David+Rose+Visit

Notes from David Rose's Class Visit:
UDL- meeting the challenge of individual differences

UDL intro:
 * reports can be pages and pages about what is wrong with the child, and only a couple about what to do
 * what can we do that will be more IMPACTFUL
 * how can we use modern technologies to intervene to give something powerful to kids for whom school is not working
 * if you start in the margins, things are often sharply clear
 * two ways to see this problem - matthew has a problem (can't get up the stairs) VS the school has a problem (no access)
 * architects have the ability/training in universal design
 * its not only schools that can be inaccessible... curriculums can be inaccessible
 * electronic/digital books
 * wiggle works (scholastic) is universally designed, but it works for ALL students
 * gave the idea... we can build learning environments which were designed from the beginning for a wide range of kids instead of making a curriculum and then going... omigod this doesn't work for all kids

Practicing UDL:
 * 1. Advances in the learning sciences
 * 2. Advances in technologies for learning
 * 3. Advances in universal design for learning

WHat do we mean by Universal Design?
 * Universal means = everybody... an incredibly diverse lot. there is no "standard" child. what is universal is variability.
 * diversity in recognition networks... students with Williams syndrome vs. students with Down syndrome seeing very different versions of the Y/D picture

What kinds of variability are universal? (systematic variability - can't just say all kids are different... what are the systematic parts of variability)
 * ie - perfect pitch due to hyper connected, asymmetric planum temporale
 * so who has a disability? what "counts"?
 * argument... disability is always contextual
 * example of Ruth in church... no one is singing a perfect A... Ruth is singing "like a disabled singer"... in that context, this is disability or its something people grow out of
 * variability is absolutely normal... whether you have a disability or not depends on what the task is
 * it can be a disability as well as an ability... ruth in church is disabled, ruth on broadway is a star
 * ** personal connection - Jaime drawing the giant from the perspective of looking up *
 * Glee pitch connection... you can be expressive, get your meaning across, and not worry about the pitch

Who has a disability?
 * depends on the task
 * depends on the environment
 * depends on the resources

Understanding what the distribution of learning is:
 * recognition networks
 * strategic networks
 * affective networks

Using the Guidelines and checkpoints to create "resourceful, knowledgeable learners"

New media- greatly more flexible at having us do this individualizing...
 * vs. same textbook for all students - no matter now much vocal, strategies, decoding skills...
 * textbooks are not capable of differentiating
 * new media gives us a foundation for great flexibility... flexible display - multiple representations
 * flexible display as a way to to allow everyone to get to the "good stuff" to get to comprehension

Designing for variability
 * not trying to make things easier! we are trying to make things more challenging!
 * adjustable challenge and support
 * don't dumb down the curriculum so much that there are no thoughts left
 * Gradual release

From disability to diversity
 * the definition of who is disabled begins to change... and it depends on the task
 * YOU have to know what the task is... if decoding is what you want them to learn, then you don't turn on decoding
 * need competent teachers to facilitate and manage

NIMAS Legislation (2006)
 * law says that print instruction materials are not adequate in our schools
 * law says schools MUST provide alternative versions
 * addresses national need for instructional materials in accessible formats to blind or other students with print disabilities in elementary or secondary schools
 * change in language... no longer a learning disability, but a print disability - implicating the curriculum instead of the child
 * PRINT is disabled, the student is not disabled
 * SCHOOLS have print disabilities

disability is in the inner section between schools and a highly variable set of kids
 * //if there is small variability in schools, then the larger the disability class will be//**

intelligence for what...

we need to think about what literacy means in our culture... technology literacy
 * teachers need the tools of our culture's literacy

- need internal coherence for this to work - do you need coherence FIRST before your adopt UDL? or can you build coherence by giving people powerful tools? - how can we use our tools to build coherence... can't just drop in these tools - currently building professional development tools
 * NYC wants to roll out UDL along with the common core standards

- where do we get the money to implement these structures/ideas?
 * Questions...**
 * how expensive is it to NOT do it? When you have materials that do not work... you have enormous costs for all the special needs classes and extras you need... look at the context. it costs more to make good materials, but it is still worth it?

- what is the role of the teacher?
 * UDL materials do NOT replace teachers... its more demanding of the teachers - they need to be able to figure out what issues each child is having in their comprehension and what specific supports to put in place for which students and when
 * teachers are MORE important
 * affect of guidelines - kids must be engaged, safe, excited about learning... technology can't do that. we need fabulous teachers who are role models and who inspire their students to be expert learners... we don't want kids to be like computers, kids don't want to be like computers
 * we want teachers to model learning itself
 * no one will imitate a computer
 * computers have no way of knowing feelings... if a student isn't feeling good because something happened at home, teachers can pull back, or push students when they are ready to move forward
 * putting VERY powerful tools into teachers hands so we need expert teachers

- how does CAST plan for the self-monitoring techniques students will need to use to be able to scaffold appropriately for their learning?

- do these ideas overlap at all with Understanding by Design?