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While there were many great ideas that I gleamed from the weekly readings, three of
these ideas stuck out the most to me. The first idea that I found to stick out was in the Unger
1994 article, in which it suggests finding relevance in the content and applying this in the
instruction, lessons, and activities (Unger, 1994, p. 1). A second idea that I found in the readings
was in the Ermeling, Hiebert & Gallimore 2015 article, was that a move from best practices
towards Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and more effective practices; as this will benefit
more students within the learning environment (Ermeling, Hiebert & Gallimore, 2015, p. 50).
The third idea that I found in the weekly readings was in the Klemm 2015 article, in which it
describes learning as more than just understanding; which is a concept that I work diligently to
incorporate into lessons and activities in my classroom (Klemm, 2015). Even though there were
other great ideas contained within the readings, these three ideas stuck out the most to me, as
these have influenced the way I design and deliver lessons within the classroom.
classroom. Relevance is one aspect that I have started to place more emphasis on in my
classroom this semester, as I am working on designing lessons that are relevant and that teach
skills for students to use inside and outside of the classroom. This year, I am using an online
curriculum for my group of students, and have found that implementing UDL lessons within my
history courses has increased student motivation and engagement. I am currently trying to
implement UDL in other subject areas that I teach, as this is a process that I would like to see
implemented more in my school and district. Understanding content information still remains a
goal of each educator, however, I believe in taking this a step further and combining it with
application. Combining understanding and application about a lesson, skill, or activity allows for
more meaningful learning to take place. While there were other connections that I could make
with past and current experiences, these are currently some of the most relevant connections that
I employ in my teaching.
While the readings and materials covered many different aspects and questions that I
have regarding many topics within education, there are still some questions and concerns that
were unanswered. The biggest question that I have remaining revolves around changing view
points on best practices, and that is how can this type of thinking be implemented across schools
more effectively? Despite best intentions, it can be very challenging for all educators to change
perspectives from best practices to effective approaches in a short amount of time. The topic this
week has allowed me to evaluate my current practices and see aspects where I can make
References
Ermeling, B.A., Hiebert, J. & Gallimore, R. (2015). “Best practice”—The enemy of better
Unger, C. (1994). What teaching for understanding looks like. Educational Leadership, 51, p. 1.