Below I have included a link to all the blogs I have commented on, as well as the title of the post itself. I also provided a copy of the comments incase they are still awaiting moderation.
https://estoynova.opened.ca – Week 5: Designing for Inclusivity
Hi Eleonora! First off, I love how organized your blog is. All of your posts are clearly labeled, and I had no trouble finding the post that I was looking for! I really love all of the multi-media aspects that you included in this post. The graphic explaining UDL is very clear, and does a good job of supporting the definition that you provided. The video is also a wonderful resource, and is very relevant to the topic that you are writing about. I like that you chose a short video to include, as that makes it much more likely that your audience will stay invested in the material. I also love the tips that you provided at the end of your post. There are some really wonderful and important ideas in there, and I appreciate the clarity with which you laid them out. I wonder if providing specific resources for these tips would make them even more impactful? You mentioned that you had found them through articles, and I assume that they are in your bibliography– I would have loved to be able to link each tip to the article that it was from! Overall, this is a very impressive post, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
https://ellameld99.opened.ca/ – Blog Post 4: Weekly Reflection
Hi Ella! I love the look of your blog! I also really like this post. You explain your thoughts clearly and succinctly, and the images you chose really support the message that you are trying to convey. I love that you included your personal experience at the bottom. I am sorry to hear that you have had some bad experiences with online courses. I wonder what specifically made you dislike them so much? There are definitely some online courses that I have preferred over others, but I have never really been able to say for certain why. I would love to hear your thoughts! I also love that you referenced many different resources in your post! Your explanation of the sources is clear– I would love to hear your thoughts on the possible benefits and drawbacks of digital education and online learning platforms, as these are topics that are becoming increasingly relevant in our society. I do agree with Aashi, however, that fixing up your in-text citations would be super beneficial for clarity’s sake! Overall, I loved reading your blog post. Keep up the good work!
https://mandysblog.opened.ca – Weekly Reflection #4
Hi Mandy! This post is incredibly thoughtful and very well written. I totally empathize with you in relation to dropping online courses. I have never taken online courses before this summer, and it was largely due to the reasons that you described. I didn’t want to feel distanced from my learning, and I was worried about the lack of connection with the professors. Luckily, I have had a wonderful experience taking these online courses.
I love the quote that you pulled from Barnes’ work about how being a good teacher is about more than simply knowing the subject matter. This is so true, and I have unfortunately had experiences with professors who are indeed very knowledgable in their subject area, and are yet unable to effectively convey the information that they are trying to teach. I totally agree that the teaching process is perhaps more important than the knowledge itself.
I also love your point about teaching presence being even more important in an online setting. This really aligns with your later point about a social presence. I wonder what your thoughts are on strategies that teachers can use to have an effective teaching presence, and how it might differ between in-person and online learning.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog post. Best of luck in the rest of your courses!
https://lyndsayf.opened.ca – Free Inquiry #3 (final)
Hi Lyndsay! This is a very interesting topic for a free inquiry project! AI tools are becoming increasingly relevant in today’s day and age, and it is important that we educate ourselves on the topic to the best of our ability. I thought that your overview of the project was very clear, and I appreciate that you included your starting point so that your audience could clearly see the progression of your project.
I wonder what your thoughts are on the drawbacks of generative AI. I have some pretty strong feelings on the subject (mostly negative hahah), but I would love to hear if you think the pros outweigh the cons. Your post places AI in a very positive light, and I would love to learn more about what led you to this conclusion! AI is such a new technology, and it is evolving so fast. I would like to learn as much as possible from as many different viewpoints as possible so that I can form solid and fact-supported opinions.
Overall, it is clear that you put a lot of time into this project, and it is very well done. I really enjoyed reading this post, and good luck in your future courses!
https://zihaoblog.opened.ca – Blog#5
Hi Dylan! This is a very well thought out blog post. You touch on so many different aspects of UDL, and all of your explanations are clear and well-written. I love your point about UDL not creating a program designed for all, rather, creating environments that allow for differences. I think that this is so important and beneficial both for educators and students. UDL allows for teachers to design for all students from the start, and not just make changes when problems arise. This not only benefits students with learning disabilities, but all learners. I also love that you provided a video explaining UDL. I wonder if this might be even more impactful if you mentioned what it is about and why you found it useful. I would love to know your thoughts on it. Overall, very well done! Good luck in your future courses!
https://nathandus.opened.ca – Fifth Weekly Critical Reflection
Hi Nathan! This post is great! Yours is the third that I have commented on in relation to UDL, and I love getting to see everyone’s perspectives! The explanation that you provide is very clear, and really captures the essence of UDL. I really like that you linked UDL back to your first post about SHL– it is very evident that you are really taking in all of the course material and making meaningful connections between the different topics. I also really like that you are linking UDL to your own personal experience, and finding examples that you may not have realized were UDL at the time! I wonder if adding a multi-media element like a video or a diagram could have been benefits here. As UDL is such a broad and important topic, I think as much explanation that can be provided, the better. That being said, you do a wonderful job of explaining the principles of UDL, the benefits, as well as links to your own experience. Overall, very well done! I very much enjoyed reading your post.