Universal Design

I am really looking forward to hearing David Rose speak on Universal Design for Learning at MACUL07. I spent the last couple of days on a bus to Chicago with my daughter’s Interior Design field trip and listened to parent’s concerns about their student’s educational experiences. I heard so many horror stories and even had my own kid’s experiences to share as teachers do not know their student’s needs or even when they do don’t address them so that the student has success. I heard about one student who worked hours on a project and when they were tardy a minute or so to class (as the student was putting the finishing touches to the project) in another classroom, the teacher threw the project in the student’s face and would not accept it. The student has a learning disability and her self esteem just went down the tubes when the teacher did this. I don’t understand why teachers do this. To me the whole point is to learn and it was not as though the student was days late on her assignment. What did this teach the student?

I knew English teachers who would not let students listen to books on tape as they wanted the students to read the book. I fought that battle and won as a HS Librarian when the teacher realized that the student could participate in the class discussion as he had listened to the book. After purchasing most of the books on tape and the book that went along with it, I saw book circulation rise when these same students started coming to check other books out once they realized reading was fun.

I look forward to hearing ways that teachers can accommodate all students and make sure that they succeed in the classroom. Sometimes it can be as simple as putting a screen reader on a computer or issuing a laptop or word processor to a student so they can keep up in the classroom. Other students have benefited when they receive a handheld device and are able to keep themselves organized with the calendar.

I think teachers need to start letting students utilize the tools that they own themselves such as their cell phone or iPod. They can listen to books or lectures and keep a calendar on either tool. The students can tape lectures or videotape them with their digital camera if they want to listen to the lecture again.

I will post more thoughts once I have gone to David’s session.