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====As a foreign language teacher, I began to see several possibilities for using the [|CAST UDL Book Builder] in various projects, both teacher created and student created. The simple method to add audio makes this a tool that could be used to easily used to create a chapter vocabulary lists with pronunciation, a grammar handbook for specific aspects that students may need extra reinforcement, short stories using current vocabulary, and other possibilities. I think my students would enjoy creating the books as well, however due to email restrictions this would not be possible at this time. (District student email accounts have been disabled. They would have the option of creating the eBooks at home and emailing links to the teachers.) I did find that not having available illustrations or pictures was a major drawback. Finding the needed pictures was time consuming. My students who are creative may choose to create their own artwork, but those who are not as creative or simply don’t have the ability to do that might be so frustrated that the project became about finding ways to illustrate, not about sharing learned material. Technology in instruction is about choosing what is available, curricular goals, and time available (Pitler, et al. 11). For this to be an effective tool for students, time spent searching for illustrations does not meet our TEKS so it would have to be minimized in advance.====

Week 3 UDL Lesson CAST UDL Lesson Builder Reflection

Using the CAST UDL Lesson Builder was similar to the differentiated lesson format I am required to use in my district. It is actually simpler in the details required, but the online format was frustrating since it kept giving an error message and closing the link. I don't plan to use this site again for that reason. Using a lesson plan format can be helpful for beginning teachers or teachers who are teaching a subject they have not taught before. The CAST UDL Lesson Builder can be helpful by forcing the lesson planner to address many of the needs of a lesson in advance. This approach of knowing where the lesson will end prior to creating a lesson is one that many teachers have used for years.

Other aspects of using the CAST site are being able to research lessons that others have created or storing your own lesson to change later. This could also be done with a simple lesson plan format created by the teacher to meet the needs of the subject. So, unless you need someone else to set a format for you, I don't see much need for the lesson builder. I have the advantage of having planned thousands of lessons, knowing my students and TEKS well, and knowing the expectations of my district. This was an interesting experience, but not one likely to be repeated unless required for another class.

CAST UDL Lesson Builder. Retrieved from __[|http://lessonbuilder.cast.org].__ - Week 3 Reflection

From UDL lessons to eBooks to action plans, technology is being used for many purposes in the classroom. Finding things that work for each teacher (or for me), eBooks, or don’t, UDL lesson plans, are just another step in creating a learner-centered, technology rich educational environment for my students. Solomon and Schrum are right when they say, we may not agree on the purpose of education or know what works in all cases, but at least we can sound a promising note about technology’s use in schools (5). The educational system is undergoing a painful, yet exciting change. Web 2.0 is driving the change, and it is up to educators to keep pace. With each new technology or use of technology, my classroom changes. My students are exposed to the learning right after I am. When explaining that students are not allowed to listen to mp3 players during tests due to the possibility of their having downloaded a podcast of the material, a student asked if that was really possible. After hearing that it was, he asked if I would teach him how to podcast, not to cheat, but because that would be a really “cool” thing to know how to do.

Solomon, G. & Schrum,L. (2007). //Web 2.0: new tools, new schools//. Eugene, OR. International Society for Technology in Education