Mouse and Keyboard Alternatives

     Mouse Alternatives

        Trackball                                                                      Joysticks
                                                 
Students who: Have a great range of motion     Students who: Need to use switches to click
                             Have poor fine motor skills           Need to use with a body part other than hand
Touch Screens                                                              Head-Pointing Systems                                                    
Students who: Need to learn cause & effect                Students who: Cannot use hands
                             Need a direct, intuitive interface                                Have excellent head control

Eye-Gaze System

Students who: Cannot use hands or head
                             Can control eye movements & keep head completely still

Alternative Keyboards

Expanded Keyboards                                            Mini Keyboards

                     

Students who: Have poor fine motor control                 Students who: Can use only one hand
                            Need a large target area                                     Have restricted range of motion     

                      

One-handed Keyboards                              On-Screen Keyboards                                 

Students who: Have good dexterity in one hand      Students who: Cannot use a keyboard

                          Have little or no range of motion          Can control a mouse or mouse emulator

Customizable

Students who: Have cognitive deficits

                               Need modifications

Additional Resources:

Society for the Physically Disabled

Text Information Resource:

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom (Second ed., pp. 175-205). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

UDL Computer Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

     I never realized how computer companies incorporated UDL principles into their products. Computer companies like Microsoft Windows and Macintosh OS have embedded these principles into their software that I'm sure many individuals are  unaware of! I am one of those individuals!

     

     There are four "guideline for principles of flexibility" that are taken into consideration to make a computer that meets the needs of as many people as possible. The first principle encourages designers to make products that provide choice in methods of use. This allows users to do the same function in different ways. For example, to delete a file on the computer, instead of using the mouse and dragging it to the recycle bin, users can press the buttons Shift + Delete to do the same function. The second principle is to accommodate left-and right-handed users. Most laptops have a mouse pad on it. Microsoft Windows has a two "mouse button" setting with the left button controlling most of the functions. However, you can switch the functions of the mouse buttons which helps students who may only be able to use one hand. Students with visual impairments will find the third principle of variations among the precision and accuracy of computer users beneficial. Enlarging the size of icons is a feature that will significantly help them when using a computer. Students who have difficulty with visual tracking will benefit from the fourth principle adaptability to users. One accommodation that helps these students is slowing down the speed of the mouse. 

     There are many more features that are provided on Microsoft Windows and Mactintosh OS computers. Microsoft Windows provides further accessibility features through Ease of Access Center and Macintosh OS through Universal Access.

       Ease of Access Center

              Universal Access 

Resources of material:

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom (Second ed., pp. 163-172). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Hard of Hearing: Assistive Technologies for the Classroom

     Students who are "hard of hearing" differ from students who are deaf. They usually can understand speech through a combination of personal hearing aids, which amplify sounds, and their skills in lipreading. These students typically DO NOT use sign language. However, these students generally find many obstacles when in the typical general education classroom. There are plenty of things that provide an obstacle/barrier in the students learning. The acoustics of the room (i.e. noisy heating/cooling systems), the volume of the teachers voice, and whether or not the teacher has his/her back to the class when speaking are situations when students who are hard of hearing may have difficulty. Other situations that students may have difficulty in hearing because of background distractions include class discussions, video presentations, face to face interactions, and small group instruction. 
      
     Hearing assistive technologies are technologies that help people who have hearing losses. Assistive listening devices (ALDs) help reduce the effect of a room that may provide many distractions. The biggest advantages of these devices are they help minimize background noises (i.e chairs moving, students talking) and provides amplified voices right to their ears. Below are a few examples of hearing assistive technologies used in schools:

FM System: Teacher and student wear device. When teacher speaks, the voice is amplified into the headphones the student is wearing making it easier to hear the teacher. I have had experience using these devices in my classroom. It is important to remember to turn the device on if given to you! Otherwise, it is not beneficial for the student! 
 
Induction Loop System: 


Soundfield Amplification System:


Resources of Material:
Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom (Second ed., pp. 139-160). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

UDL Resources

     I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about UDL. Some of the resources I viewed were very informative to me. I have provided a list of resources available for people interested in learning about UDL. 

1. CAST Home Page
As I have mentioned in recent posts, the CAST website provides sufficient information on what UDL is and resources to provide present and future educators. Some resources include articles, books, videos, and learning tools. 

2. Technology Toolkit
I found this website to be extremely resourceful for teachers. This site provides FREE resources that can be implemented in any lesson. Resources are provided in math, reading, writing, and speech. There are some great resources that can benefit students learning. 

3. Below is a YouTube video outlining what Universal Design for Learning is. This provides an example of one way to incorporate UDL into my presentation to the viewers of my page. Instead of reading about UDL on the website, you can watch a video outlining the same information, providing multiple means of representation.

4. CAST: Teaching Every Student

I highly recommend checking out this website. More particularly, I would check out the "Case Studies" section. In this section, it provides you examples of three teachers and problems they face in their classroom. In the case study, it provides you with what there lesson was on. It provides highlights of what UDL principles were used and how they were implemented. For myself, it is helpful to see exactly what was done in the classroom setting that met the requirements of these UDL principles. 

5. National Center on Universal Design for Learning

This website provides a variety of resources to learn about what UDL is. It provides the guidelines for UDL along with visual organizers and videos on the principles. Below is one of the visual organizers they offer their viewers. 

Universal Design for Learning Guidelines

Provide Multiple Means of
Engagement
Purposeful, motivated learners

Provide options for self-regulation
+ Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation
+ Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
+ Develop self-assessment and reflection

Provide options for sustaining effort
and persistance
+ Heighten salience of goals and objectives
+ Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
+ Foster collaboration and community
+ Increase mastery-oriented feedback

Provide options for recruiting interest
+ Optimize individual choice and autonomy
+ Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
+ Minimize threats and distractions

Provide Multiple Means of
Representation
Resourceful, knowledgeable learners

Provide options for comprehension
+ Activate or supply background knowledge
+ Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
+ Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation
+ Maximize transfer and generalization

Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
+ Clarify vocabulary and symbols
+ Clarify syntax and structure
+ Support decoding text, mathematical notation, and symbols
+ Promote understanding across languages
+ Illustrate through multiple media

Provide options for perception
+ Offer ways of customizing the display of information
+ Offer alternatives for auditory information
+ Offer alternatives for visual information

Provide Multiple Means of
Action & Expression
Strategic, goal-directed learners

Provide options for executive functions
+ Guide appropriate goal-setting
+ Support planning and strategy development
+ Enhance capacity for monitoring progress

Provide options for expression and communication
+ Use multiple media for communication
+ Use multiple tools for construction and composition
+ Build influences with graduated levels of support for practice and performance

Provide options for physical action
+ Vary the methods for response and navigation
+ Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies

I hope you find these resources helpful and beneficial in learning about UDL! I certainly have furthered my knowledge on what UDL is and how I can implement it in my teaching instruction. 

My Reflection on UDL

     Over the course of Module 1, I have learned a lot about what specific components need to be implemented in a UDL lesson. Some principles I have already implemented in daily lessons. It has also brought to my attention how much more I could do to meet the needs of ALL students in the classroom. 
     
     Without ever being exposed to the UDL principles, I have strengths in certain categories. Within the Multiple Means of Representation, I generally always try to provide multiple ways of perception. 1.1 (offer ways of customizing the display of information) and 1.3 (offer alternatives for visual information) are two checkpoints I've implemented in previous lessons. Another checkpoint that is always enforced during guided reading lessons is 3.1 (activate or supply background knowledge). Prior to every book read during guided reading, background knowledge of the selected text is provided. I also always try to relate the text information to students lives. 

     There are certainly areas that I can improve on, specifically with means for action and expression. As an educator for elementary school kids, this is an important component to provide students. All students are motivated differently. As stated in the second principle Multiple Means of Action and Expression, "learners differ in the ways that they can navigate a learning environment and express what they know" (http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle2, 2014). Instead of providing one generic assignment for the entire class, it would be beneficial to provide different methods of response and navigation (UDL principle 4.1). The use of technology would be a perfect option, as that generally motivates students to complete work. 

     The biggest challenge with providing multiple ways of response and navigation in an elementary setting is it could potentially take up a good chunk of time during the day, depending on the assignment. Projects like this might even roll into multiple days. With the new common core standards, teachers are finding more rigorous instruction needs to be taught in a short amount of time. 

Check out the links below to learn more about each checkpoint of UDL:
Multiple Means of Representation
Multiple Means for Action and Expression
Multiple Means for Engagement

Implementing UDL with the assistance of a Curriculum Barriers Chart

      The case studies talked about in the previous post showed the teacher in which aspects they are meeting the needs of all students of a UDL classroom and where they could potentially improve on. Places they can improve on may help reduce barriers for their students.

      The cast website provides users another great resource for educators. It is through a template called "curriculum barriers" in which you identify students strengths, weaknesses, and potential barriers provided in the lesson that could lead to missed opportunities for the student. It is helpful to input a students strengths and weaknesses I have taught and to see if there are any barriers included in these academic areas. Below is the example chart of my student.

Materials and Methods	Student Qualities	Potential Barriers/missed opportunities
Math games using manipulatives	-Difficulty writing numbers correctly past 10 -Difficulty staying focused in small group games -Can count in order starting at 0	Michael needs 1:1 support to sit with him during math games to help stay focused. Also will be disengaged if he does not know how to play the game.
Leveled reading books	-Difficulty sounding out a word he does not know -Uses picture cues often to figure out an unknown word	Difficulty decoding words which may frustrate Michael and comprehension may be difficulty.
Journal writing	-Difficulty in forming a complete sentence -Difficulty in fine motor skills (handwriting, letters)	Michael needs 1:1 support when completing writing journals as he will scribble over the page and give up if no assistance in helping spell out words.

     I feel the information provided in a chart format can significantly help the teacher visually see where the student needs extra support. It is especially important to use in a UDL classroom. Finding a specific technology to implement during these academic times may help eliminate some of these barriers. 

     Try  your own curriculum barrier chart today from the CAST website!

UDL: Engaging Activities and Case Studies

     The three "multiple means" of UDL include representation, action and expression, and engagement.

     After exploring the CAST website further, I have learned additional information about UDL. Exploring the basics, activities, and case studies sections, it has helped me understand how to better create a UDL learning environment. 

     The basics section provided further information as well as reinforcing previous information learned. I really enjoyed watching the videos. It provided a great example of providing multiple means of representation. Viewers could watch the video, visually see the text the speakers were saying, and music that helped engage the viewer. These are example of accommodations we can provide to meet the needs of all students. I also enjoyed one of the quotes in the Principles of UDL video, stating that "to meet students needs teachers need to customize learning using flexible tools, teaching methods, and assessments" (http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/, 2014).

     The activities section was rather interesting to complete. I found the "how the brain works" activity pretty neat. It put into practice how the recognition, strategic, and affective networks work in your brain. It gave me a better understanding on what parts of our brains process by just using a simple image. 

     The case studies were rather informative because it provided a real life case study of teachers in an educational setting. A lesson on social studies was presented with the UDL highlights the teacher incorporated in the lesson. This was extremely helpful in understanding how to incorporate UDL principles in a lesson. 

For a full look at all activities and case studies, check out their website CAST: Teaching Every Student.

CAST: UDL and "The Three Multiple Means"

     There are plenty of resources provided for teachers to incorporate in a UDL classroom. But where, how, and why would you use these resources?
     Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is defined as "a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn" (http://cast.org/udl/index.html, 2014). The brain contains three network areas that are unique in every individual. No one person thinks or acts the same. The three networks include recognition, strategic, and affective. UDL Guidelines provide three sections important in meeting the needs for all students in a UDL classroom.  Recognition is addressed in UDL through Multiple Means of Representations; Strategic through Multiple Means of Action and Expression; and affective through Multiple Means of Engagement. The chart below provides a short overview of the three networks:

Recognition Networks

The "what" of learning

How we gather facts and categorize what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author's style are recognition tasks.

Present information and content in different ways

More ways to provide
Multiple Means of Representation

Strategic Networks

The "how" of learning

Planning and performing tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks.

Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know

More wayis to provide
Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Affective Networks

The "why" of learning

How learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited, or interested. These are affective dimensions.

Stimulate interest and motivation for learning

More ways to provide
Multiple Means of Engagement

     All students have their unique way in retaining information. Multiple Means of Representation is important to implement in every lesson. I have students that comprehend a story better from listening to a book on tape rather than from reading the text.

     I've also had students who can listen to a story and verbally answer any question given to them. However, if I asked them to write their responses, they had great difficulty. This exemplifies providing Multiple Means of Action and Expression is important and provides a more accurate assessment of a students academic ability.

     As a paraprofessional in an emotional support classroom, Multiple Means of Engagement is crucial for our students to be successful. Providing books that spark student interest, having a very structured schedule, and providing opportunity through behavior charts to self regulate behaviors are a few ways we incorporate Multiple Means of Engagement in the classroom. It has shown to be highly effective!




To learn more about the three "multiple means" of UDL, check out the CAST website!

UDL Technology Toolkit Resources

     This website provides educators FREE resources to incorporate in both the general and special education classroom. With resources provided in a variety of subject areas, teachers should have no problem finding a tool that could benefit all students in a UDL classroom. One way it can be beneficial to teachers and students is it provides a way for differentiating instruction. With tools provided in subject areas like reading, writing, and mathematics, it provides alternative ways to help organize ideas and potentially motivate students in school. As an elementary teacher, I feel some of these resources can be very beneficial.

     One resource I found extremely beneficial was Little Bird Tales. This writing tool provides students the opportunity to create a book using authentic student drawings, digital photographs, and voice recording options. I had a first grade student who created his own book and this would have been an AWESOME resource to use to "publish" his own audio-text book.

     Another resource that can benefit elementary students are the visual graphic organizers. The neat component about these graphic organizers is that they are completed either on a computer or iPad. Beginning a writing piece can be very difficult for students to get initial thoughts down on paper. Providing this type of resource can spark their interest and motivate them to write a great story.

For additional resources, be sure to check out UDL Technology Toolkit