Toolbelt Theory

EDPD 584: Toolbelt Theory

Toolbelt options for a grade 9 Social Studies final exam.

Assignment Requirements:

Students must demonstrate the knowledge obtained during the social studies course. 

The accumulative test will be presented as a series of questions.

All questions must be answered.

All students must participate in this final assessment.

Choices Available:

Sensory reduction tools.

During the test students may choose to listen to music on earbuds or wear noise cancelling headphones.

Audio Format.

The test will be available using Kurzweil for students who may better compute the content of the question by hearing it aloud.

Modes of expression choices.

Students may choose to answer the questions using whatever means works best for them. This may be a traditional written answer format, but may also be recorded answers on an iPad or other recording device, spoken answers delivered using a talk to text program such as Google ReadWrite or TalkTyper.

The Why?

Offering students multiple modes of engagement, representation, and expression, and trusting them to make their own choices, allows them to be responsible for their own learning. Technology can offer students helpful choices and effective learning strategies. For some students it will be the difference between being physically able to complete and assignment or not. For others it will simply be an assistance. Teachers often seem against making things easier for students. As long as a student is learning, it shouldn’t matter how they are intaking the information or outputting the proof of that learning. Why are we determined to make learning hard? Isn’t it our job as teachers to make learning easier?
            Offering students choices, and tools will help students develop ownership and investment in their education and become more confident in their knowledge of themselves as a learner.

The challenges students face in school will often also be challenges they will continue to face throughout the rest of their lives. By arming them against these challenges we are setting them up for success in the classroom as well as beyond it. UDL levels the playing field so that all students have equal opportunities and equal ability to succeed. Assistive technology is one of the most useful and accessible methods in accomplishing this equality. 

Action Plan

Lots of people have said it already, but the recurring theme in this class seems to be one that is less about technology and more about people, and how different we all are. We all make choices every day. We examine the tasks we need to accomplish and we choose the method we think will work best for us based on our knowledge of ourselves. We all have different tasks to accomplish and challenges in the way, and we make different choices about how we are going to tackle them. As adults, and as teachers, we have the freedom to almost always make these choices for ourselves. Students are not always given that same choice or freedom. 

The idea of “leveling the playing field” for students is one I have been familiar with from UDL, but because I am not highly comfortable with technology it is not an option I would necessarily have readily available for students. My discomfort would prevent me from creating a more comfortable and successful learning situation for them.  Everyone is more successful when they are given the right tools. If there is something that will help better facilitate a student’s learning why wouldn’t we allow them that? It’s not cheating. It’s not taking short cuts. It’s simply providing students with the tools they personally require in order to be successful.

My personal demonstration of this is clearly evident in my choice to present my action plan in a none-digital format in a course that it digitally based. A format in which I struggle to express myself. I completed my first assignment in a digital form. Much as a student would initially try to succeed in conventional school work, and decided that it was not the tool that best expressed my learning. I considered the task, considered myself, and chose the tool that I thought would work best for me. Instead of struggling to use a tool I felt like I was supposed to use.

My action plan is to find portable and accessible tools that I can utilize even when I am only in a classroom for one day. I will explore short term tools and programs that can be used as individual time fillers or for whole class activities.  Programs like Tux Paint and Scratch which are already installed on most of our districts computers can be used as a platform for a wide variety of assignments, and because the students are familiar with the programs, that can be done in a short time span. 

Reading.

Ula. The UDL expert.

UDL says: There is no such thing as a normal student. 

We all need different things in order to be successful. 

UDL strives to equip every child for their greatest success. 

5 Reasons UDL is Useful, Doable and Logical. 

1. Whatever tools and strategies help one student are guaranteed to help other students. 
                                                 
2. When implemented correctly UDL actually makes an educator's job easier. 

3. No two students are the same. UDL allows you to reach more students, more effectively. 

4. UDL is proactive. Students are set up to succeed initially instead of having to fix their failures. 

5. Maybe most importantly, UDL allows everyone EQUAL opportunity to learn, and doesn't every student deserve equal opportunity? 

How has this not been invented before now?
Awesome accessibility!