Because of Oliver

Collaborative Series on Inclusion with Dr. Julie Causton of Inclusive Schooling. This seven minute video presents a story of inclusion, highlighting how the learning experience design decisions for some are good and available for all.

The Panorama Equity and Inclusion Survey helps school leadership teams understand what students, teachers, and staff are thinking and feeling about diversity, equity, and inclusion in school. The survey can be used to help schools and districts track the progress of equity initiatives, like UDL implementation, identify areas for celebration and improvement, and inform professional development.

How does it relate to the UDL-SICC?

This tool supports the School Culture and Environment Domain, Element 1 (D1, E1), focused on ensuring that all members of the school community are included in and benefit from learning opportunities. The intent of this element is that the school community commits to designing equitable and inclusive learning opportunities and environments.

How might you use it?

Options for using this tool include:

• Access the survey after providing demographic information. Read the foundational information and decide how this tool will fit into your current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan.
• Read the User Guide and review topics included in the survey to decide on an area of focus. Develop a plan to identify and enhance that chosen area of focus.
• After a thorough review of the survey, distribute the survey to students (grades 6-8) and staff. Disaggregate data to determine areas of need. Design a plan to address identified areas of need.

Leading with Access & Equity is a facilitator’s guide to a series of webinar modules that were developed to support schools with disparities amongst specific student populations. The modules include discussion questions posed to guide reflection as you work through the module, a slide deck and a webinar video. Additional resources to support the topic are also provided. Some of the topics included in these modules are:

• Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
• Incorporating UDL into your Turnaround Plans
• Identifying Inequities and Elevating Expectations in Education
• Culturally Responsive Design and Implicit Bias
• Funds of knowledge
• Learner Variability and Special Education 
• Working Together: General Education and Special Education Partnerships
• Deconstructing Inequitable Systems to Support All Learners
• Addressing Systems of Oppression

How does it relate to the UDL-SICC?

This tool supports the School Culture and Environment Domain, Element 1 (D1.E1), which focuses on ensuring that all members of the school community are included in and benefit from learning opportunities. The intent of this element is that the school community commits to designing equitable and inclusive learning opportunities and environments.

How might you use it?

Options for using this tool include:

• Review the table of contents to identify the area or areas where your school can improve. Involve your leadership team to decide how the practices mentioned can support your school.
• Review the discussion questions and module highlights and decide which modules you and your school will engage with and when.
• Engage in all modules to determine what, how and when the strategies can be embedded into your school's practices.
• The videos, discussion questions, and resources in this guide can be used to facilitate a one-hour faculty meeting or professional development session, or you can use the guide independently to deepen your learning and reflect on your practice. If you are facilitating these videos at a faculty meeting or professional development session, please be prepared to project the video and pause at the appropriate times to ensure there is an opportunity for discussion. Also, you may choose to provide time for participants to explore provided resources during the meeting, or you may provide the resources as optional extension activities.

50% of K-12 students struggle with their communication skills, and 86% of students with SpLDs experience communication anxiety. An effective tool that supports these concerns is essential for the classroom, higher education, and the workplace. Present Pal is a UDL implementation tool that supports users to build their communication skills and confidence through interactive and accessible flashcards. This session will demonstrate the Present Pal app and how it grows and supports UDL teaching and learning. Innovative research will also be presented, discussing the challenges faced by students when communicating and presenting remotely.

Before You Begin

Please complete our collaborative “Introduce Yourself” Google Slides deck. The idea behind this being getting the conversation started around our session and getting connected before we dive into content!

Session Video Recording
Slide Deck
Session Handout

Despite Universal Design for Learning (UDL, Rose & Meyer, 2002) being internationally recognized as a framework that addresses students’ inherent learner variability and reduces their barriers to learning (Basham et al., 2018), little work has addressed the inherent variability of diverse teachers. In particular, all teachers will at some point face barriers to executive functioning; notably, this is of relevance as teachers adapt to distanced learning. This UDL talk launches discussion around the important question, “How can UDL best support diverse teachers in designing instructional experiences inclusive of both teacher and student variability?”

Session Video Recording
Slide Deck
Padlet
Resource Folder

Learning to code from a young age encourages all students to say Yes, I Can Code! In this session explore how Code Jumper creates a three-dimensional, hands-on coding experience for students of all ability levels. Explore the many ways Code Jumper engages students in the pillars of UDL, engagement, representation, and expression. 

Participants will:

• Learn the basics of Code Jumper
• Explore the Code Jumper curriculum 
• Learn how to use Code Jumper across settings
• Learn how Code Jumper meets the pillars of UDL

Session Video Recording
Code Jumper Flyer
Code Jumper Site

Weeks of virtual, remote teaching have been an unexpected journey for us all, filled with unique roadblocks and surprises. However, using UDL as the guiding compass in training, preparing, removing barriers, lesson design, and more can help make the journey much more enjoyable. Learn how UDL can be utilized to prepare for extended emergency eLearning, remove barriers as eLearning (virtual learning is underway), help support staff, and help guide the design of more inclusive, accessible online learning environments. Get examples of UDL in action during eLearning to help guide future planning and reflect upon the past weeks of virtual learning, identify lessons learned, and develop plans for future success.

Session Video Recording
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Interactive Notes Document

Significant challenges exist in implementing transformative technologies with a limited or non-existent evidence base for their use, and designing inclusive educational experiences with a limited evidence base is even more challenging. In order to address this need, the talk presents some ways in which educators can make informed implementation decisions around these new tools. 

First, we examine the rule of the least dangerous assumption, which supports trying new technologies even if the evidence base is lacking. Next, we present a strategy that educators can use to apply the research-based framework of UDL in order to make informed implementation choices with new technologies. Finally, based on information gained from experience in providing professional development, school level implementation, individual student interventions and teacher focus groups, the talk presents 5 fun propositions for practice.

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Interactive Notes Document

Representing learning content in different modalities and formats is a key tenet of UDL, yet alternative formats of instructional materials have traditionally been reserved for students with disclosed disabilities. Providing all students options to choose how they engage with course content empowers learner preference, fostering metacognitive awareness that can improve study habits for effective lifelong learning. This session examines student usage of alternative formats generated through machine learning inside the Learning Management System (2+ Million downloads), and how access to multiple formats helps foster a more inclusive learning environment for all students, regardless of need, ability, and device. 

Session Video Recording
Slide Deck
Interactive Notes Document

Join AbleGamers for an introduction on inclusivity in video games.

Session Video Recording
Interactive Notes Document
AbleGamers Website