being a single parent securing transportation having to attend court
transportation having to attend court
transportation having to attend court because of a divorce
because of a divorce
because of a divorce culture shock are taking care of a sick
culture shock are taking care of a sick
culture shock are taking care of a sick parent can be invisible barriers that
parent can be invisible barriers that
parent can be invisible barriers that affect student learning the definition
affect student learning the definition
affect student learning the definition of a barrier is a circumstance or an
of a barrier is a circumstance or an
of a barrier is a circumstance or an obstacle that it prevents progress the
obstacle that it prevents progress the
obstacle that it prevents progress the difference between a barrier and a
difference between a barrier and a
difference between a barrier and a disability is that a disability is to
disability is that a disability is to
disability is that a disability is to find us a disadvantage especially when
find us a disadvantage especially when
find us a disadvantage especially when recognized by the law to be recognized
recognized by the law to be recognized
recognized by the law to be recognized by the law a disability has to be
by the law a disability has to be
by the law a disability has to be assessed by a medical professional this
assessed by a medical professional this
assessed by a medical professional this can take several months or privately
can take several months or privately
can take several months or privately cost several thousand dollars a barrier
cost several thousand dollars a barrier
cost several thousand dollars a barrier is not always assessed because it can be
is not always assessed because it can be
is not always assessed because it can be temporary or non-medical but it’s still
temporary or non-medical but it’s still
temporary or non-medical but it’s still a real disadvantage to learning today
a real disadvantage to learning today
a real disadvantage to learning today I’m going to share with you my personal
I’m going to share with you my personal
I’m going to share with you my personal experience about how I became an
experience about how I became an
experience about how I became an advocate for Universal Design briefly in
advocate for Universal Design briefly in
advocate for Universal Design briefly in education Universal Design for Learning
education Universal Design for Learning
education Universal Design for Learning is implementing strategies to maximize
is implementing strategies to maximize
is implementing strategies to maximize accessibility and understanding of
accessibility and understanding of
accessibility and understanding of classroom material I’ll give you an
classroom material I’ll give you an
classroom material I’ll give you an example last year I was introduced to a
example last year I was introduced to a
example last year I was introduced to a student named Eric Eric had to take some
student named Eric Eric had to take some
student named Eric Eric had to take some time off school because he was in a car
time off school because he was in a car
time off school because he was in a car accident that left him without a
accident that left him without a
accident that left him without a short-term memory eric had a wife and a
short-term memory eric had a wife and a
short-term memory eric had a wife and a daughter and he was eager to finish his
daughter and he was eager to finish his
daughter and he was eager to finish his education because he wanted to bring
education because he wanted to bring
education because he wanted to bring home a decent income and this kind of
home a decent income and this kind of
home a decent income and this kind of pressure put extra stress and anxiety on
pressure put extra stress and anxiety on
pressure put extra stress and anxiety on Eric when I met with Eric he was nervous
Eric when I met with Eric he was nervous
Eric when I met with Eric he was nervous but he was also excited to get started
but he was also excited to get started
but he was also excited to get started and in my department we discussed how we
and in my department we discussed how we
and in my department we discussed how we could support Eric but sadly his
could support Eric but sadly his
could support Eric but sadly his accident was recent and no formal
accident was recent and no formal
accident was recent and no formal assessment had been done before I met
assessment had been done before I met
assessment had been done before I met Eric I had been reading about Universal
Eric I had been reading about Universal
Eric I had been reading about Universal Design I read about Universal Design for
Design I read about Universal Design for
Design I read about Universal Design for Learning in a newspaper article that
Learning in a newspaper article that
Learning in a newspaper article that spoke about a girl who was suing her
spoke about a girl who was suing her
spoke about a girl who was suing her school because they were forcing her
school because they were forcing her
school because they were forcing her every semester to reveal her disability
every semester to reveal her disability
every semester to reveal her disability her disability was depression and you
her disability was depression and you
her disability was depression and you can imagine how it would feel every
can imagine how it would feel every
can imagine how it would feel every semester
semester
semester have to say that you are or you might be
have to say that you are or you might be
have to say that you are or you might be depressed at one point or another
depressed at one point or another
depressed at one point or another Universal Design eliminates the need for
Universal Design eliminates the need for
Universal Design eliminates the need for when they have to reveal their personal
when they have to reveal their personal
when they have to reveal their personal information and the isolation that goes
information and the isolation that goes
information and the isolation that goes along with being singled out some simple
along with being singled out some simple
along with being singled out some simple examples of universal design can be
examples of universal design can be
examples of universal design can be extra time on tests open book tests
extra time on tests open book tests
extra time on tests open book tests options for assignments and assessments
options for assignments and assessments
options for assignments and assessments or pre-planned extensions the idea is
or pre-planned extensions the idea is
or pre-planned extensions the idea is that the accommodation is set up in the
that the accommodation is set up in the
that the accommodation is set up in the course delivery accessible to all
course delivery accessible to all
course delivery accessible to all students
students
students thus eliminating the need for when they
thus eliminating the need for when they
thus eliminating the need for when they have to reveal their disability or their
have to reveal their disability or their
have to reveal their disability or their barrier a visual representation of
barrier a visual representation of
barrier a visual representation of Universal Design often used is the
Universal Design often used is the
Universal Design often used is the sidewalk ramp the sidewalk ramp was
sidewalk ramp the sidewalk ramp was
sidewalk ramp the sidewalk ramp was created to ease wheels wheelchair access
created to ease wheels wheelchair access
created to ease wheels wheelchair access onto the sidewalk however it’s also very
onto the sidewalk however it’s also very
onto the sidewalk however it’s also very helpful for parents with strollers and
helpful for parents with strollers and
helpful for parents with strollers and this demonstrates how in a combination
this demonstrates how in a combination
this demonstrates how in a combination for one population can be an
for one population can be an
for one population can be an accommodation for everyone so back to
accommodation for everyone so back to
accommodation for everyone so back to Eric after Eric sat in front of a test
Eric after Eric sat in front of a test
Eric after Eric sat in front of a test for several hours and wasn’t able to
for several hours and wasn’t able to
for several hours and wasn’t able to come up with any answers I decided with
come up with any answers I decided with
come up with any answers I decided with the approval of my supervisor to provide
the approval of my supervisor to provide
the approval of my supervisor to provide my whole class with open book tests the
my whole class with open book tests the
my whole class with open book tests the assessments in my department were
assessments in my department were
assessments in my department were created to assess critical thinking and
created to assess critical thinking and
created to assess critical thinking and critical reading so even with their
critical reading so even with their
critical reading so even with their books notes and definitions students
books notes and definitions students
books notes and definitions students with limited knowledge of the content or
with limited knowledge of the content or
with limited knowledge of the content or students with limited application skills
students with limited application skills
students with limited application skills due to lack of practice could still
due to lack of practice could still
due to lack of practice could still easily be identified of course the idea
easily be identified of course the idea
easily be identified of course the idea appealed to the students it reduced
appealed to the students it reduced
appealed to the students it reduced their stress allowing my students to
their stress allowing my students to
their stress allowing my students to bring their notes and books force my
bring their notes and books force my
bring their notes and books force my students to prepare my students quickly
students to prepare my students quickly
students to prepare my students quickly realized after the first assessment that
realized after the first assessment that
realized after the first assessment that it was in their best interest to
it was in their best interest to
it was in their best interest to organize and review their notes to be
organize and review their notes to be
organize and review their notes to be efficient now there is some concern that
efficient now there is some concern that
efficient now there is some concern that Universal Design is going to lower the
Universal Design is going to lower the
Universal Design is going to lower the benchmark of standardized education and
benchmark of standardized education and
benchmark of standardized education and I think this can easily be solved by
I think this can easily be solved by
I think this can easily be solved by assessing competencies white can be done
assessing competencies white can be done
assessing competencies white can be done versus content retention what is
versus content retention what is
versus content retention what is memorized
memorized
memorized there’s argue well it’s not fair to the
there’s argue well it’s not fair to the
there’s argue well it’s not fair to the students if not all the teachers do it
students if not all the teachers do it
students if not all the teachers do it and I think it’s okay if we have
and I think it’s okay if we have
and I think it’s okay if we have different teaching philosophies students
different teaching philosophies students
different teaching philosophies students learn differently and our diversity and
learn differently and our diversity and
learn differently and our diversity and practice is actually an opportunity for
practice is actually an opportunity for
practice is actually an opportunity for them some people think that Universal
them some people think that Universal
them some people think that Universal Design for Learning is going to further
Design for Learning is going to further
Design for Learning is going to further marginalize students with real
marginalize students with real
marginalize students with real disabilities and I think comparing
disabilities and I think comparing
disabilities and I think comparing somebody with a real disability to
somebody with a real disability to
somebody with a real disability to somebody with a lesser form of a
somebody with a lesser form of a
somebody with a lesser form of a disability or a barrier it’s like
disability or a barrier it’s like
disability or a barrier it’s like comparing somebody who broke their arm a
comparing somebody who broke their arm a
comparing somebody who broke their arm a lot to somebody who broke their arm a
lot to somebody who broke their arm a
lot to somebody who broke their arm a little bit either way they’re going to
little bit either way they’re going to
little bit either way they’re going to need an accommodation because their arm
need an accommodation because their arm
need an accommodation because their arm is going to hinder their progress in my
is going to hinder their progress in my
is going to hinder their progress in my case it was suggested that I would put
case it was suggested that I would put
case it was suggested that I would put my students at a disadvantage at the
my students at a disadvantage at the
my students at a disadvantage at the time of the government final exam an
time of the government final exam an
time of the government final exam an exam where my open-book chess policy
exam where my open-book chess policy
exam where my open-book chess policy would not be allowed at the end of the
would not be allowed at the end of the
would not be allowed at the end of the semester I collected the following
semester I collected the following
semester I collected the following informal information by comparing my
informal information by comparing my
informal information by comparing my class which received tests with
class which received tests with
class which received tests with accommodations to a second class which
accommodations to a second class which
accommodations to a second class which received the same tests without
received the same tests without
received the same tests without accommodations my class and the other
accommodations my class and the other
accommodations my class and the other class had similar averages on tests
class had similar averages on tests
class had similar averages on tests which might be a surprise to you you
which might be a surprise to you you
which might be a surprise to you you might have thought oh my class would
might have thought oh my class would
might have thought oh my class would have done better but they did not which
have done better but they did not which
have done better but they did not which is exactly how we want Universal Design
is exactly how we want Universal Design
is exactly how we want Universal Design to work creating accessibility to all
to work creating accessibility to all
to work creating accessibility to all students without creating an unfair
students without creating an unfair
students without creating an unfair advantage I’d also like to note that
advantage I’d also like to note that
advantage I’d also like to note that everyone in my class passed the closed
everyone in my class passed the closed
everyone in my class passed the closed book final exam why do I think this
book final exam why do I think this
book final exam why do I think this happened I think it happened because my
happened I think it happened because my
happened I think it happened because my open book test policy taught my students
open book test policy taught my students
open book test policy taught my students how to study the night before test my
how to study the night before test my
how to study the night before test my students were able to discern what was
students were able to discern what was
students were able to discern what was important and that skill is priceless I
important and that skill is priceless I
important and that skill is priceless I also think that my students after the
also think that my students after the
also think that my students after the open book test policy started to attend
open book test policy started to attend
open book test policy started to attend tests with a different attitude before
tests with a different attitude before
tests with a different attitude before the open book test policy my students
the open book test policy my students
the open book test policy my students came to test defeated before they even
came to test defeated before they even
came to test defeated before they even knew what was asked of them they never
knew what was asked of them they never
knew what was asked of them they never studied enough and their nerves got the
studied enough and their nerves got the
studied enough and their nerves got the best of them and when they didn’t do
best of them and when they didn’t do
best of them and when they didn’t do well
well
well reverted back to their old excuses the
reverted back to their old excuses the
reverted back to their old excuses the train was late today or my kid was up
train was late today or my kid was up
train was late today or my kid was up all night after the open book test my
all night after the open book test my
all night after the open book test my students came to test confident they
students came to test confident they
students came to test confident they were prepared they had their books they
were prepared they had their books they
were prepared they had their books they had their notes they arrived to test
had their notes they arrived to test
had their notes they arrived to test early and they were eager to get started
early and they were eager to get started
early and they were eager to get started it was a fascinating turn around
it was a fascinating turn around
it was a fascinating turn around I think Universal Design I think my open
I think Universal Design I think my open
I think Universal Design I think my open book test policy was a positive
book test policy was a positive
book test policy was a positive experience for my students if secretly
experience for my students if secretly
experience for my students if secretly coax my students into studying and it
coax my students into studying and it
coax my students into studying and it also reduced their stress my open book
also reduced their stress my open book
also reduced their stress my open book test policy was like the ramp on the
test policy was like the ramp on the
test policy was like the ramp on the sidewalk in terms of my students
sidewalk in terms of my students
sidewalk in terms of my students understanding the material and it
understanding the material and it
understanding the material and it brought out a greater potential in each
brought out a greater potential in each
brought out a greater potential in each of them and if that’s the only thing
of them and if that’s the only thing
of them and if that’s the only thing Universal Design did for my students
Universal Design did for my students
Universal Design did for my students then I’m okay with that because a
then I’m okay with that because a
then I’m okay with that because a positive learning experience is what
positive learning experience is what
positive learning experience is what creates a lifelong learner
creates a lifelong learner
creates a lifelong learner [Applause]
”
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