iCan

The iPad is without a doubt the hottest item on the market for special educators. Its built in accessibility features allow for users with special needs to have the same access as a typically developing user. It seems to be a universally designed tablet, but it still is not as universally designed as possible. I have a student in my ABA school who uses Proloquo2go to speak. Many of our ABA programs can be run using his iPad. This student has fine and gross motor difficulties. Therefore, he often presses the wrong icons on Proloquo2go and has to delete what he has selected and try again. Although the touch screen is wonderful in many respects, it poses a lot of challenges for students like mine who have motor difficulties (in addition to the visually impaired). The most obvious change would be to create some buttons and/or a flip out keyboard. Another thought is for the touch screen to provide feedback (vibrations) when touched. Perhaps different patterns of vibration can be set for different functions/applications. This would definitely assist the visually impaired. Although the iPad is not as universally designed as it could be, I believe Apple is committed to making their products accessible to the widest range of consumers. Apple will probably take over the special education world if they continue on this track. 

God Bless the Internet

Creating a universally designed lesson can seem like a daunting task without the right tools. Obviously, the first step is knowing what UDL principles you need to target based on your students' strengths and weaknesses. Teachers may find it useful to make a list of their students strength and weaknesses paired with corresponding UDL principles. In effect, they would be making a UDL checklist personalized for their classroom. The second step is having the tools available to create the ideal lesson. Unbeknownst to many teachers, there is an enormous amount of free (or relatively cheap) resources online to UDLize (yes I just made my own word) any lesson. 

I came across this website that not only explains the principles of UDL but provides examples and resources for implementing each. 

UDLize Your Lesson 

Some of my favorite UDL resources include:

Lexipedia 

Toon University 

Voki

Tagxedo

Shahi

The most useful technique I've found in incorporating UDL into my own lessons is to put myself in the shoes of my students and ask myself whether I would be engaged in the lesson, how I would prefer to to have the material represented, and what would be the most engaging way for me to respond and express my knowledge. From there I have a good starting point to which I add the needs of other learners. 

Is there an architect in the house?

I previously posted about the inaccessibility of the school I am currently student teaching in. There are simply too many staircases. How does one get rid of that many staircases? My first thought was the school simply needs to relocate or rebuild, but that would cost an absurd amount of money. After a little investigation, I found out that there is an alternate entrance on the adjacent street. 

Here's the entrance the students currently use: 

The students enter on (X) street in order to get to a building on (X-1) street, which really makes no sense. If you enter at the adjacent street, you avoid 4 staircases including the one I originally posted: 

Stair case connecting the two buildings 

Here's the other entrance: 

Now there are only two staircases the students must contend with. The first is outside, and it would be relatively simple to insert a ramp as the staircase is wide. The second (not pictured here) is just through that doorway. It is also wide enough to be fitted with a stairway lift: 

So why don't they already use the alternate entrance? I have no clue. I'll have to ask. Most likely, the school doesn't want to pay for a second security officer to man two entrances. Perhaps a digital security card system can be put into effect. 

Principles of UDL:

1. Equitable Use

2. Flexibility In Use

3. Simple And Intuitive

4. Perceptible Information

5. Tolerance For Error

6. Low Physical Effort

7. Size And Space For Approach And Use

This solution is the simplest and most cost effective compared to rebuilding or relocating. The size of the current stairways indicates that there is enough space for a ramp and stairway lift to be installed alongside the original stairs without causing more barriers. A moderate amount of physical effort will be necessary to use the ramp and/or stairway lift but less so than the original pathway to my classroom. 

Too Much Technology?

The principles of UDL call for multiple means of engagement. While I agree with Rose and Meyer's advocacy of new technology in schools, I have seen an over reliance on technology in some classrooms. Last semester, I worked with a fifth grade student who uses a Neo, a portable word processing keyboard, to type all of his assignments in school. His handwriting is poor but still legible. His teachers decided to let him type all of his assignments on the Neo instead of working with him to improve his handwriting. When the student goes home, he has difficulty completing his assignments without the Neo, which remains in the classroom. I fear that teachers may use technology to substitute learning important skills, such as handwriting. I think it is important for teachers to assess what students can accomplish without assistive technology to avoid creating an unnecessary over reliance on it. 
On the other hand, some students may not have any access to the curriculum without the use of assistive technology. In the classroom I currently student teach in, three of my five students communicate using an iPad application called Proloquo2go. It is a new form of an alternative augmentative communication device. Without it, one student would not be able to convey how badly he wants to go to Disney World or respond to academic prompts. 

Universal Design

I student teach at a school for students with autism that couldn't be more poorly designed if you tried. In order to get to my classroom, you need to walk down a flight of narrow stairs into one building, walk up a flight of stairs to exit that building, walk up two flights of stairs in this awkward space connecting the two buildings, and finally walk up three flights of stairs in my actual building. You must walk through four doorways. 

Many of the students at the school cannot walk from place to place independently whether due to mobility limitations or behavioral problems. It is impossible to walk side by side on many of these staircases. Due to the frequency of behavioral issues that the students display, the school actually has a protocol for what should be done if an episode occurs on the stairs to maintain the safety of the student and the staff. It is unfortunate that the design of the school adds safety issues to be addressed when there are already so many. 

The awkward space in between the two buildings

On Technology

In elementary school, I was most likely known for the vast and varied amount of office supplies I carried in my overweight backpack. If you needed a stapler, you’d know to ask the girl with the uncontrollable frizzy curls. In college, I may not even have remembered to pack a pen, but I never went anywhere without my MacBook, whose name was Felix, of course. I even carried around a Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, which became a hot commodity amongst teaching assistants and professors.

My father constructed my first computer from scratch. I guess I should have expected to inherit his ease with and reliance on technology along with his tendency for sweets. As a child, I spent hours playing computer games, most notably, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? I was fortunate to experience and learn how to use computers from a young age. Most of my knowledge came from watching my father work on his computer. When the computer malfunctioned, my father would fix it, and I would watch. Soon, I began troubleshooting on my own. I can solve most technological problems on my own or with the help of a Google search on the issue. Learning how to use technology effectively results from a combination of experimentation, trial and error learning, and direct instruction. It amazes me that children, even babies, can learn to use iPhones just by watching their parents. My cousin’s 1-year-old son knows how to unlock my phone and swipe his finger across the screen to view a photo stream. Most devices are made to be user friendly but others require a tutorial.

You know you are dependent on technology when you start naming your various devices. I cannot go anywhere without my iPhone, Jack. Not only does it keep me connected to the important people in my life but it also organizes and directs most aspects of my life. My schedule tells me where I need to be and my reminder application tells me what I should be doing. Dropbox gives me access to all my files for school, so that I really have no excuse when it comes to staying on top of assignments. My MTA application allows me to plan how I get around the city and tells me exactly how long my trips will take. Various applications allow me to waste time and be entertained when I can’t fall asleep at night. A Nike application syncs to my shoes, which congratulate me at the end of my workouts. Perhaps the most important aspect is portable music.

Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears- it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more- it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.

     -Oliver Sacks

I have various playlists for different times of the day, moods, and activities. Listening to certain songs on route to class or student teaching can help set the proper tone for the task at hand. I guess you can say I maximize the use of all my devices, with my iPhone being the most important. Now if only someone could find a way to make batteries last forever.

I am in my final semester as a graduate student at Teachers College Columbia University working towards a degree in Intellectual Disability/Autism. I earned my BA in Psychology from NYU, and I have always been passionate about the mental health and development of children. This last semester will decide whether I plan to pursue a career in the special education field or apply to a PhD program in clinical psychology. I am excited to be taking Computer Applications in Special Education. I’ve had the pleasure to observe many different special education classrooms that use technology as educational tools. I have seen students use an iPad Augmentative and Alternative Communication application called Proloquo to communicate. I have seen students light up at the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of counting money in an interactive SMART Board designed lesson. Technology is a powerful tool for students with disabilities that allows them to access the curriculum, communicate, and learn in ways that are not always possible through traditional means. I look forward to learn to successfully navigate the many technological advancements I will be exposed to and apply this knowledge in whatever I choose to do in the future.

On a completely unrelated note, I will now tell you my thoughts on the topic of problem solving.

According Martinez, “problem solving is the process of moving toward a goal when the path to that goal is uncertain.” My greatest challenge to engaging in problem solving is anxiety and fear of uncertainty or failure. If the path is unclear, I often decide not to embark on it at all. Avoidance and procrastination become my solution. 
American culture exalts not only perfection but efficiency. We are expected and taught to be independent and to accomplish our goals in the least amount of time possible spending the least amount of resources. This doesn’t allow much room for error. “Everyone makes mistakes” does not imply that mistakes are useful in the problem solving process—just that you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Instead teachers and parents should say that mistakes are a necessary part of learning or expect to make mistakes and learn from them. Unfortunately most schools, do not have the luxury of time, and I feel that teaching problem solving and allowing students to fail and learn from their mistakes is a time consuming process.