Technology Accommodations to Support the TEKS

1. Technology Accommodations to Support the TEKS Access, Participation and Progress in the State General Curriculum Presented by Linda Chromaster, ATP & Peter Graves, SLP Region One ESC

2. Agenda8: 30 – 4:00 • Introductions • Glimpse at Teaching Practices • Accessing, Participating and Progressing in the General Curriculum • Tools and Resources that Support Universal Design for Learning • Software Station Rotation • Teacher Planning for UDL • Reflections and Evaluation

3. Objectives • TPW become aware of issues concerning accessing the general curriculum (TEKS) for students with disabilities • TPW become aware of Universal Design for Learning research • TPW become aware of software tools and resources that support UDL • TPW become aware of lesson planning strategies that support UDL

4. Background • As early as the 1960’s, students with disabilities were not being educated with their peers. In 1970, only 1 in 5 US schools educated their children with disabilities. • Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) in 1975 entitled students with disabilities to an individually designed, free and appropriate public education provided in the least restrictive setting.

5. Background cont. • The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) in 1990 and re-authorized in 1997 entitled students with disabilities access, participation and progress in the general curriculum (TEKS) • Students with disabilities are to be educated and assessed according to state standards

6. The General Curriculum Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) • A curriculum generally has 4 major components • Goals and milestones for instruction • Knowledge and skills and student expectations • Media and Materials to be used by students • Resources and student expectations

7. General Curriculum (TEKS) cont. • Specific instructional methods • District determined • Means of assessment to measure student progress • TAKS

8. Barriers to Access to the TEKS • Curriculum is inflexible because printed material (textbooks, primary sources, etc.) is at the core of the curriculum • Teaching and learning has been configured to accommodate this medium

9. Effects of BarriersSpecial Curriculum • Evolved due to the fact that existing general curriculum could not accommodate diversity • Benefited low incidence disabilities (deafness, blindness, & severe cognitive disabilities) • Curriculum does not actually reflect general curriculum. It is based on individual learning needs rather than an external set of standards and benchmarks such as the TEKS and TAKS.

10. Positive Effects of a Special Curriculum • Curriculum is designed specifically for the student. • Instruction and activities are targeted to the level diagnosed for the student. • Progress is measured against individual goals. They do not relate to goals in the general curriculum.

11. Negative Effects of a Special Curriculum • This curriculum is separate from the general curriculum so students never “catch up”. • Reinforces idea of general educators that the students are lacking what it takes for the general curriculum. • Educators do not learn from each other about the use of materials and methods that would benefit many students in the regular classroom.

12. The Universally Designed Curriculum • Content and activities are presented in multiple ways and transformed to suit different learners

13. Key Features of the Universal Design for Learning • Goals are standards & benchmarks that reflect the knowledge and skills all students will strive for (TEKS, TAKS). • Materials are provided in a flexible format. There is not one medium. • Methods are flexible and diverse enough to provide appropriate learning experiences, challenges and supports for all students. • Assessment is sufficiently flexible to provide accurate, ongoing information that helps teachers adjust instruction and maximize learning.

14. Software Tools that Support UDL • Don Johnston, Inc. – www.donjohnston.com • Write Out:Loud • Co:Writer • Draft Builder • Start to Finish Books

15. Tools cont. • Inspiration – www.inspiration.com • Intellitools – www.intellitools.com • Intellitalk II • Intellimathics • RiverDeep – www.riverdeep.net • Broderbund • Edmark • Learning Company

16. Digital Text, Images, Sounds and Movies • Digital Text • Children’s Literature Web Guide • www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown • Internet Public Library • www.ipl.org • Project Gutenberg • http://gutenberg.net • The Electronic Text Center • http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/english.html

17. Digital Text, Images, Sounds and Movies cont. • The Etext Archive • www.etext.org • The Online Books Page • http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu • Images, Sounds and Movies • Assistive Media • www.assistivemedia.org • Google Image Search • www.google.com/imghp?hl=en • Life Magazine • www.life.com/Life

18. Copyright Restrictions in Creating Digital Material • Copyrighted material (textbook and related materials) can only be scanned or used digitally for use by students with IEPs or 505 plans • Non-copyrighted materials ( teacher made, some classic literature) can be scanned or used digitally with any student in need of this format for accessibility

19. Criteria for Scanning in Accordance with Chafee Amendment • Scanning cannot replace purchase of materials • Scanning only by “authorized entities” or special education teachers or those under their supervision • Scanned copyrighted materials can only be used by students with IEPs or 504 plans • Scanned materials cannot be sold or exchanged if avoids purchase by the second party

20. Scanning Criteria continued • Scanned materials must still include notice on further reproduction and include a credit to the copyright owner of the original publication for every copyrighted material that is put into digital format by scanning, it must be identified as to the original source • Standardized assessments or other secure norm-referenced tests may not be scanned

21. Teacher Planning for UDL • Should occur prior to, during and following instruction • Special education and general education teachers contribute different but complimentary perspectives • Standards based (TEKS) • IEP based – accommodations and adaptations • Evaluation component for all students (TAKS, SDAA)

22. Putting into Practice Guiding Principles for UDL • Supports recognition system (the what) – multiple, flexible methods of presentation • Example: New concept is presented through lecture, digitized text, activity based exploration or demonstration • Supports diverse strategies networks (the how) – multiple methods of expression and apprenticeship • Example: Students are allowed to respond in various formats, such as written, oral, slide show, video or drawing

23. Putting into Practice cont. • Supports diverse affective networks (the why) – multiple flexible options for engagement • Example: Students are allowed to select area of interest not assigned

24. Assumptions on UDL Lessons • Classrooms today are both culturally and academically diverse • Students in classrooms are heterogeneously grouped • Teachers vary widely in their approach to pedagogy • Teachers vary widely in their approach to lesson planning • Both explicit and implicit approaches have advantages in classrooms using UDL

25. Conclusion • Access to the general curriculum for all students is now a national priority • UDL acknowledges student’s tremendous diversity and offers a framework for creating curriculum that is sufficiently flexible to reach all students.

26. Resources • Center for Applied Special Technology • www.cast.org • Texas Education Agency • www.tea.state.tx.us • Linda Chromaster – Region One ESC • Lchromaster@esconett.org • Peter Graves – Region One ESC • Pgraves@esconett.org