an optimal learning experience for a person in this group. In a blog entry (of approximately 2-4 pages in Word), students must: Use four peer-reviewed articles from any field. Focus on one age group of learners that fits with students careers. Define the strengths and challenges of learners from the specified group. Include at least one hyperlink to web pages, blogs, YouTube videos, or other online resources to show a first-hand account (NOT a professional). Include a references list of sources in APA citation style.

Notes via Allison Hitt