Sarah K. Howorth, Assistant Professor of Special Education Mia Morrison, Lecturer of Instructional Technology Vignette Ms. Jones is a 4th-grade teacher who has been teaching for 25 years. However, lately, she has been struggling to adapt her instruction as her district has embraced a 1:1 device program with e-textbooks, a vision for increased inquiry-based learning, … Continue reading The Challenge of Reaching All Learners in the Digital Age
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Future Game Designers Come to UMaine through University and K-12 Collaboration
On Thursday, April 25, Jennifer Gilman, an upper school mathematics teacher at the East Grand School in Danforth, brought six students to the UMaine Immersive Mathematics in Rendered Environments (IMRE) Lab for a game design workshop. The IMRE Lab investigates the potential for emerging technologies to transform STEM education. The East Grand students that participated … Continue reading Future Game Designers Come to UMaine through University and K-12 Collaboration
Preservice Teachers Jumping into a PLN
Monday night I was loving the conversations that @jodi_teacher prompted through her thought provoking twitter chat questions focused on assistive technology for everyone. As per usual, for every question posted I paused, reflected, drafted a response, edited, and hesitated for one second before hitting “tweet”. After years engaged in social media and other online learning/sharing … Continue reading Preservice Teachers Jumping into a PLN
“I Don’t Care About My Grades – I Want A Job that’s More Satisfying!”: Adult Motivation for Learning is More Intrinsic than Extrinsic
Most adult learners will be more motivated to learn if doing so means an internal or intrinsic need is being met. Discover how to appeal to those internal motivators in designing your instruction.
Supporting Appropriate Technology for Early Learners
What the Research Tells Us The foundation of early childhood education is Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), a concept that brings together knowledge of child development, the development of the individual child, and the culture of the child (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). The importance of using DAP for digital technology in an early childhood classroom is … Continue reading Supporting Appropriate Technology for Early Learners
“Will this Help Me Solve this Problem Now?” Adults’ Orientation to Learning is Problem-Centered vs. Subject-Centered
Adults don't want to learn more content that they need to file away for future use; they want to learn things that can help them solve real-time problems.
Accessible Educational Materials
Accessible Educational Materials Please note that the terms Accessible Instructional Materials and Accessible Educational Materials are used interchangeably throughout the post. Accessible Educational Materials is the more current term. Curricular content in print-based, video, and other multimedia formats present significant barriers to students with learning, physical, sensory, and other disabilities. Meanwhile, the availability and purchase … Continue reading Accessible Educational Materials
On a Need to Know Basis: Adults’ Readiness to Learn Depends on their Need to Know Something
Adults are more likely to be engaged in learning something if they feel they need to know it - for work, play, or personal enrichment. Here are some ideas for making instruction compelling for your adult learners.
“I Know Something About That!” – Adults Bring Personal Experience to the Learning Environment
Adults learn by experience, but also love to share their own experience with particular subject matter. Thus adults can teach one another.
Be A Trail Guide: Adults are Self-Directed and Independent Learners
For adults, learning means self-directed, independent thought and work. The role of the adult educator is to provide support and guidance as needed, with minimal oversight, while allowing learners to explore and make and correct errors on their own.
