Flexible Technologies, Strategies, and Platforms
Question 1: There are legal mandates to provide printed instructional materials in accessible formats to students with disabilities that impact their ability to use printed materials effectively. How do you believe these mandates are consistent with UDL's expectation of flexible learning materials?
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are the scaffolds that provide educators the flexibility to address learner variability in their environment. The legal mandates that require accessible formats of printed text for individuals with disabilities further support what UDL’s framework is all about. Accessible educational materials (AEM) and accessible technology are the necessary tools to address the varied learner and help overcome the barriers many individuals with disabilities are faced with on a daily basis in not only their learning environments but their everyday life.
So, let's take a look at some of these laws and how they address this.
- establishes the National Instructional Material Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
http://aem.cast.org/w/page/2020learning/l4
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Section 188
- Advances in information and communication technology
- Programmatic accessibility
- “Auxiliary aids or Services” was revised
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)
- broadened the definition of disability,
Question 2: Elaborate on the AEM Decision Making Tool that you chose to explore and tell us how this may enhance your future work in UDL? How could consideration of AEM, UDL, and Assistive Technologies (AT) improve the work that you do?
There are four major steps in the process when using the AEM Navigator tool. The tool provides guiding questions to help the team with this process.
- Determination of need
- Selection of specialized format(s)
- Acquisition of materials
- Determination of supports needed for effective use
The tool is offered in print form or as an online tool. It is comprehensive and user-friendly.
- I am sharing this tool with all the schools I work with
- We currently have 2 students we are working with major barriers to their education
- This tool can be a great starting point
Question 3: Share your perspectives on why we need flexible digital materials and technologies to promote learning. Think about the tool that you chose to explore more deeply. How could the use of that tool address important features of the UDL framework? What might be some advantages? What might be some disadvantages?
Within this past week, I have observed barriers to learning throughout the classrooms I have worked with. Students that are (as my coworker states) “trapped in their bodies”. It requires ongoing professional development and I highlight the word ongoing. The YouTube video about Ethan is a perfect example of how important assistive technology is. But, one must look at the whole story. Ethan had a team that was on board and willing to collaborate to make everything come together for him. I don't think anyone can deny the advantages of assistive technology. But for it to work, everyone has to be on board, or it becomes just a device, tool, or program. To make it viable and an ongoing, there have to be supportive individuals to keep the process moving forward. Technology itself is a barrier for many people. The AEM Navigator Tool is a good way to start the conversation.
References
Accessible educational materials center - http://aem.cast.org/about/aem - basics.html#.ViUHoxCrSV
AIM for educators - http://aem.cast.org/about/quick - start - educators.html#.ViUIWBCrSV4
U. (2015, March 11). Retrieved October 05, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dt6zW2K8i4&feature=youtu.be
Workforce development policies. (2017, March 15). Retrieved October 08, 2017, from http://aem.cast.org/policies/workforce-development-policies.html#.WdoCNVtSyUk
What are the school's responsibilities regarding assistive technology? (n.d.). Retrieved October 06, 2017, from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/at/cresource/q02/at_04/
The AEM decision-making tools, http://aem.cast.org/navigating/decision - tools.html#.V - 5pW5MrKV4