EDLD 5364 Week Two Reflection

This week’s reading along with working with my collaborative team members improved my view on integrating the use of technology to better serve the diverse learners while using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The theory helps the learner in setting goals and objective realization in the creation of assignments. Our group is mulling over on devising learning activities that will be used in our lesson planning unit. Our lesson will engage the different groups in the classroom of diverse learners in a scenario-based project. 

Along with us working collaboratively, this same practice can also benefits students to participate collaboratively while working on computer based assignments. Student’s participation and retention is greater when you combine the use of technology with cooperative group projects. The development of instruction guides to go along with lesson plans that will aid the learners in comprehension of material being presented should be beneficial to all levels of learners. By clearly stating the objectives and goals to the students prior to the start of the project and by integrating different the types of technologies that can be connected to a personal computer, the finished product will reflect an increase of retention in the subject matter. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) clearly describe this approach by stating, “Most teachers are eager to embrace new technologies, as they have seen their students’ excitement and motivation increase when they do so. With technology standards becoming an integral part of students’ education, teachers are more enthusiastic than ever to learn new technologies and methods” (p. 1 ).

It has been a challenge communicating and collaborating with team members that are located in different time zones and cities across the state.  Using our email, Google Docs, and Skype sessions have helped tremendously. If I did not have team members to bounce ideas off of, the project would have been more difficult to initiate. The different views team members provide has helped me approach the readings and videos from a variety angles. Two (or more) heads are better than one; this is definitely evident because we developed great lesson ideas and steps on how we will execute the lesson unit in a variety of methods for the diverse learners. 


Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.