12 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2021
    1. Variability is the unique mix of skills, interests, needs, and preferences each and every learner brings to the classroom. Variability goes beyond differences between students and explores differences within students, based on context

      Yes.I strongly recommend that UDL should be multivariate.We should not be locked into a set set of ways of thinking, solutions, and creations.As developers or users, we should think of a variety of scenarios.Improvements or feedback for each situation can help everyone use the right tool.If a tool is only suitable for a single group, then it is not fair.

    1. Some teachers at the more well-off school would even let students submit their online creations, like Minecraft levels, stories they wrote online or digital art, in place of some classroom assignments.

      Teachers might assume that children from affluent families are more likely to have access to online tools.And children from wealthier families are more likely to be able to afford paid software.It's not fair.Under such conditions, students from relatively poor families may not have the opportunity to exert their ability in tool use.I think if the school can provide some free tools and cooperate with some software companies, it can help students from poor families to get access to more new technologies, and let them use their special skills.

    1. Rather than asking pre-service and in-service teachers to use more technology in their classrooms, we need to encourage them to question technology – Why is it important? What purpose does it serve? Does it increase access to learning? How will it redefine teaching? How will it transform learning? We, as researchers, educators, and administrators, need to be ready to help teachers answer these questions

      I love that idea.Even if not all teachers are skilled in developing and using tools, they can evaluate the tools they use.This is helpful for developers, who may not have access to the teaching process, so they don't know how to improve the tools to make them the most effective.Teachers can give feedback, and developers can improve and re-create tools based on those ideas.

    1. Those of us who work in digital learning or IT organizations need to recognize (1) how educational technologies perpetuate and exacerbate inequity and (2) the need for justice-oriented work in this area.

      I agree with both proposals.Scientific and technological progress should be presupposed by fairness.We don't want a new tool to exacerbate social inequality. It's a tool that makes society regressive.Creating inclusive tools can advance the process of social justice.These tools can be helpful culturally, institutionally and personally.

    1. Recent years have seen a steady rise in remote proctoring and other surveillant education tech services within higher education.

      Yes.This is an obvious phenomenon.For exams like math, our professors often ask us to turn on the camera.The professor even told us that his machine could detect the number of times a person looked up, the position of their eyes, their activity on the test page, and so on.It's amazing to me.Technology can be monitored from a distance.Even if I am in China and the professor is in the United States, the professor can use computer tools to check my browsing history during the exam.It's a very effective invigilator tool.

    1. Digital tools, like speech-to-text apps or multimodal ebooks that present information in text and video or audio formats, can eliminate the barrier of reading word problems and allow the student to excel in math.

      I quite agree with that. Everyone has different skills. For people with disabilities, language learners and others, many factors may limit their academic development. And technology is a solution. People can help people solve their needs by developing new tools, apps, etc. Grammarly, for example, I think is very helpful for English learners.

    1. Digital Tool in Practice: Students use Wakelet to curate “wakes” - collections of news articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts, and other online resources - to draw connections between current issues and class topics.

      I really like this tool. It makes all the resource pretty organized. We can choose our favorite covers, typography, etc., and then upload files or share links.Also, we can combine different types of resources into the same folder.I usually create a different folder for each of the different classes so that all the relevant materials are clear.

  2. Feb 2021
    1. Yet, in today’s digital age, apps, websites, and online tools are collecting, using, and sharing private personal data to make money.

      I agree with this.There are many websites that sell personal information.The phone numbers, addresses, etc. that we put in when we sign up for an account are likely to be sold by Internet companies.It makes people feel very unsafe.I think the country should strengthen supervision and create some network inspection system to punish this kind of behavior

    2. There are a number of tools and apps that do not integrate with screen readers, voice control, older devices, or certain browsers.

      I totally agree with this point.I've noticed that there are a lot of sites that need Flash support. But individual users need to spend extra money to buy Flash software. This can incur some additional costs or affect the site's viewing rate. If a web designer can create a web page with some commonly supported plugins, it will attract more visitors.

    3. A good user interface will only include controls directly connected to the user's current needs. For example, Canva, a graphic design tool, features only the design functions toolbar (which can be hidden) and the project workspace. This simple, but effective, user interface makes it easy for the user to focus their attention on the design project.

      I totally agree with this point.I've often noticed that some of the most famous websites have very simple homepages. Navigation bars are usually at the top or on both sides, making them easy for all visitors to notice. The clear page design makes people feel more comfortable when browsing. Many web designers try to personalize their sites by adding many elements at once, such as large areas of color and too many information bars. For example, I once saw a website with a blue background and a dozen information boxes including video, audio, and text boxes on one page. The layout makes me feel dizzy. I think it would look better if the designer could reduce a few elements

    1. Generally, the less equipment required, the more accessible the tool will be to a broad group of users, regardless of socioeconomic, geographic, or other environmental considerations.

      Agree with that.Like our Remote Class. Some classes require me to turn on the camera, and my camera just broke. This made it impossible for me to meet the requirements of that class. Some classes just require me to be present. Microphones and cameras are not required. It's easier for me. The same is true for web pages. If a web page requires too many tools, some people may have trouble using it. I once visited a website that required Adobe Flash to watch videos, and my Flash software had not been updated, which prevented me from continuing to view the page

    1. Feedly will automatically recommend related sources depending on sources you have already added. Explore these options and see if any pique your interest.

      This is my favoraite part. Besides Feedly, there are plenty of other online tools could do this, such as Instagram. They will recommend more relevant information based on the content I'm interested in, which will attract me to spend more time on the site and even stumble upon a lot of useful information. This is pretty helpful when I'm interested in something but don't know what keywords to search for. In the future, when I find materials for my essay, I think I will try to use Feedly.