Universal Design for Learning in th

e One‐to‐One Classroom: 

The Conversation Continues

Kathy Howery Emerge Summer Institute

August 22, 2008

Today’s Session Review Universal Design for Learning Key Concepts in UDL UDL in the one-to-one environment UDL & 21st Century Learning Planning for Universally Designed

Classrooms Resources…

Universal Design

Extension of architectural concept of Universal Design

Designing for the divergent needs of special populations increases usability for everyone.

Universal Design for Learning

Extends this idea to the classroom: Access to the building Access to the learning

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Universal Design for Learning

Each student, regardless of disability, difference, or diversity, needs access to the curriculum that is meaningful and that allows the student to use his or her strengths.

UDL - What do we mean? UDL assumes a continuum of

learning differences in the classroom

UDL relies on curriculum being presented in a flexible, engaging and challenging manner.

UDL maintains high expectations for all students.

UDL is inclusive by design.

Universal Design for Learning

UDL provides a blueprint (framework) for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences.

CAST, 2002

Key Concepts in UDL Leveraging Diversity Teaming Clearly understood Goals Flexibility Proactive Approach Change the Environment not the

Learner

Anticipating Diversity

Celebrating Diversity

“We must fundamentally alter our thinking about diversity as deviant, that diversity is bad and must be accommodated. . .

Rather, we need to be clear that diversity is an essential part of the human condition and needs to be anticipated and celebrated.”

Dave Edyburn, Associate Professor, UWM

Let’s think about Handicap

Handicap = a mismatch between learner needs and education offered

Handicap is artifact of lack of appropriate relationship between the learner and the learning environment or education delivery.

Jutta Treviranus

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

Dangers of designing for the norm

Stagnation Shrinking of ideas Self perpetuating rut Lack of innovation

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From the Margins to the Mainstream

Innovations in (educational) technologies are driven by needs of students (people) in the margins

Examples??

Closed Captioning

Pencil Grips

Sound Field Systems

Spell Check

Word Prediction In Text Messaging

UDL Leverages Diversity

Understanding Learners

http://education.alberta.ca/admin/special/resources.aspx

Building Class Profiles

Creating a Classroom Profile – CAST site toolhttp://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/toolkits/tk_procedures

A Primer on Universal Design (UD) in Education Dave L. Edyburn, Ph.D.http://www.uwm.edu/~edyburn/ud.html#sample

Changing the Environment (not the Learner)

Barriers to Learning? Physical barriers Sensory barriers Cognitive barriers Others?

Moving to Accessibility – A3 Model

ADVOCACY (Barriers to

learning exist)

ACCOMMODATION (Assistive Technology for

Learning)

ACCESSIBILITY (Universal Design for

Learning)

APPROACH

APPROACH CHANGES OVER TIME

Assistive Technology for Learning

Assistive Technology for Learning (ATL) is defined as the devices, media and services used in learning environments to overcome barriers for students with physical, sensory, cognitive, speech, learning or behavioural special needs to actively engage in learning and to achieve their individual learning goals.

Universal Design for Learning

By frontloading “assistive” technologies into the classroom we can create a more accessible and flexible environment for all students.

Where can I learn about AT?

EdTech Solutions: Teaching Every Studenthttp://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com

Assistive Technology Training Online Project

http://atto.buffalo.edu

Alberta Education - About Assistive Technology for Learning

http://education.alberta.ca/admin/technology/atl.aspx

Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd)

EdTech Locatorhttp://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=110

The TechMatrixhttp://www.techmatrix.org

The provision technology in and of itself will not guarantee students with diverse learning needs will experience an accessible classroom!

Clearly Defined Goals You need to know what your goal

is to understand and set up how this will work!

Clearly defined goals…

If teachers and students don’t know what the goal of the lesson is it is just like putting nothing into the GPS and driving around…

What would success look like?

How do you know it? How can you show it?

Universally Designed Assessment

Must clearly understand what we are assessing!

Multiple pathways to demonstrating success.

Be authentic!

Assessing with Rubrics

Rubric:"a scoring tool that lists the criteria

for a piece of work or 'what counts.'"

Heidi Goodrich

http://rubistar.4teachers.org

Rubric Development An effective way for teachers and

students to identify the essential characteristics of student work.

UDL requires Teaming!

Teaming

A team comprises a group of people linked in a common purpose.

Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team

Teaming Buy-in from administrators,

teacher leaders,technology coordinators and parents is key

Collaboration between teachers is essential

Teaming

Flexibility

Universal Design for Learning

Provides a variety of choice for different learners.

Has these options available before students enter the classroom.

Teachers can plan in advance for to meet all student needs.

Why is Flexibility Important to UDL?

Flexibility is essential for two reasons: individual differences between

learners

differences between instructional media.

Universal Design for Learning calls for:

Multiple means of representation, to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,

Multiple means of 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.

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What do we mean by Universal?

To many people the term seems to imply that UDL is a quest for a single, one size-fits-all, solution that will work for everyone.In fact, the very opposite is true.

The essence of UDL is flexibility and the inclusion of alternatives to adapt to the myriad variations in learner needs, styles, and preferences.

Proactive Approach “Principally retrofitting describes the

measures taken in the manufacturing industry to allow new or updated parts to be fitted to old or outdated assemblies.”

Scanning vs. Retrieving Traditional Retrofit - Scanning text for

students who can’t read

Copyright Issues! Section 32 of the Copyright Act (Canada)

provides an exception for making reproductions in alternate format for persons with a perceptual disability provided it is a non-profit organization acting for the person with the perceptual disability. There is a limitation on the exception if the item is commercially available in a format specially designed to meet those needs. The exception applies to sound recordings and braille but not to large print books.

Scanning vs. Retrieving Finding and using Digital Text

Digital Media is Flexible and Transformable

Digital Media is Flexible and Transformable

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Sources of Digital TextFrom Alberta Education Digital Repository of Digital Textbooks Authorized Novels & Plays in Digital FormatOther sources: Project Guttenberg Wikibooks UDL Editions by CAST Others listed on wiki…

Sources of Digital Media

From Alberta Education LearnAlberta.caOther sources: United Streaming YouTube Your Cameras…

UDL & 21st Century Learning Not coming into the information

age – we are leaving it!

UDL & 21st Century Learning Information is easy to get!

UDL & 21st Century Learning What will be valued is people who

can make “usable knowledge” with that information!

UDL & 21st Century Learning

Goals are focus on mastery rather than performance!!

“A lot people go for things only because a teacher or their parents told them they

should…When you discover your own desire, you’re

not going to wait for other people to find solutions to your problems. You’re going to

find your own.”Olympic gymnast Peter Vidmar

Expert Learners In UDL we are seeking to create

expert learners, individuals who- whatever the particular strengths and weaknesses are

Learners who know themselves and know how to learn.

Expert Learners are: Strategic, goal-directed learners.

Know who you are as a learner. Knowledgeable learners. They

have prior knowledge or know how to find it.

Purposeful, motivated learners. They are intrinsically rather than extrinsic learners.

Amplification of Differences In the 21st Century – the goal of

education to recognize the diversity and amplify it not reduce it!

Opportunities in the One-to-One Environment

Power of digital media Possibility of personalizing

learning tools Ready access to today’s tools Ready access to information…

Are you ready?