Recognizing Differences

I started using my first tablet PC computer in 2003. Mine was a Motion slate tablet and full of all the wonderful bells and whistles that allowed me to use my voice to write, write with digital ink and transform the technology into handwritten text, and record audio and video within my files. A wonderful tool and we saw so much for how this could be used by faculty in the classrooms or students.

Today we see multiple devices with multiple uses. I carry a laptop, an iTouch, and iPad and a smartphone. Each has a multitude of features and functionality that offer convenience and flexibility for the ways that I work. And, over the years, these tools have continued to include a great deal of what I call “smart” technologies that help me (and probably many others) work. For example, my LG Ally smartphone allows me to use my voice to write a text message, search a Google term or find a location in my Google maps. Within my maps, the location can then provide step-by-step directions and the ability to choose navigate to drill down to voice direction points through a GPS. These tools and the developments that they contain assure me that we will continue to see technologies that are developed with all users in mind. A recent article in the Washington Post confirms how important the design of electronic devices needs to be to meet the needs of all users. The more developers embed these features into technologies, the more universally designed they become and, the more users who can benefit.

We all need these — personal learning networks — digital spaces and containers that chronicle our learning. I like these for allowing students to share their varied ways of learning and as a digital repository of my own work. Listen to this 7th grader’s perspective..

This is always encouraging to see and recently forwarded to me by a colleague “Department of Ed Lays Down Law on Kindle E-Reader Usage
The United States Department of Education and Department of Justice have just issued a reminder calling for colleges and universities–as well as K-12 school districts–to make sure devices such as e-readers that are required in the classroom comply with accessibility laws. The federal action came on the heels of a settlement agreement made by Justice with five institutions that were running Amazon Kindle e-book readers as pilot programs. According to the agencies, Kindle devices aren’t accessible to students who are blind or have low vision”
http://www.1105newsletters.com/t.do?id=5296263:19856432 I’m encouraged to see these types of statements which help us shift the importance of accessibility back to the developers!

Today marks the conclusion of another successful week of teaching graduate students about the framework of universal design for learning (UDL). This is our eighth year of offering this course at GW University in Washington, DC and I’m always encouraged when students leave the week long institute stating that they’ve learned so much. This speaks to me as an instructor that we’ve accomplished what we hoped — to impart the information they needed to learn, to clarify clear goals that they understood, and to engage them in a learning experience that engaged their interests.

Indeed, so much has changed and evolved in the field of UDL since our first offering of this course in 2003. Texts have been written, websites have debuted, the UDL principles have been clarified and expanded, and legislative references to UDL have helped to anchor a definition and direction. These are exciting times. Unfortunately, so many educators still need to understand the what, how and why of UDL.

As students left our institute this week, I was impressed with their ability to grasp the big picture. To quickly identify the differences between UDL and assistive technology and why each are important. To recognize the effective design of an online course portal and why this design helps to highlight the critical features of a course, offer multiple means of representing the course information, and encouraging multiple avenues that engage the learner.

Every educator hopes that their students will assimilate new knowledge in their classes. As they practice their craft, they become true guides on the side in this learning process–recognizing the strengths and interests of the learner, sharing the vast array of information and resources and, designing an instructional setting that can reach and meet learners through their multiple neural channels.

If you’re passionate about universal design for learning, consider joining a national community of practice at http://www.sharedwork.org.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the Better Learning by Design Conference in Burlington, VT. This was a wonderful opportunity for like-minded advocates of universal design for learning to gather and discuss best practices. The focus of this conversation centered around UDL in postsecondary settings — an important place for the framework of UDL. Both Dr. David Rose and Skip Stahl opened with insightful messages as our keynoters and their materials are also listed. Worth a visit!

I’ve been recruited! Having just sat through an hour long APPLE demonstration on the iPad, I can now say that I am converted. I want to get my hands on one of these very slick mobile devices. Not only is this electronic device the size of a small book, the thickness of a 1/2 inch pad of paper and weighing just 1.5 lbs but, this tool has an amazing array of features and apps.

For instance, the iPad has the same adjustable view that alternates on a turn between portrait or landscape. Using the keyboard is simpler in the landscape view that allows a wider keyboard reach for accessing keys. Direct link to the YouTube selection or a downloadable NetFlix app provides seamless access to movie views. The device also packs with a case that doubles as a stand. Thus, the iPad can become a display for sharing photos, a stand to watch a movie or perhaps a stand to hold the iPad that has been set as my alarm clock

In addition, Apple has loaded this tool with a set of Accessibility features and functionality. The ability to have voice-over capability to listen to the words on a page, the ability to enlarge the view with the touch of a finger, and the ability to have the pages automatically turned. Words within text can also be explored with a direct link to an embedded dictionary. Great tools to support reading. I just wish they would lift these tools up into the main part of the device instead of subsumed under “Accessibility”. Functions such as these are universally appealing to all learners — not just those needing access for a special need!

Interested in the discussion around universal design for learning? Looking for ways to promote the importance of this framework? Consider joining the discussion through the National Community of Practice on Universal Design for Learning at http://www.sharedwork.org. We’d like to hear from you!

Yesterday while attending the Virginia Transition Forum, I had the wonderful opportunity of hearing a parent describe an example of universal design for learning (UDL) in action. They shared how when they were first introduced to the great software program Inspiration (a graphic web/ outlining tool) they thought of their son and how this tool would be so beneficial for him. As they noted, their son was one drawn to sharing his projects through more visual means. Writing was often a struggle and developing his thoughts in linear outlines proved to be a challenge. He had more success when showcasing his strengths through more visual means. As she introduced her son to this graphically rich outlining tool, he quickly began to conceptualize a model of his thoughts around an assigned project. When his Mom demonstrated how this same visual outline represented the same linear text outline, “his mouth dropped open and he looked at me with a look of amazement”. At that moment, her son had what we educators refer to as important “ah-ha” moments. He had found an important tool that could allow him develop his assignments in a mode that worked for him yet satisfied the content needed for the task at hand. Multiple opportunities for him to represent information!

The National UDL Center has recently realized a series of wonderful videos that support the importance of this approach. To explore, visit the following weblink at http://www.udlcenter.org/screening_room/udlcenter#video0

At the EDUCAUSE ELI 2010 conference in Austin, TX this week, the folks at New Media Consortium shared some interesting trends from their recently released 2010 Horizon Report.  As noted in their projected trends, notice some of the following across anticipated years until adoption:

One year of less: Mobile computing and Open Content. For many of us this is no surprise. Mobiles are everywhere and these authors confirm that these include cellphones, netbooks, smartbooks and other devices that offer the “form and function” of many laptops/desktops. So, we are on the go and we have access everywhere. Sounds like this will be fueled by the continued growth of wifi access and multiple applications that run on these tools.  Access to Open Content is also be an encouraging trend that supports what many educators have been doing by exploiting the power of widely available tools on the web. As these authors contend, “the notion of open content is to take advantage of the Internet as a global dissemination platform for collective knowledge and wisdom, and to design learning experiences that maximize the use of it”.

Two – Three Years: Electronic Books and  Simple Augmented Reality. This is another exciting trend. The growth of e-books has been amazing and, as such, often seems to include new functions and tools. Several upcoming announcements from major technology players indicates that we may finally see more functions in these tools such as color highlighting and background screens, enhanced multimedia functions, faster processing and even the ability to create material. Wider access to digital books will also be available.  The second trend here, simple augmented reality, offers (in my opinion) a promising opportunity for educators. As these authors note, this has been popular in many game based websites. But the opportunity here to maximize a virtual environment to teach a task, share an experience, or extend an opportunity are amazing. This will be important for those with disabilities that are confined by limits in their mobility.

Three – Four Years:  Gesture-Based Computing and Visual Data Analysis. For those of us who use data in our work, the latter of these will be quite helpful…offering opportunities to explore and share information through visual means. However, the trend in gesture-based computing supports so many opportunities for the future. Here we see the continued expansion of all those “cool” functions that make computing quick and “to the touch”. Think about how convenient access is on your iTouch with the touch of your finger. This close responsiveness to the computer by human touch or gesture interaction will continue to evolve in many applications. Again these authors note, “The distance between the user and the machine decreases and the sense of power and control increases when the machine responds to movements that feel natural.”  I see these developments as extremely empowering for many individuals who have lost their physical capabilities or range of motion.

These are exciting times for realizing the power of technology in teaching and learning.