Jamie Castle South Eastern Oklahoma State University Professor Jayanna Greenwood Nov. 12th, 2025 Week 5 Blog EDUC 5313 1) Select one article from those linked below regarding Universal Design for Learning and provide a summary of the article and discuss connections to the lesson you are developing. 2) Visit the CAST Universal Design for Learning website and use resources there to identify strategies that you could integrate into the lesson you are developing. Discuss at least two strategies that you could meaningfully integrate into the lesson you are developing. 3) Reflect upon the guidance provided in the 2024 NETP regarding the integration of UDL strategies to address the Digital Use Divide (week 2 reading assignment). The article “Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to Design Standard-Based Lessons” (Rao & Meo, 2016) described how learners have diverse abilities and how the UDL helps instructors design lessons to reach more students. The article exp...
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Week 4 Blog
Week 4 Blog – Exploring Magic School AI Figure 1 Screenshot of the PHET Equality Explorer simulation ( University of Colorado Boulder , n.d.). Part 1 & 2 I gave Magic School AI my standard, 7.A.1.1: Identify a relationship between two varying quantities, x and y, as proportional if it can be expressed in the form y/x = k or y = kx; distinguish proportional relationships from non-proportional relationships (Oklahoma State Department of Education, 2023). I asked it to create a lesson using the PHET Equation Simulator while connecting to the ISTE Standards for Students and Kolb’s Triple E Framework. The AI system produced a clear outline describing what students and teachers should do. It attempted to include rigor but, like many AI-generated lessons, remained vague. The content aligned with the standard but lacked specific examples. Detailed step-by-step instructions and example problems would enhance this lesson plan and make it more practical for classroom use. The Magic School AI ...
Week 3 Blog
Week 3 Blog Post: How People Learn II – Chapter 4 “Processes That Support Learning” 1. Three major points The article broke learning down into metacognition , executive function , and self-regulation . I enjoyed reading about myself and my struggles with ADHD. I had to read several paragraphs several times. According to the article, it could be my ADHD or my age, but either way, people struggle with all aspects of learning for different reasons. Metacognition is defined as “the ability to monitor and regulate one’s own cognitive processes and to regulate behavior consciously” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine [NASEM], 2018, p. 70). Learners must be able to use different ways to understand and reflect on their learning. Executive function is the process by which we take what we learn and apply it. It also involves working with other methods and organizing information effectively. According to the article, “executive function has been researched to become...
Week 2 Blog
Week 2 EDUC-5313 Part 1: Authentic Instruction and Assessment Authentic intellectual work in my classroom combines project-based learning with higher-level thinking. Most traditional instruction focuses on memorization and procedures, whereas AIW pushes students to build on their own knowledge, problem-solve, and apply their learning in meaningful ways. Their learning should connect to the three components of AIW: construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school. Going beyond the value of school shows students that they can use their knowledge in the real world. It not only shows them possible careers but also the importance of what they learn. Research in Chapter 2 found that when students engage in tasks requiring these three components, their performance assessments show greater evidence of deep understanding (Newmann et al., 2007). My class thrives on standards-based grading, often through projects. One of my favorite activities is when students solve a my...
Week 1 Blog
Part 1: I am Jamie Castle, and I currently teach seventh-grade Math at Chisholm Middle School. While teaching this core subject, I also teach STEM and Robotics to seventh and eighth-graders. I also coach 6th-8th-grade students who want to compete in robotics competitively. I have taught early childhood, but now call middle school my home. I am working to grow our robotics program at both the middle and high schools. I help develop content in both STEM and math. Even with the success in the Math State score, I long to teach more STEM classes and expand to possibly the high school level. I have always wanted to complete my master's since earning my bachelor's, and with my eagerness to grow in my district, I have returned to finish it after more than a decade. Part 2: The lessons I want to share today align with ISTE Standard 1.1, Empowered Learner (ISTE, 2016), as students use technology to take ownership of their learning through a "bootcamp." "Bootcamp" i...