Universal Design for Learning

The universal design movement began with architecture and product development, calling for designs from the onset that considered the needs of the greatest number of people, eliminating unattractive and expensive additions later.

Following this same framework, the Center for Applied Technology (CAST) has developed the Universal Design for Learning. Three primary principles guide the Universal Design for Learning:

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.

As teachers, we often worry and consider the needs of our special education students. How are they going to access the curriculum? How are they going to pass this or that assessment? CAST insists the three principles need to be considered before we even design a curriculum, lesson plans or assessment. Instead of retro fitting the curriculum to the students needs after the fact, how about we take it all into consideration before we begin? Like the beautiful building pictured here, the ramp has been used in the design to enhance it. Universal Design for Learning will do the same for all students, enhance their learning making curriculum, lesson plans and assessments more accessible.


Want to learn more? Check out their website.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/

Ken not Tom

First article of business for this post:I made an error on my pod-cast post. The author of The Element is Ken Robinson-not Tom Robbinson. I apologize for this mistake. It was my third attempt at posting the podcast. On the first two I had written much more, by the third attempt I just wanted to get it posted. Poor excuse, but it is the only one I have.

Speaking of podcasts, I was really interested in learning about what everyone had read, so I listened to all of them. I have to admit I was getting a bit sleepy but the Halloween ghost dogs really livened things up for me, Thanks Liz!

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't sleepy due to the podcasts. In fact I found them all very informative. It had more to due with the fact that it was after 8pm. As a result of listening to all of them, I have some new books added to my reading list. Top on the list will be the book Melanie shared. I was intriqued with the comparison of the invention of Google to the invention of electricity. Teaching Outside the Box, How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains is another book I look forward to reading.

A few reoccuring themes presented themselves again. Technology is here to stay and educational systems must catch up. Creative thinking is the future to our success. Teachers and administrators need time for professional development to transform schools. Ben told us about a district in Alaska that give their teachers 30 days a year!

A Healthy Sustainable Future is Possible

Have I been educated to grapple effectively with my current reality? What am I doing to make a shift towards a sustainable future? How can I teach in a school that is supported by the Cloud Institute? These are just a few of the questions I had after reading this chapter and then exploring the Cloud Institute website. This chapter absolutely inspired me. Their framework and vision encompasses exactly what I am seeking. Maybe it is not too late for me to enroll in a course similar to the Inventing the Future: Leadership and Participation for the 21st Century for students at the Cloud Institute!

Flying into Virtual Worlds

Left to my own indulgences and a few extra hours on the weekend, my activities of choice would be reading a good book, knitting, a walk in the woods with my husband or a visit with a friend. Today, I took my first trip into a Virtual World. I have NEVER been remotely interested in spending any time creating new worlds on the computer. I have such little time in the real world. However, I took a leap and gave it a try. I wanted to see how virtual worlds such as Second Life could be used in schools.

More than once, I had to be patient with my learning curve and my oldish desktop computer. It took me a bit to navigate around and I stayed in the tutorial area. I felt like a toddler just learning to walk. Fortunately I could fly instead.

On this initial virtual voyage, I learned it would take quite a bit of time for me to be proficient. If I worked with older students I would not need to be proficient, as they could be the teachers and I their student. Since I work with younger students, I also checked out some virtual worlds for children. Has anyone has used them in their classrooms or with their own children?

Building a Better Teacher

Would you be a better teacher if you got paid more money? Would you be a better teacher if you knew you would be replaced if your students did not make the academic gains that were required?
What would (or will) you do differently when faced with these choices?

One of my colleagues sent me this article from the NY Times Magazine, it is not a quick read, but worth it if you have some extra time on your hand. Elizabeth Green leaves few stones unturned discussing what makes better teachers. It certainly made me think (and sweat) about where we are heading with teacher accountability.



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html?em

Zoo School

More than once I have heard (and may have said) "my classroom is a zoo". For high school students at the School for Environmental Studies, their classroom is actually the local zoo. Located outside of Minneapolis, SES is a high school of choice for 400 eleventh and twelfth graders. This project based and service learning high school takes students outside and immerses them in pond life (11th grade) and zoo life (12th grade).

If you have an extra ten minutes check out the video. This school is a great example of an innovative school model, especially for those students who score high in Gardner's 8th intellegence~naturalist intelligence. I particularly like the idea that their data collection, technical writing, reports, etc... are assessed and used by the local community. These students understand their work has a signficant impact on their community. What could be more motivating?
www.edutopia.org/school-environmental-studies

no-box thinkers in the 21st Century

Just when I thought my head was going to explode, overwhelmed with the depth of the reasons why we are stuck in our 19th century education framework, Jacobs offers a practical and reasonable place to begin reform...assessments. The five steps for upgrading assessments she suggests in Chapter 2, seem very reasonable and easy to implement. Inviting teachers to make at least one assessment replacement per semester makes the change less daunting. Taking it one step further, differentiation of the assessments could occur naturally in this model by having more than one required assessment type.

Even though we all know the only constant is change, we have all struggled with some aspect of change. I love the idea of looking at reform as a "growth model" because growth is "positive and deep."

I was educated in a 19th century style of teaching. I learned to be a teacher in a 19th century style of teaching. Now I need to step out of the box and become a 21st century thinker and teacher. Growth I can embrace, but where do I put the box?

Stating the Obvious

In my family I am known for stating the obvious. Most times it goes over just fine ( other times...well you can imagine). I feel compelled to state the obvious here in my blog. Project-based inquiry learning works. In my own learning experience this week, I jumped from moderate interest in our comparative studies assignment to full engagement once I received an email from the contact I made in New Zealand.

My third grade resource room students have also been hit with the same passion. Last week we began a Help for Haiti project. Together we came up with an idea to make and sell bracelets, giving the profits to the Red Cross. We have integrated many subjects into the project. For me the best "assessment" has been the comments in their journals such as "we are just kids and we can help" or "I feel happy to help but I am still sad that Haiti had an earthquake."

I write this in my blog, because I am wondering if anyone would like to join our project. We could use Skype as a tool to exchange information. My school email is dcollins@sad22.us.

Global Education

Integrating global perspectives with existing subjects being taught is one way to effectively implement international education initiatives. Students learning and connecting with students in other countries via technology is an effective way to enhance global awareness. Not only does it make the learning authentic and motivating, it creates a deeper understanding of cultural awareness.

Erin Young cited many innovative ways teachers are engaging their students in global education. I was disappointed Young did not take this global understanding a step further (or backwards) and discuss the positive implications of increased cultural awareness within our own classrooms. The demographics of our classrooms are changing rapidly. Fostering understanding of similarities and differences between students within our own classrooms, seems like a huge benefit of global education.

Balancing Act

Virtual schools scare me. I know thousands of students are sitting at their computers right now, learning exciting new things via Internet. I am one of them. I also agree, there are many benefits of taking classes online. It we want to reform public schools, technology needs to be an integral component. Virtual classrooms is one important way we can keep up with the ever changing world. Christine Wood sited many ways technology is already changing the way we learn and teach. However, there needs to be a balance. Virtual schools sound too isolated to me. I worry as we move towards more technology for both learning and pleasure, we move away from learning and playing in our natural environment. Richard Louv author of Last Child in the Woods writes that children need nature for the healthy development of their senses for learning and creativity. Schools will need to be ever changing, but that doesn't mean to do away with all the old tried and true learning. Balance. Curriculum needs to support this balance.

Thinking about Curriculum

Up until last week, I haven't given curriculum much thought. I avoided volunteering for any curriculum committee work or anything remotely similar(there I said it). As a special education teacher, my interest in curriculum centered around helping my students access the curriculum. Curriculum was in my definition, a set of standards that we were required to teach. With the development of the Maine Learning Results, the curriculum also needed to align with the educational outcomes set by the state of Maine.

Now, of course, I have spent some time pondering curriculum. I am reminded of my three years working in a Montessori School. Philosophy, curriculum, procedures, and instruction were all entwined. If I had stopped to think about the definition of curriculum then, it would have been a verb rather than a noun.

In my current district, many dedicated teachers have put in long hours developing our various curricula. I respect their work and trust it was done in a thoughtful and professional way.
I am wondering if we have missed a huge step though. How do we begin to move from conversation around effective teaching practices for all students to access the curriculum to action?

In the schools we have been reading about, there seems to be a unified philosophy among the school staff. Is this what turns the noun into a verb?

Is My School Regular?

Absolutely! Newburgh Elementary is one of the best "regular" schools around. The school is organized and operated in many traditional ways. Our dedicated staff works diligently, following the district's mission statement, policies, and curriculum. Our accomplishments include but are not limited to:

*Making AYP
*Active PLC's
*Implementation of RTI
*Reading interventions
*Math interventions
*Student Assistance Teams
*District wide Benchmarks
*District wide Assessments

These accomplishments have come with a cost. We have all felt the pressures of teaching to the test, rushing students through work and subjects, and forgoing lessons that actually engage students due to "lack of time." Last week, a teacher proudly shared she finally taught all the required lessons prior to the District's mid-year math assessment. I congratulated her on this success and asked how she managed it. Sheepishly she replied, "I left out all the exploration lessons, even though those are the most fun."

Despite the pressures, there are times the Newburgh Staff is able to push past these restrictive requirements. There are some traditions we are just not willing to let go of. They include but are not limited to:

*Collaborative teaching
*Grades k-2 sing together at the end of each day
*Cross-grade and whole school activities
*Buddy read every Friday
*Before school recess
*Book bag program
*School wide disciple plan adapted from Schools Where Everyone Belongs by Stan Davis
*Family Fun Nights
*Service Learning
*Warm cookies and homemade bread

So, perhaps Newburgh Elementary School is just a "regular" school. Traditions die hard. Sadly, we won't be able to implement more changes, as our school is closing this June. I will miss the community of learning that has been created for our students and staff. And I will certainly miss the smell of bread cooking while teaching.

first blog-testing the system

Just seeing how this all works...a real blog to follow