A Giant Step Forward?

It continues to confound me how few educators have heard of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles which promote student success and competence. Even earlier today, Lisa Parisi and I were discussing the lack of UDL awareness in education circles and how surprised we both are by this fact. Sometimes I wonder if it's because the term is typically (and erroneously) connected to special education and assistive technology. If it is connected to special education, do general educators believe it's an educational concept they do not need to understand? If that is the case, we need to correct the misconception.

And then I read this....

"A Monumental Step Towards Promoting UDL for All" (via the Assistive Technology Blog)

The post described what feels like a watershed moment, a recent event at the National Education Association's main headquarters. The NEA sponsored a symposium entitled Universal Design for Learning and Inclusive Practices with over 200 participants in attendance.

Symposium participants heard from experts who presented information on best practices and highlighted the most recent developments in UDL theory and implementation. Attendees also had the opportunity to engage with those on the leading edge of research and program development. In addition to gaining a greater understanding of how to create inclusive schools, participants walked away with a framework for promoting UDL and developing policies in their own organizations at the national, state and local levels. They also screened the award winning documentary, Including Samuel, which examines the educational and social inclusion of youth with disabilities.

Is this the breakthrough that we have been waiting for? Looking at the list of sponsors (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Federation of Teachers, The ARC, CAST, Council of Chief State School Officers, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, IDEA Partnership, Institute for Educational Leadership, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Down Syndrome Society, and the Virginia Department of Education Training and Technical Assistance Center at George Mason University), I am hopeful.

UDL principles are not an afterthought. When curriculum is designed well, multiple methods of presentation, engagement and expression are embedded throughout the instruction and learning. UDL reinforces the fact that one size does not fit all. I do believe many educators acknowledge that reality. It's the application that remains challenging.

If that is the case, excellent resources are available here, here, here, here, and here.

Be a part of what Lily Eskelsen, VP of the NEA calls "a deliberate design for success."

Writing Prompts May be Obstacles to Quality Writing

Writing prompts are ubiquitous in this age of high-stakes testing. The belief is if we allow students to respond to (daily) prompts, their writing will improve. But this doesn't always happen.

This morning, via a tweet from Ira Socol, I came across a post entitled The Over-Prompting of Young Writers. The excellent points made in this article may cause you to rethink your use of writing prompts. What are the unintended consequences? Do writing prompts, in fact, stifle quality writing? What do we do when students are unable to make connections to the prompt because it does not relate to their life? The author, Heather Rader states:

Some teachers tell me their students respond to a writing prompt every day. Here are a few prompts I've read student responses to:

Write about your favorite TV program.

Write about a time you wished you could fly.

You discover a magic egg. Tell the story of what happens next.

While many kids will compliantly write to these starters, their responses are often formulaic, lacking both elaboration and voice. Because for every prompt there are obstacles. Maybe seven. Maybe three. Or if you are lucky, just one, and his name might be Zachary. When Zachary tries on the prompt it doesn't fit.

What the prompt says: Write about your favorite TV program.

What Zachary says: "I don't watch TV."

What the prompt says: Write about a time you wished you could fly.

What Zachary says: "I'm afraid of heights."

What the prompt says: You discover a magic egg. Tell the story of what happens next.

What Zachary says: "I think magic eggs are stupid."

The obstacle is that one prompt doesn't fit all because kids need to make personal connections to their writing topics. (emphasis mine)

How do you deal with the Zachary's in your classroom? Read the rest of the post to learn new strategies that help you create an environment which recognizes one-size-does-not-fit-all.:

Image attribution http://www.utsa.edu/today/images/graphics/writing3.jpg

Blasting Zone

As the new school year begins, it's time to blast certain long-held beliefs:

That one size fits all works when it comes to teaching our students. Isn't this just uninspired teaching? What are the long term effects on student's attitudes toward learning and school? The consequences are too great. Triple blast this one.

TTWWADI. Demolish the "That's the way we've always done it" pervasive and unwritten rules that permeate our schools, unless they are based upon sound, effective educational principles that work.

That paper provides the only way for students to demonstrate what they have learned. Multimedia tools (and I'm not just talking Powerpoint) provide new opportunities for students to demonstrate synthesis, application and understanding. Relying on paper-based methods (essays, quizzes, tests) present obstacles to success for too many students. it is imperative we offer choices.

That it's Ok to be a technologically illiterate teacher. Still in doubt? Review Karl Fisch's blog post from September, 2007.

That students on the autism spectrum have obsessions and perseverations. Let's reframe the discussion and recognize the fascinations, strengths and areas of expertise. Reframing the discussion allows us to teach more effectively. A great resource for implementing this model is the book, Just Give Him the Whale, by Kluth and Schwartz.

That it's either remediation OR compensation. This one's easy. It has to be both. When an eighth grade student is reading at a fifth grade level and needs access to grade level text the only way to do this independently is to use compensation techniques. If you are withholding this information as an educator, it's time to reconsider your profession. Every student must be shown the numerous text-to-speech tools which will compensate for their struggles with reading. The student can then decide which tools work best for them.

The term "digital immigrant." This term has been used as an excuse for resistance to change. I can state that as a could be a card-carrying "digital immigrant." (I remember the first moon landing, when JFK was assassinated, "breaking the sound barrier" and our first color TV. Do your credentials stack up?) Instead replace it with "digital ninnies," a term coined by Gary Stager in his blog post, "Tech Insurgents: Do Your Teachers Need a Computing IEP?"

That it's ok to scribe for a student with written expression difficulties. It breeds learned helplessness and passivity. Encourage independence using recording features in Word, online recording features in new media tools, use word prediction or speech recognition tools. (Talk to your local assistive technology specialist for additional ideas).

Are there any I missed? Absolutely. So feel free to add your own.

Sign photo credit: http://www.ricesigns.com/real_pictures/blasting_zone_construction_signs.jpg