COURSES: PSY 2400, EDC 3200, EDC 2500, EDC 5000
CAROL CARIELLI, PH.D., LMHC
Title of Activity/Assignment: One Size Fits All?
Artifact description: A faculty member (me) created a video (One Size Fits All? Universal Design) on Universal Design, which will be presented to teacher candidates. At the end of the video teacher candidates will be invited to inform the instructor (me) on how they learn. They will be presented with digital options to do so. A supplemental faculty member (me) created a podcast on universal design (Tips for Teacher Candidates) will also be shared. Links to my artifacts appear below: (For access to the podcasts and other media assets, feel free to email me at: carol.carielli@kbcc.cuny.edu
Activities and Resources
Rationale:
Questions to generate thinking:
Why is this activity important for teacher education students at my institution?
As teacher candidates prepare for diverse classrooms, it’s important for them to appreciate that learning styles and the expression of their learning is unique to each child. Therefore, in an effort to create an equity driven classroom it is important to level the playing field by encouraging diverse expression through multiple modes, specifically including computing and digital literacies as well as assistive technology.
Why is this unit important to the content of my course? What’s the connective tissue to the core course content and practices? The course, Psychological Disorders in Young Children emphasizes the practices required to address the individual needs of children with behavioral, emotional, intellectual, developmental and sensory disabilities equitably. Universal Design is part of the practice.
How does this artifact achieve the guidelines above, especially around dimensions of equity?
Through recognizing and appreciating diverse learning styles, inclusion is fostered. Computing and digital literacy and assistive technologies as components of universal design promote inclusion. In doing so, they promote an empowering construct.
What are the standards involved? (Think AAQEP, ISTE, NYSED, department learning goals or indicators)
Two of the learning outcomes/course objectives is the following:
- To develop understanding and empathy for the lived experience of people with disabilities and the common difficulty they may face in school and society
- Acquire a mindset that emphasizes the positive strengths of children with disability, which recognizes and values all children as individuals
New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards GRADES K-12 December 2020
Digital Use
K-1.DL.2
Communicate and work with others using digital tools.
The focus should be on teaching students that people use digital tools to share ideas and work together. Communication and collaboration should be with teacher guidance.
K-1.DL.4
Use at least one digital tool to create a digital artifact.
The focus is on students using at least one digital tool to create a digital artifact, with teacher guidance.
Learning Goals for Teacher Candidates
Equity-centered Values / Goals / Approaches / Practices
What big ideas and practices around equity do you hope to support your teacher candidates to grapple with?
I want to support teacher candidates in recognizing that students in their future classrooms have a lifescape of experiences and connections that have impacted their development. Some may have experienced trauma, social injustice, a family life that either supports them or not, food insecurity, developmental (including physical) and sensory disabilities are examples.
Once recognizing students’ abilities, cultural practices, interests and needs, a teacher can properly weave appropriate technology tools into the teaching and learning processes. Thereby, promoting “an understanding of the evolving impact of computing technologies on society using many lenses, including personal, social, cultural, accessibility, legal, economic, and ethical.”(New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards GRADES K-12 December 2020, p. 12)
What equitable pedagogical moves do you plan to make as you integrate computing into your own teaching?
I want to add to the learning process rather than perpetuate systems that ignore the strength of all students and the identities they bring to the classroom. Integrating computing is valuable “because when teachers can get under the hood” of tools and technologies, they can better use and adapt them to fit their needs and those of their learners.” (Cite Card Deck #15) I want to get “under the hood” and seek and understand as many computing affordances that can enrich the learning…and teaching process. This artifact also encourages teacher candidates to that in their own pedagogy.
Check out our CITE Equitable Pedagogy resource
Teacher Education Topics
What concepts and practices from your course are you hoping TCs engage with?
The concept of Universal Design is one that addresses both physical, cognitive and social needs that students may have . Baglieri with Shapiro (2017)* along with Rose and Meyer (2000 ) as cited, recognize the barriers that “prohibit” access to students with learning disabilities. Throughout the Baglieri and Shapiro text, discussion ensues regarding being open and flexible in regard to instructional curriculum as well as the physical presentation of a school and classroom.
In particular, assistive technologies can be resources for all students to be informed and to inform. It’s not just enough to consume but also to be producers of technology. (computing values card #11)
To inform teacher candidate practice the resources below will be used
*Disability Studies and the Inclusive Classroom: Critical Practices for
Embracing Diversity in Education, 2nd Edition. Author: Susan Baglieri with Arthur Shapiro.
Publisher: Routledge, 2017.
New York State Standards: Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards Grades K-12
December 2020 including all associated resources embedded in the Standards.
Computing Practices
- Which computing practices will teacher candidates engage in / mobilize to meet the equity and teacher ed goals?
- Teacher candidates will be offered resources of how to access the learning opportunities the computer and digital literacies have to offer.
Not sure? See CITE Framework
Digital Practices
Which digital practices will teacher candidates engage in / mobilize to meet the equity and teacher ed goals?
Teacher candidates will be encouraged to “tinker” with digital tools and express their feelings about the tinkering process. Through tinkering the goal is for them to embrace the bigger picture of how computer and digital literacies can add to a wider range of expectation and opportunity in the future.Not sure? See CITE Framework
Tools
What digital / computing tools will students use?
Video and or podcast production and a choice of other digital and non digital tools including Scratch.
What’s the connective tissue? What brings these elements together?
How do computing and digital literacies support (enhance? transform?) teacher learning and teaching in the content areas / areas of teacher ed?
Teacher candidates will need to prepare all students to be literate in new ways to lead successful and productive lives in the 21st century. Computing and digital literacies are the new ways. Universal design supports this. Presenting these new ways should be in a manner where students feel free to express themselves and then learn from their own methods of expression and have fun or feel joy in doing so. Teacher candidates need to abandon rigid practice that draw on the concept of “One size fits all”. As teacher candidates pursue these objectives they should keep in mind that they should do so with a joyful approach as perfection may not be the end result but the desire to tinker and explore, in and of itself, is a lesson for the students.
Teacher candidates can be specific to content areas such as math and language arts -storytelling. Teacher candidates can offer examples of methods on age appropriate video that depict technology tools. Using this “path for learning” digital literacies can be incorporated into all content areas. Use of Engage NYC Resources can support teaching in all content areas.
How does the activity foster teacher learning and teaching ABOUT, WITH, THROUGH, AGAINST technology? (Not sure what this means? See CITE Framework)
Supporting students as they express themselves through computational artifacts is key. And, just as with traditional methods of expression, children should be guided through competent analysis of computing and digital literacies.
Artifact Walkthrough / Resources
Share the nuts and bolts of your artifact. We recommend including:
Summary of the activity/assignment
Students will view my artifact One Size Fits All? Universal Design video and listen to Tips for Teacher Candidates podcast ( my second artifact on Universal Design) The ultimate goal is for teacher candidates to understand universal design as it connects to empowerment, digital equity and inclusion.
At the end of the video teacher candidates are invited to share their learning style(s). They will be asked to express it through the use of a digital tool they feel comfortable with. The instructor will make every effort to help with exploring digital tools by introducing the same and encouraging “tinkering.” (While digital tools will be very highly encouraged, in the spirit of equity and inclusion, a traditional method will also be acceptable. Doing so affirms a student’s agency.
This will be a model for teacher candidates: to make a video/podcast or use another tech (digital literacy) tool and invite their future students to use a tech (digital literacy, including assistive technology) tool to identify their learning style in an effort to learn about and embrace their students’ diverse learning style(s). In doing so, they encourage students to express and embrace their identities within a culture of empowerment, digital equity and inclusion.
Sample of the activity/assignment
A sample project/product that you create to show students what’s expected of them. You might choose not to show this to students, but still create it to work through your own expectations.
I will create a Scratch, Padlet, Canva, Jamboard, Flipgrid or a video or podcast that illustrates learning style “How I Learn.”
How you plan to assess your students’ learning
I will invite them to join a forum to discuss their experience .
I will assess through a journal and/or a rubric. Rubric for Teacher Candidates: How I learn (my design)
Other resources or materials that you create for this artifact
- If an assignment, could be the task sheet / guidelines document
A task sheet perhaps created as a Handout (digital) or Spreadsheet/Excel with a timeline and actionable tasks would assist teacher candidates in maintaining a pace toward creating their own project. The task sheet would also be a source of motivation as they account (check off) for each task accomplished along the way. - If an activity, could be lesson plans, student-facing slide decks or handouts
- A task sheet as indicated above can also be used for an activity.
- A digital handout indicating the steps (as an algorithm) to follow in creating a digital project.
As with all academic endeavors this work is a dynamic document, allowing for pedagogical tweaking, growth and development.
