From promise to practice: UDL in 21st Century Inclusive Classrooms
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This document discusses universal design for learning (UDL) and moving it from promise to practice in inclusive education. UDL aims to increase access to learning for all students by reducing barriers through providing multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. It outlines the three principles of UDL and nine guidelines to support flexibility in goals, methods, materials and assessments. The document advocates designing instruction and curriculum from the start to be accessible and flexible for expected learner variability, rather than making adaptations later. It provides examples of digital tools and apps that can support UDL implementation by allowing flexible representation, expression and engagement. While UDL aims to reduce barriers proactively, assistive technologies will still play a role in supporting some learners. Overall
From promise to practice: UDL in 21st Century Inclusive Classrooms
- 1. 21st Century Inclusive Education: Moving UDL from Promise to Practice Kathy Howery, PhD (c) University of Alberta Applications Management
- 3. Destination: Inclusive Education In an inclusive education system all students belong and receive a quality education regardless of their ability, disability, language, cultural background, gender or age. Alberta Education.
- 6. Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, services,technologie s, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments, and society. Wikipedia
- 7. Where does innovation come from?
- 8. Innovation in Teaching & Learning • True innovation occurs at the margins • We are pushed further by: – Disruptive notions – Perspectives that do not fit in – Unpredictable inspirations that burst our neat categories 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 9. Change comes from the Margins
- 10. What assistive technology do you use?
- 11. • Yesterday’s Special Tech = Today’s Tech
- 12. Today’s Conversation: Universal Design for Learning
- 13. UDL in a Can…
- 14. Something new? “The new challenge of inclusion is to create schools in which our day-to-day efforts no longer assume that a particular text, activity, or teaching mode will “work” to support any particular students’ learning” Ferguson, 1995
- 15. Who are we designing learning for?
- 16. The Illusory Average Student
- 17. Our current system? Combining the medical model (to be abnormal is to be unhealthy) and the statistical model (abnormally large or abnormally small amounts of measured characteristic)… turns behavior patterns into pathological signs. (Skrtic, 1986)
- 18. Changing our Thinking From DIS-ability to VARI-ability
- 19. Social construction of (Dis) Ability • The social model suggests it is society that causes the individual with (physical or psychological) differences to be disabled. In other words individuals with impairments are not disabled by their impairments but by the barriers that exist in society constructed for the “norm”. • http://www.brainhe.com/TheSocial ModelofDisabilityText.html
- 20. Ableism • An ableist society is said to be one that treats non-disabled individuals as the standard of “normal living”, which results in public and private places and services, education, and social work that are built to serve 'standard' people, thereby inherently excluding those with various disabilities. Wikipedia 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 21. Aimee Mullen’s on Dis-abled
- 22. Ableism in Education (Hehir, 2008) Applied to schooling and child development… the devaluation of disability results in societal attitudes that uncritically assert that: • It is better for a child to walk than roll • Read print than read braille • Spell independently than use a spell checker • Hang out with with non-disabled children rather than only with other disable children. 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 23. The Illusory Average Student?
- 25. Let’s think about dis-ability KHOWERY 21/08/2012
- 27. What about in the Educational Environment? Disability = a Mismatch between learner needs and education offered Disability is artifact of lack of appropriate relationship between the learner and the learning environment or education delivery. Jutta Treviranus
- 28. Think of a time you have been disabled by Barriers.
- 30. What is our Model for Design?
- 31. Enter Universal Design for Learning
- 32. What do you think of when you think of UDL?
- 34. Enter Universal Design for Learning • An educational approach that aims to increase access to learning for all students by reducing physical, cognitive, intellectual, organizational and other barriers.
- 35. Dis-abled Curriculum • The traditional, one-size-fits-all curriculum is proving to be an entirely inadequate solution for problems that plague our schools in this era of standards-based reform. CAST
- 36. Curriculum? •How do you define curriculum?
- 37. The Curriculum Programs of Study Provincial Assessment Resources Instruction & Classroom Assessment
- 39. UDL Beginnings • Publishers should prepare and teachers should select instructional materials that are supportive and inclusive of students who have wide disparities in their ability to see, hear, read, etc… to achieve that end, we recommend that all developers of instructional materials adopt the concept of universal design and implement it in their products. • Furthermore, we recommend that teacher training programs prepare teachers for teaching in environments where the goals, methods, and materials are universally designed. (Orkwis & McLane, 1998, p.14)
- 40. UDL provides a blueprint (framework) for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments CAST, 2002
- 42. Promise of Digital Media In our view, what is of most significance to the future of education, especially for students with disabilities, is the unequaled flexibility and transformability of digital media. Rose & Meyer 2002
- 43. Digital Media can Flexible and Transformable
- 44. Digital Media can Flexible and Transformable
- 45. Flexible Means of Representation You Tube Comics
- 46. Flexible Means of Expression
- 49. The Future is in the Margins When new technologies move beyond their initial stage of development, innovations in curriculum design, teaching strategies and policies will be driven by the needs of students “at the margins”, those for whom present technologies are least effective- most prominently, students with disabilities. The beneficiaries of these innovations will be ALL students. Rose & Meyer, 2000
- 50. The promise of new technologies
- 51. Universal Design in Technology http://www.apple.com/education/special-education/
- 53. SMART solutions for promoting accessibility http://smarttech.com/us/Solutions/Education+S olutions/SMART+solutions+for+accessibility
- 54. CAST: Center for Applied Special Technology Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.
- 55. How do we get there? • Designing an educational system to teach all students that will also support individualized and flexible instruction designed to teach each student Expected Learner Variability
- 56. WHO are these diverse students in Alberta schools?
- 57. In an Alberta school of 500 students, we might expect to see…
- 58. •25 students with learning disabilities •40 students with AD/HD
- 59. •45 students who live below the poverty line •40 students whose first language is not English or French •25 students who are First Nations, Métis or Inuit (FNMI)
- 60. •7 students with autism •5 students with FASD
- 61. • At least 1 student with a physical disability • 15 students with cognitive disabilities
- 62. •7 students requiring support for mental health issues •8 students with severe behavioural/emotional disabilities
- 63. • 100 students who will not finish high school within 5 years
- 64. Diversity could also mean … Differences in: – background knowledge and experience – learning preferences – learning strengths – personal interests and motivation – levels of engagement
- 65. Diversity could also mean…
- 66. Think Different • Expected Learner Variability • Proactive Reduction of Barriers
- 68. UDL Universal Design for Learning calls for ... * Multiple means of representation, to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge, * Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, * Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation. 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 69. UDL Guidelines From the three principles, nine guidelines have been developed that form the primary foundation of UDL. The guidelines articulate the principles but their main purpose is to guide educators and curriculum developers in using evidence- based means of addressing the range of variability that any classroom typically experiences.
- 70. 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 71. Principle 1: Representation • Students differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is presented to them. • For example, those with sensory disabilities (e.g., blindness or deafness), learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia), language or cultural differences, and so forth may all require different ways of approaching content. Others may simply grasp information better through visual or auditory means rather than from printed text.
- 72. What are ways you are currently providing Multiple Means of Representation?
- 73. Principle 1: Representation Guideline 1: Provide options for perception Guideline 2: Provide options for language and symbols Guideline 3: Provide options for comprehension
- 74. Wikipedia
- 75. More ideas for Representation • Digital resources – www.LearnAlberta.ca • Book Rags – http://www.bookrags.com/ • 60 Second Recap – http://www.60secondrecap.com/ • YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzAtEqFU3Lc&f eature=related
- 76. Options for Comprehension Jen: The Tiered Web Page Generator • http://www.tieredwebpages.com/ Free Online Automatic Text Summarization Tool http://www.textcompactor.com/
- 78. Principle 2: Action & Expression Students differ in the ways that they can navigate a learning environment and express what they know. • For example, individuals with significant motor disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy), those who struggle with strategic and organizational abilities (e.g., executive function disorders, ADHD), those who have language barriers, and so forth approach learning tasks very differently. Some may be able to express themselves well in writing text but not oral speech, and vice versa.
- 79. What are ways you are currently providing Multiple Means of Expression?
- 80. Principle 2: Action & Expression Guideline 4: Provide options for physical action Guideline 5: Provide options for expressive skills and fluency Guideline 6: Provide options for executive functions
- 81. Physical Action Writing Tools http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/Writing+tools Virtual Manipulatives http://www.conceptuamath.com/
- 83. Principle 3 : Engagement Students differ markedly in the ways in which they can be engaged or motivated to learn. Some students are highly engaged by spontaneity and novelty while other are disengaged, even frightened, by those aspects, preferring strict routine.
- 84. The Why of Learning!!
- 85. What are ways you are currently providing Multiple Means of Engagement?
- 87. Principle 3 : Engagement Guideline 7: Provide options for recruiting interest Guideline 8: Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence Guideline 9: Provide options for self- regulation
- 88. Strategy Support • http://cst.cast.org/cst/auth-login Cast Strategy Tutor
- 89. University of Buffalo – • AT Training Online http://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/
- 90. Front end loading Using digital materials & “assistive” technologies into the classroom we can create a more accessible and flexible environment for all students.
- 91. There’s an app for that?
- 92. There’s an App for that! • Apple http://www.apple.com/education/why-apple/ • Free Tech 4 Teachers http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/10/iphon e-ipad-apps-for-special-education.html
- 93. There’s an App for that! Scribed http://www.scribd.com/doc/24470331/iPhone- iPad-and-iPod-touch-Apps-for-Special-Education
- 94. There’s an App for that! http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/article/apps-for-literacy-support
- 97. The Steve Jobs Model for Educational Reform "If you read the front pages of the New York Times, they will tell you that technology's promise has not yet been realized in terms of student performance. My answer is, of course not. If we simply attached computers to leeches, medicine wouldn't be any better today than it was in the 19th century either. You don't get change by plugging in computers to schools designed for the industrial age. You get it by deploying technology that rewrites the rules of the game." • -RUPERT MURDOCH
- 98. Flexibility still requires Pedagogy! • Flexible MATERIALS • Flexible instructional METHODS • Clear Accessible GOALS • Accessible & Authentic ASSESSMENT
- 99. Diversity Profile • What is the diversity of students you can expect in your classrooms? • What might be barriers to their learning success?
- 100. Clearly Defined Goals • You need to know what your goal is to understand and set up how this will work! • Goals the reduce barriers for expected student diversity
- 101. UDL Goals • Separating the means from the ends
- 102. Examples from the Program of Studies: UDL? Grade 10 English Language Arts General Outcome 2 - Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms, and respond personally, critically and creatively 2.1 Construct meaning from text and context Grade 7 Science Unit D: Structures and Forces (Science and Technology Emphasis) Skill Outcome : Analyzing and Interpreting Students will: Analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and develop and assess possible explanations compile and display data, by hand or computer, in a variety of formats, including diagrams, flow charts, tables, bar graphs, line graphs and scatterplots (e.g., plot a graph, showing the deflection of different materials tested under load) 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 103. Separating the Goal from the Means: Writing Goals and Objectives that Increase Access* Goals/Objectives that LIMIT Access: Goals/Objectives that ALLOW Access: Instead of … Try … The student will write… The student will express… The student will generate… The student will read… The student will receive information… The student will spell… The student will select… The student will compute… The student will solve… The student will define… The student will show… * From Gargiulo & Metcalf (2010) p. 270
- 106. Instructional Methods There is no universal medium of instruction
- 107. Medium of Instruction • Auditory - Listening / Speaking • Text - Reading / Writing • Visual - Viewing / Representing
- 108. Qualities of Speech • Natural speech has expressive power. • Speech is transitory.
- 109. Qualities of Text • Representational - permanent record • Reduces memory demands
- 110. Qualities of Images • A picture is worth a thousand words… • But do you see what I see?
- 112. UDL DI RTI Approach Proactive Responsive Interventionist is… Focus is Environment/ Groups of Individual on… Curriculum Learners/ Learner Needs Instruction Solution Eliminating Instructional Specialized involves… barriers Strategies interventions
- 113. Assessment • Do we know what we are assessing?
- 116. Universally Designed Assessment • Must clearly understand what we are assessing! • Reduce Construct Irrelevant Variance! • Multiple pathways to demonstrating success. • Be authentic!
- 117. Expert Learners • In UDL we are seeking to create expert learners, individuals who- whatever the particular strengths and weaknesses are know themselves and know how to learn.
- 119. “For people without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible …” National Council on Disability 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 120. Will UDL eliminate the need for assistive technology? 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 122. Assistive technologies will always have a role in the education of some learners. Children with physical disabilities need properly designed wheelchairs, adaptive switches to control devices, or speech synthesizers. UDL will not eliminate the need for such devices. But such devices will be used for the same reasons we use eyeglasses; that is, to enhance our abilities rather than to compensate for inadequately designed learning materials.
- 123. AT in the iWorld Challenges to Using Apps as Assistive Technology http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=4296 Apps challenging the billion dollar assistive technology market http://tinyurl.com/9wyzg6n
- 124. Goal of UDL Creating learning and learning environments which provide meaningful access for every learner Support Challenge
- 125. • If I were asked to …. summarize my reading of centuries of wise reflection on what is required of an environment for it to facilitate the growth of its members, I would say this: people grow best where they are continuously experiencing an ingenious blend of support and challenge; the rest is commentary. Robert Kegen, In Over our Heads
- 126. Amplification of Differences • In the 21st Century – the goal of education to recognize the diversity and amplify it not reduce it!
- 127. So where to from here?
- 128. Strategic Planning • At the District Level – What role should the district play in UDL implementation? – What needs be done at the district level? • At the School Level – How do schools need to be structured and supported to design for diversity? • At the Classroom Level – How can teachers be supported to bring UDL to life in their instructional practices?
- 129. Thoughts?
- 130. Stay Tuned! • UDL-iRN http://udl-irn.org/ • ERLC – Making Connections
- 131. IMAGINE… 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 132. Change is not quick or easy We have found that developing an inclusive program is always harder that stakeholders initially think it will be. Indeed, successful programs are dynamic and ever- changing, presenting continuing challenges to teachers and administrators as they create classrooms to meet a broad range of student needs. McLeskey & Waldron, 2000 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 133. But change is possible… 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 134. And potentially TRANFORMATIONAL 21/08/2012 KHOWERY
- 135. “The success of technology has more to do with people than machines. All the right parts and pieces together won’t work miracles by themselves. It is people who make technology powerful by creatively using it to fulfill their dreams.” Alliance for Technology Access, 1996
Editor's Notes
- #3: To each otherTo the day
- #40: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter4_2.cfm
- #63: N.B. Individual students may be counted multiple times e.g., 50% of students with learning disabilities may also have ADHD
- #66: Or these various personal situations…
- #120: http://www.prweb.com/releases/CaseAgainstAT/Video/prweb4550894.htm