A weekly half hour chat focused on improving access to education for PK-12 students through the use of Accessible Educational Materials (AEM), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Assistive Technology (AT).
A1: Absolutely! The purpose of UDL is to make sure that ALL students are able to access materials in the way that works best for them! This framework was created for diverse students! #PatinsIcam
A1: ALL means ALL...#UDL IS the benefit for all students and teachers #PatinsIcam Preplanning for barriers & kick forwarding successes in a way that is student centered and meaningful.
A2: all students benefit from multiple and flexible ways to engage, to see content represented, and show what they know. The UDL framework only shows how much work teachers do to support learners w/ complex needs, gives us even more ideas #PatinsIcam
A2: "lets consider this through a different lens" or something to that nature. Some educators have separated students so far that even attempting to include all seems daunting. It can and will be done! #PatinsIcam
A2: Is @PATINSSandi going to write a response that lets her keep her job? Yes. I would ask to model a lesson with the students and let their reactions answer for me. #PatinsIcam
A3: it's about presuming that all students deserve access, that I will never know how much you'll learn unless I give you the chance. UDL gives us a framework to provide an equitable chance #PatinsIcam
A3: Presumed Competency is the assumption that ALL students have the ability to think, learn and understand...even if it is sometimes hard to see proof of the actions. Always viewing students in this valuable way helps seal success! #PatinsIcam
A4: Representation, finding different ways to represent the material. I feel this is something that is already done beautifully in this setting. #PatinsIcam
A3: Assuming that all students can and will learn when given an equitable/accessible opportunity. That is what UDL is all about. Making sure that all possible students can learn with each other. #PatinsIcam
A4: I don't know that I have to choose just one at a time, but there is some wisdom in "if we don't have engagement, we don't have anything" #PatinsIcam
A3: Presuming competence assures that every student has the opportunity for high expectations. It's the least dangerous assumption, can do no harm and can open doors, just like #udl! #PatinsIcam
A3 Assuming that everyone has the ability to learn with instruction designed so that ALL students have the access to be able to participate, grow, and show what they know #patinsicam#patinsicam
A4: I would choose action and expression. There are so many different ways to find out if a student has learned the content. Multiple choice tests are just the easiest to grade. #PatinsIcam
A4: I don't know that I have to choose just one at a time, but there is some wisdom in "if we don't have engagement, we don't have anything" #PatinsIcam
I'm with you here. Engagement HAS to be there with meaning and purpose. Let's begin with relationship building & knowing your students as who they are and how they learn best. #PatinsIcam
I agree! It's easy to think it's about entertainment and hard if staff struggle with the work of creating relationships with complex learners, but it is most often the thing that will move the needle on outcomes longterm #PatinsIcam
A6: Absolutely! seemlessly intergrate all students in the classroom. I see UDL as blurring the lines of special education and general education allowing all students to learn in the same classroom. #patinsicam
A6: Absolutely. The less we have to do for our Ss, the better. Empowering students with independence by appropriate accommodations and a mode of communication #PatinsIcam COMMUNICATION is a MUST.
A6: While it may or may not lead to a different setting, it will open doors to greater learning opportunities and higher levels of comprehension for the student. #PatinsIcam
A6: I definitely think so, #UDL can unlock so many hidden potentials which can boost confidence and increase growth in a variety of ways! If all teachers were implementing UDL well, one could argue that life skills classroom are no longer necessary #PatinsIcam
A6: love this question! I think it could lead to less restrictive placements as Ss get the opportunity to learn in a way that makes sense for them, we can see potential that may have been hidden! #PatinsIcam
A6: love this question! I think it could lead to less restrictive placements as Ss get the opportunity to learn in a way that makes sense for them, we can see potential that may have been hidden! #PatinsIcam
Yes...the hidden student! Over all of my years of teaching some of the hidden kids I did not find still haunt me! Being able to learn and DO something about it is a huge part of teaching! #PatinsIcam
A6: Absolutely! seemlessly intergrate all students in the classroom. I see UDL as blurring the lines of special education and general education allowing all students to learn in the same classroom. #patinsicam
A7: sign language, AAC, speech, learning and representing student's idiosyncratic communication and gestures, tactile symbols, lots and lots and lots of visuals. All of these also great for any classroom! #PatinsIcam
A7: I think this question begs another - would multiple means of representation in a life skills classroom really differ from multiple means in a gen ed or other classroom? #PatinsIcam
Well said. Sometimes the barrier is just not HIGH EXPECTATIONS. Having high expectations in itself can take the shadow off of those "hidden potentials." We owe it to our Ss to look for them, find and then celebrate them. #PatinsIcam
A good question, depending on the range of students, I would think while the opportunities would be similar, the multiple representations might be even more challenging and more multiple! #PatinsIcam
A7: I think this question begs another - would multiple means of representation in a life skills classroom really differ from multiple means in a gen ed or other classroom? #PatinsIcam
Q9: providing visuals for goals progress and goal setting, providing lots of different ways and means to take a test. Again... just as all students need! #PatinsIcam
