To create a personalized social studies learning environment through the application of UDL to blogs and wikis in order to develop twenty-first century skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration are developed.
Before examining the details of this vision, I would like to share three perspectives of the learning process: student, teacher and parent.
Student
Jacques has always been bored in social studies. He didn’t understand why he had to learn about some guy who had fought another guy hundreds of years ago. The content was meaningless to Jacques and had never been connected to his real-life until his new teacher, Ms. Clark, started using a class blog and student wikis. At first, Jacques thought it was just another gimmick to get him interested in the subject. However Jacques found viewing and listening to class-content on the blog easier than trying to decipher the textbook. Now he looks forward to posting comments and reading about his classmates opinions. In addition, his teacher has paired his class up with students from other parts of the country. Jacques really enjoys the on-line interaction because he has time to think about what he posts before responding. As well, Jacques finally has a teacher who lets him write and record digital music for a final project instead of always writing multiple-choice tests.
Teacher
Ms. Clark has always believed social studies is more about making connections between stories, events and personal experiences, than about the memorization of facts and dates. She struggled to incorporate differentiation into her class until she was introduced to universal design for learning (UDL). UDL has enabled her to understand the learning process and what technological tools she can use to better personalize the learning environment for her students. Engaging Jacques was difficult at the start. It took her a while to demonstrate how social studies is important to their lives, and it wasn’t until collaborating with another class from northern BC on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines Project that he really began to take interest. Now he regularly posts insightful comments and has even initiated a live debate between the classes. His personal blog is a showcase of his musical talent, critical analysis of issues, and the complex connections he has made. Jacques is one of many students who has benefited from a collaborative learning environment where students are able to personalize their learning.
Parent
Jacques has always had difficulty in school, particularly with social studies; however, this year is different. For the first time Jacques has been excited to discuss and show his parents some of his schoolwork. He and his father, an ecologist, have been discussing the impact the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline will have on the environment and the people living in the area. Jacques has never taken interest in an issue before; he has even suggested his dad post his perspective and respond to other students on the class blog. Jacques’ parents had previously thought he was just a disinterested kid; however now they realize he just hadn’t been able to connect to the content. He’s writing more than he ever has, creating songs, and looking forward to group projects. His parents were a bit skeptical about Ms. Clark’s approach; however, their son’s blog is evidence it works.
Proceed to The Literature page.