Topic: After reading the article Web 2.0: A New Generation of Learners and watching the Web 2.0 video , discuss how a classroom routed in Universal Design for Learning fits in to the Web 2.0 world. Enhance your response by discussing any specific benefits but also potential negatives or drawbacks when thinking about individuals with disabilities.
General Thoughts: Honestly shown by this article, the main idea is the fact that the internet can really be used by anybody today to communicate any type of information. To jump into the connection to Universal Design for Learning right away, i thought back to the video from last week. The original and first connection in my brain i made between UDL and Web 2.0 was the fact that the teacher in that UDL video almost right off the bat said, "the teachers need to meet their curriculum goals and hev a very diverse group of students." In my mind today with the children in our society the internet is a tool that everyone learns how to use. So in my mind no matter how diverse a class is, Web 2.0 used correctly by students can level the playing field and shrink this diversity or even take it away all together. This thought goes hand in hand with the next point made in the UDL video. The thought that UDL is put in place to minimize barriers in the educational process. Through using web 2.0 some of these barriers can be broken down. For example if there is a language barrier with a student within a classroom, that student may be able to get some active help through the internet.
I feel that the idea behind web 2.0 has all of the characteristics of a Universal, well designed program indeed. It can be used by many groups of people, and it is relitivly easy with some practice.
The only flaw in the idea of Web 2.0 that i see is the fact that anyone can go on and publish information. This can very quickly be avoided in my mind by a quick set of guidelines while trying to find a source that can be set by a teacher in any individual class.
While this can be very benificial for most children for other children with certain dissabilities that cannot always use technology such as a computer, this can be just another one of the many obsticals to overcome on the long road to "overcoming" their disability.
In conclusion, i do agree their is a place for this in a certain class, with kids of a certain age, but this is not always the greatest way of teaching.
Eric, nice job linking the two ideas Web 2.0 and UDL-- while also using support from the readings and video. Be sure to check your blog for spelling and typos. This is really public so we want to put a good face forward! I'd like to hear more about why it isn't always the greatest way of teaching- as you said at the end of your- post. Maybe you can elaborate in class!
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