A TEDx Tale - "Reimagining Disability & Inclusive Education".

This TEDx, presented by Jan Wilson, is a powerful demonstration of how a change in perspective can influence the way in which we view our students, and other’s in general. She begins by discussing her daughter’s journey, as a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 5. Many of the points that Wilson discusses surrounding her daughter reminded me of many children that I have worked with, either in the classroom or child care capacity, and it always saddens me to hear that teacher’s shut down around them. Teaching can be overwhelming, which is something that I am beginning to understand, but your students need to be your priority at all times, not matter what abilities they may have. As a result of this, children with certain disabilities are seen as an outlier, or a trouble-some student.

Wilson states that “Critics of inclusion however argue that certain children with disabilities can’t learn through traditional teaching methods…” [4:20]. For me, this statement says more about our teaching methods, rather than our children’s perceived inability to conform to them. The phrase “If it aint broke, don’t fix it” can hardly be an excuse here, because something is very much broken in the way we deliver education. The way that we are viewing children in such a hierarchical manner is what is broken. And the fact that we believe students who fit in this ‘traditional’ style of teaching or structure are ‘normal’ speaks volumes as well. This is ‘othering’ in its simplest form. Yes, a child may be diagnosed with ADHD, and may struggle to learn in one particular way, but is that to say that all the other students in your class are not having difficulties of their own?

 I suffered from eye problems at a young age, and it wasn’t until I started failing math, that my parents realized I had difficulty seeing things far away. I was guessing at answers because I thought what I was able to see was ‘normal’. 

There’s that word again. Normal.

 In that situation, even once I had glasses, and my eye sight was corrected, would it not have been helpful for my teacher to provide instruction in a way that did not require me to read off of a white board? Increase the size of the white board writing? Provide individual handouts for key concepts? This is where the concept of UDL comes into play. You do not have to have a physical disability for this to be relevant. Adapting your classroom so that all your students can succeed from the beginning will benefit EVERYONE. This draws on Wilson’s point later on that disability is more of a continuum rather than one set label. My having glasses is a form of disability; I need external support in order to succeed and enjoy life, much like a person who uses a wheelchair, or a guide animal. Culture, race, and gender could be seen as disabilities depending on your context. UDL can make accommodations for ALL diversity. And I think I like that word much better: diversity, rather than disability. We are all different, and we all have different ways that we process or communicate information. 

The three principles of UDL are as follows:

1.     Multiple means of representation

2.    Multiple means of expression

3.    Multiple means of engagement

*For a thorough breakdown of these guidelines, please see the National Center on the Universal Design for Learning link below.

There is scientific evidence that we as humans, process information differently from one another. This is a fact. There are some means of representation that may suit some people better than others. It is a fact that I learn best when I can manipulate my notes into some sort of visual diagram; whereas I have friends who study best through straight memorization of stacks upon stacks of cue cards. Then there are those who can hear something spoken in a lecture once and are able to retain it, even past the finale exam. It is unfortunate that it’s not until university that I realized this about myself, because it would have been a very helpful study aide.

So my question is this – if we can recognize in ourselves that we have styles of learning and representation that suit our needs best, why does it seem so impossible that this should also be the case for our students?

UDL allows us to open our minds to this, and see our lessons and classroom planning from more than one perspective. Wilson self-admittedly stated that even she had her own preconceptions in regards to disability, and even “able-bodied” people. Labeling and “othering” is harmful, and can foster a negative 

environment for our students. The lesson here is that reflection and looking through lenses other than our own are the key to helping us develop a UDL value system that can benefit and support our students as individual and diverse learners.

http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/udlguidelines_graphicorganizer

What is UDL?

Universal Design for Learning is, in actuality, an approach developed in the field of architecture in the late 1980’s (Katz, 13). The goal for architects was to design facilities and buildings in a way that was accessible to everyone. Ronald Mace is the architect who defined the term universal design, and who challenged the traditional approach to architecture as it seemed to only benefit able-bodied individuals (Katz, 13).

Side note: Throughout this exploration, I will refer to a text by Dr. Jennifer Katz, from the University of Manitoba. She specializes in inclusive education and UDL in her book, “Teaching to Diversity: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning”.I will explore the “three-block model” at a later date.  If you are interested in this topic, I would highly recommend this resource!

Anyways, back to architecture!

Ronald Mace himself experienced barriers his entire life: he was diagnosed with polio at age 9, and used a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. He understood the challenges and obstacles that people faced on a daily basis, and incorporated this into his belief of a universal design. When infrastructure is designed to accommodate those with disabilities, low and behold, they accommodate everyone! When you plan ahead with an inclusive mind-set, the outcomes you reach will benefit EVERYONE!

Inclusion is something that is prevalent in education as well. Not only of those with disabilities, but perhaps those with a different cultural background, who speak a different language, or who face academic challenges. Inclusion, and exclusion, can appear in all forms. The concept of a UDL classroom addresses these areas in the hopes of providing all children with an opportunity to participate and share their knowledge. Sometimes it may mean representing concepts in different ways (written, visuals, audio, etc.) so that all your students are able to understand a direction or concept. I believe that if we apply Mace’s ideas to the classroom setting, and cast a wide net of inclusivity, that we will be better equipped to help ALL our students succeed. Each child is different, so it would make sense that how they learn reflects that. Yes it takes time. Yes it takes effort on the part of the teacher. But we are teachers because we want to teach the future generation, and we want all of our students to reach their full potential and flourish in what they set their mind to. This does not go for some students, we want this for all of our students.

Katz, Jennifer. 2012. Teaching to Diversity: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Portage and Main Press

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/13/us/ronald-l-mace-58-designer-of-buildings-accessible-to-all.html

                

Inclusive Education.... As I Understand It Now.

For my inaugural post I feel as though it's important to make some things clear. I am not a seasoned blogger. I have a difficult time recording my feelings, but in this case I can do so behind the scenes while exploring the topic of inclusivity. I’m hoping that through this exploration that I can become better at this, and that I can continue adding to it once I graduate.

I found myself on the education career path after working in a child care centre over my summer break. Communicating with kids, seeing them grow into their own person, and being able to support them was something that I found joy in, and seemed to come naturally. Through that experience I worked with children with varying behavioural plans and special needs, and including them in daily activities and experiences was a large part of how I approached my work there. The children wanted to be as much a part of the social interactions as anyone else, and it was our job to facilitate that so every child would feel included. Creating a classroom philosophy that is openly, and regularly, shared and discussed with students is one way of maintaining your classroom as a safe and supportive space for all.

Recognizing that all children are individuals is a large part of inclusive education. Not only are there physical differences, mental differences, or socio-economic differences, but there can be language differences as well. In Canada we are fortunate to have so many diverse cultures, and with that, some of our students in our class may not speak English as their primary language. Being aware of EAL learning strategies, and the process of language acquisition, is an essential part of helping this children to grow and succeed. You want to be aware of this when you are designing your classroom, and your lessons.  Incorporating different forms of representation (written, oral, visual, auditory) into these areas can help all students to feel supported and that you as the teacher are making an effort to help them do their best.

I hope that through this blog I can provide useful insight and resources on the topic of UDL and inclusivity, so that other educators, not necessarily first year’s teachers, can begin to reflect on their own practices.