1 LEARNING FOR ALL Celebrating the Challenges, 2010 Universal Design for Learning to Support Diversity in Your Classroom You will leave today knowing and understanding: Alberta classroom populations are diverse Every student has a unique way of learning Teachers and students are living in a global digital world. Setting the Direction proposes ONE inclusive education system. Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools started on the journey to one inclusive system 20 years ago. You will leave today knowing and understanding: The printed page is dominant in classrooms Inflexible print presents a barrier to many, affecting achievement in every subject. The principles behind Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and that UDL uses technology’s power and flexibility to make education more inclusive by reducing barriers so that students can be striving towards the same high standards. Designing lessons with diversity in mind using UDL principles eliminates the need to retrofit. Classrooms can be front-loaded with technology to facilitate UDL implementation. UDL benefits ALL students.
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LEARNING FOR ALL
Celebrating the Challenges, 2010
Universal Designfor Learning to
Support Diversityin Your Classroom
You will leave today knowingand understanding:
Alberta classroom populations are diverse Every student has a unique way of learning Teachers and students are living in a global digital
world. Setting the Direction proposes ONE inclusive
education system. Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools started on the
journey to one inclusive system 20 years ago.
You will leave today knowingand understanding:
The printed page is dominant in classrooms Inflexible print presents a barrier to many, affecting
achievement in every subject. The principles behind Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and that UDL uses technology’s power and flexibility to make
education more inclusive by reducing barriers so thatstudents can be striving towards the same high standards.
Designing lessons with diversity in mind using UDL principleseliminates the need to retrofit.
Classrooms can be front-loaded with technology to facilitateUDL implementation.
UDL benefits ALL students.
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WHAT?
The issue?
Alberta’s ClassroomPopulations are
Diverse
Every Student Hasa Unique Way of
Learning
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A New View Of Learner Differences New technologies allow us to see the brain as it learns.
Brain imaging techniques show activity in 3 elaborate sets ofnerve networks during learning. Their individual specializations areidentified by these 3 labels:
Revelations from Brain Research? There are no “regular students” The notion of broad categories of learners: smart, not smart;
disabled, not disabled; regular, not regular is a grossoversimplification that is not supported by research.
A student defined as learning disabled in a print environmentmay not be learning disabled in a video or audio-basedlearning environment.
Traditional views of learner’s abilities based on globalmeasures (IQ) or that place people into simple categoriessuch as “the learning disabled” are not supported.
Learning ability is far more diversified. Students can be“intelligent”, or less so, in a near endless number of ways.
(Rose and Meyer, “Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age”, 2002)
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Teachers andstudents are livingin a global digital
world
Learning in the Digital AgeTeaching in the 21st Century
The printed page presents ahuge barrier to many of our
students, affecting theirachievement in every subject
Educators adapt and modify the content but despite these efforts, the Programs of Study, being presented mostly in a “print” or “text” format present barriers to learning.
The Text Book is a Barrier
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Students who are just learning English, whoare visually or hearing impaired, have a“learning disability”, are from a differentcultural background, or need conceptspresented in depth are challenged daily.
As a matter of fact…..
Ted McCain, “Teaching for Tomorrow”
•87% of students today are not auditory or text-based learners- they are visual or visual-kinesthetic learners wired for multi-media andmulti-tasking
•Todays students want to process pictures, soundand video BEFORE text.
CASS Special Ed. SymposiumMay, 2005
What: should be the underlying philosophy that
guides our work in establishing outcomes? constitutes a valid outcome for a student?Should the outcomes for students in special
education programs be: different from the outcomes in place for their
same age peers or grade equivalent peers tied to the program of studies?Are the Outcomes for special education best
achieved in an inclusive setting?
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The Challenge for Alberta’sEducators?
Learner Diversity21st Century Learners
High Expectations
SO WHAT?
Implications?
A New Vision for Alberta
SETTING THE DIRECTION:ONE inclusive education system where
each student is successful throughcurriculum, capacity and collaboration
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Setting the Direction
We must gain inexpertise that addressesdifferent learning needsand agree that thenotion of ‘one-size-fits-all’teaching is no longerrelevant for our 21stCentury learners.
Learning for All in GSACRD• Inclusion (since early 1990’s)
• Learning Support FacilitatorModel (2003)
• CASS Special Ed.Symposium (May, 2005)
• Learning Services Team (fall,2005)
• READ AND WRITE GOLD-Site License (2007)
• 1:1 Laptop Classrooms(2007)
• Levels of Support Model(2008)
• Pyramid Model ofIntervention to SupportDiverse Learners(2008)
The fundamental nature of the recognition, strategic andaffective networks form a framework we can use toanalyze our students’ individual strengths andweaknesses and understand their individual differences.
The principles behindUniversal Design whenapplied to teaching, areeffective in removing the
barriers to learning.
Servus Place?
Accessible Classroom?
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Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design allows foraccess withoutextraordinary means and isbased on the assumptionthat people with disabilitiesare numerous and shouldbe able to lead regular lives.
Universal Design for Learning.
When we design lessonsand assessment withdiverse learner needs inmind from the beginningof the planning process,the need for “retrofitting”or adaptation is eliminated.
“Multiples” is the keyword in UDL…A UDL BIG IDEA
Multiple means of representation togive learners various ways ofacquiring information andknowledge and to practice skills. Multiple means of expression toprovide learners alternatives toshow what they know. Multiple means of engagement totap into learners' interests,challenge them appropriately, andmotivate them to be engaged andlearn.
Rose, D.H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal Design forLearning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
The most powerful tool for providing flexiblemeans of REPRESENTATION of the curriculumand EXPRESSION of what students know andunderstand.
Digital technology overcomes the inflexibility ofprinted text and creates new pathways forlearning. Many of our students, despite averageintelligence, are challenged by materials in print.
REACHING EVERY STUDENT throughUniversal Design for Learning
1) Front-load classroomswith technology
2) Plan for diversity at theout-set.
3) Reduce barriers bycreating multiplepathways for Learning(UDL)
REACHING EVERY STUDENT1) Front-load classrooms
1) Teacher’s webpage (providesaccess to materials)
2) Digital novels, textbooks,assignments
3) Text-to-Speech software(audio support)
4) Collaborative Websites-Voicethread
Universal technologies to benefit all include flexiblematerials for presentation and for students to demonstratewhat they know. e.g.
5) Tiered and Simplified Websites
6) Word accessibility features
7) Personal Response devices
8) Podcasts/Vodcasts
9) Audio Support for Internetresearch
10) Surveys (e.g. Survey Monkey)
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REACHING EVERY STUDENTJon Mundorf’s Top 10 Technologies
http://jmundorf.edublogs.org/
REACHING EVERY STUDENT2) Plan for Diversity at the Outset
Be very clear about your objectives and do notinclude in the objectives, the METHOD forachieving them:
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Then, identifybarriers tolearning
REACHING EVERY STUDENT3) Reduce Barriers Using UDL
Reduce Barriers By Creating FlexiblePaths to Learning
•REPRESENT information in different ways (multiplemedia, varied support, graphics, animations, highlightcritical features, activate background knowledge andsupport vocabulary)
•Allow students to approach learning and EXPRESSwhat they know in different ways (varied ways torespond, to interact with materials, choices of media,integrate assistive technology)
•Offer OPTIONS that keep students interested andENGAGED.
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1) Multiple Forms of Representation
Multiple examples
Information provided in multiple media and formats
Critical features highlighted
Supports provided for limited background knowledge
Technologies focused on in GSACRD toprovide multiple means of Representation
1)Text-to-Speech Software Read and Write Gold
2) Audacity/GarageBand-(to record voice-tests,audiofiles onto iPods,etc.)
3) Audio support forInternet Research Read and Write Gold
4) Digital textbooks,novels and assignments
(Al. Ed. Digital TextRepository)
5)Picture Support forLiteracy Boardmaker/Symwriter
Technologies focused on in GSACRD toprovide multiple means of Representation
6)Websites that supportall learners:
Discovery EducationBrain PopVoicethread
Reading from A-Z7)Tools to simplify
Website Content/TieredWebsites Readability Wikipedia Simple
English
8) MS Word- accessibilityfeatures
9) As of 2010, iPod Appswhich include many thatreduce barriers tolearning.
http://elearning.gsacrd.ab.ca/
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1. Text-to-Speech Software
Read&Write Gold gives a boost to studentswho need support with reading, and writing.
Whether reading, writing, researching forassignments or leisure, this software putssuccess within reach. Its audio supporthelps to bypass the challenge of informationbeing presented in text fashion only.
1. Text-to-Speech Software
Reading: Audio Support
A variety of strategiescan be used to provideaudio support forstruggling readers:talking web browsers,text to speechsoftware, and text-to-MP3 audio files.
VoicethreadWith VoiceThread, group conversations about images, documents andvideos are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world.All with no software to install.