Parker's Teaching Blog

This lecture felt like a deeper investigation into the concepts presented in the Multimedia and Learning Design course, focusing specifically on the Universal Design for Learning. The topics that we discussed included both students with disabilities and complex learners which were distinguished due to the disparity in the methods used to address their needs within the classroom and schools more broadly. Both methods use accommodations or modifications to instruction, assessment, and curriculum where necessary.  

The mindset behind these accommodations should lend to providing a complex learner, or student with disability, the opportunity to participate as though they did not have their disability. This should direct lessons, assessment, and course programming in a direction that removes barriers for these students’ participation and maintains their integration within the class culture. An excellent analogy for UDL principles would be the following building design, which incorporates a ramp into the staircase so that students who cannot use discrete steps can remain integrated with the rest of their class.

Comparing this to ramps and stairs which are separated, we see that students needing these tools are forced to separate from the group unless the whole class choses the inefficient route.  

This analogy shows how classes can be adapted to integrate complex learners and students with disability without interfering with other student’s learning and can instead truly be an intentional and useful part of the course. Paying attention to this part of our lesson planning allows us to improve a hidden part of our curriculum. By including these accommodations in our classes, we teach our students to value all students in the school, not simply the neurotypical, able students. This will go on to improve the social atmosphere within the school towards these students, further improving their schooling experience.

It’s incredibly fascinating to me how having an administration that is open to adjusting its structure allows for a diversified pedagogy within your own classrooms. Students at PSII are allowed to pursue the same projects across multiple years. This is promoted within the school whereas in the public system, this may not be possible due to the manner in which classes are planned and which teachers will be assigned which classes. This allows students to pursue community engagements and projects without the threat of a semi-immediate deadline to produce results. This allows students the opportunity to pursue ideas, fail with them and then adjust and return to the project without losing grades or leaving something “unfinished”. I could see other ways in which having a flexible administration allows instructors freedom to design classes in manners which more accurately pursue the goals of the students. This relocation of the goals of education, from a singular idea designed by the institution, to the individual goals of each student, allows for the institution to justify its educational practices in a manner that the public system cannot. Finally since this system focuses on the desires of the student, they will be more successful at teaching students who are different from the administration. Since their purpose is to serve the students, they are more likely to look to understand the student’s motivations, goals, and abilities rather than a typical institution which does not have to account for each students abilities since their goal is not specific to each student. 

For other perspectives on alternative educational institutions, this audiobook by Dr. Kerry McDonald explores the challenges that parents and educators are facing. 

I enjoyed this class quite a bit more, the overall theme of inquiry education was engaging and exciting. Our other classes have been discussing the theoretical basis of inquiry based learning, but have not had any discussion of the practical experience around implementing them. Suggesting that you introduce inquiry based learning though a controlled release method was very helpful, as it provides a safe atmosphere for the teachers and students to learn together on how they want to implement completed inquiry based learning. His image demonstrating this which uses a pool, explaining structured, controlled, guided, and free inquiry was a perfect analogy of this. It’s also helpful to hear that all of these are valid methods of inquiry which will help engage students. 

I did not realize that vertical learning was considered a method of inquiry based learning, which is great since I firmly believe in this integration of motion and learning. Whiteboards provide an excellent surface for trial and error as students can quickly think of something, write it down and erase it as soon as they realize that it is wrong. Additionally, this method of teaching provides opportunities for students to move and engage kinematically with content which would otherwise distract from their learning. By placing students in small groups, you also indirectly encourage students to socialize and develop negotiation skills. This can be directed by instructing students on what they must ensure their groups achieve. For example, requiring all students to contribute to the problem, forces students who are not writing, to engage with the writer and think about the problem rather than allowing one student to complete the problem and present it while the rest do nothing.