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Digital Literacy eJournal

by Tanya Veinotte Frowd

Pages 2 and 3 of 21

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Woman diving down.
eJournal
A deep dive into my learning
EDUC 5053 Digital Literacy, Accessibility & UDL
Tanya Veinotte Frowd, July 2022
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Table of Contents
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Class 1 - Tuesday, July 5, 2022 (Synchronous)
UDL & Differentiation: Working in tandem for inclusive education
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Class 2 - Wednesday July 6, 2022 (Asynchronous)
Collective Teacher Efficacy, Firm Goals & Flexible Means
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Class 3 - Thursday, July 7, 2022 (Synchronous)
Designing AEM Materials: Access by Design
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Class 4 - Friday, July 8, 2022 (Asynchronous)
Read&Write for Google Docs: The Amazing Voice Note
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"We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.”
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Class 5 - Monday, July 11, 2022 (Synchronous)
Universal Design for Learning: It's Everyone's Business
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Class 6 - Tuesday, July 12, 2022 (Asynchronous)
Getting the Message Out: Accessibility is a Human Right
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Class 7 - Wednesday, July 13, 2022 (Synchronous)
Our Collective Efficacy: Voices United in Advocating for Change
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― John Dewey
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Class 8 - Thursday, July 14, 2022 (Asynchronous)
Final Reflections & Sharing Plan
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Comic Panel 1
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Woman diving down.
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"[S]he who would search for pearls must dive below."

― John Dryden.
Synchronous
Dark blue ocean.
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Tuesday,
July 5,
2022
UDL & Differentiation: Working in tandem for inclusive education
Woman diving down.
One of the biggest takeaways for me today is the discussion about differentiation and universal design for learning. How is UDL different? Are they both necessary for inclusive education?
"All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.”
― John F. Kennedy
Return to table of contents.
For years educators have been told that they need it to differentiate; however, before differentiating, we first need to universally design our classrooms. According to Novak (2022), "UDL proactively designs flexibility in goals, methods, materials, and assessments by embracing variability and predicting barriers, and then by eliminating those barriers to design through design" (p. 54). After we design learning for all students, we can differentiate to support learners who will still need small-group support. This is when we differentiate. UDL and differentiation work in tandem, but UDL must come first. When we design for everyone, with firm goals and flexible means, we are considering all learning needs. Regardless of who enters the classroom, learning is ready for all students. UDL and differentiation are different but not in competition with each other. They are both present in inclusive classrooms.
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Chart outlining common UDL myths. It is linked to an accessible format.
Universal Design for Learning
Myths & Facts
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Speech balloon with the word facts inside it.
"Creating a more equitable and inclusive system involves unlearning and a change of mindset from students, teachers, administrators, and parents" (Novak, 2022, p. 61). Creating this more equitable and inclusive system involves learning what Universal Design for Learning is and what it isn't. Click on the image to the left to learn more about some of the facts and myths about UDL.
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The principles of universal design greatly impact my practice. As a coach, I have the opportunity to reach teachers during practice. The information I share with them is direct and can be applied. If I do not go in with a universally designed mindset, I am reinforcing that it is OK not to plan ahead for diverse learners. I have the opportunity to change teachers' practice, and that will affect hundreds, perhaps thousands of students. No pressure!
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Impact on My Practice
UDL + Differentiation = Inclusive Education
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Asynchronous
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Wednesday,
July 6,
2022
Collective Teacher Efficacy, Firm Goals & Flexible Means
Woman diving down.
Take our UDL quiz here!
An alarm clock that says quiz time inside it.
"We rise by lifting others."
― Robert Ingersoll
Can we be successful on our own? Of course we can. But it's much easier when we have colleagues to support us, teach us, and cheer us on―and who depend on us to do the same for them.
(Novak, 2022, p. 6)
Return to table of contents.
It is 11:30 pm on July 26. I have spent most of my date working on what I thought would be an easy task: create a 15-question quiz on a UDL principle using a Google Form. Piece of cake. I can do this in my sleep. However, add in 2 awesome group members, and this easy task becomes fun and easy! However, I became so engaged in this assignment that I didn't finish tweaking it until 11:30 pm. I did ask my group members if they minded if I was the "finisher," making sure everything worked properly and was polished. I am exhausted, and I still have a chapter to read, but I was completely engaged in this assignment. I loved learning with a team of engaged, supportive, and kind learners. I also love how this project allowed for creativity, choice, and autonomy.
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The affective area of the brain highlighted.
The Affective Network:
The Keystone to Learning
Collective Teacher Efficacy
My take away today is how much fun it is to work on a project that allows you the freedom to work within guidelines, but also the flexibility to create new and exciting learning. Engaging the affective network - or the WHY of learning - is foundational to creating expert learners who are purposeful and motivated. My affective network was engaged today and I was certainly motivated by my work.
This short video explain what collective teacher efficacy is and why it is important for student learning.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Impact on My Practice
A person helping another person up on a platform.
Collective teacher efficacy is crucial in my practice. Because I have only really experienced coaching during a pandemic, much of my work has been with teachers who are isolated due to pandemic restrictions. Or, I work with teachers who are new to their schools and haven't developed relationships with colleagues. I often become the colleague who is their cheerleader and collaborator... and they become the same for me. I love this part of my job. Today's takeaway reinforces the importance of working with a team that is committed to student learning and their own professional learning. Another important takeaway to how important it is to give the teachers I work with voice and choice in their learning when they engage in a coaching cycle. When I work with teachers, it is about their learning and supporting their journey.
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Synchronous
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Thursday,
July 7,
2022
Designing AEM Materials:
Access by Design
Woman diving down
"Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it 'to whom it may concern.'"
A colleague said something in class today that really made an impact on me. She said, "Who am I making presentations for? Me?" This really struck me as I love designing presentations and educational materials. I spend a lot of time making materials and presentations that are visually engaging. I rarely use templates because they interfere with my creative process. MY creative process. Although I try to make the information I present clear, I have to confess I think that I really design content for myself. Ouch. Fortunately, my design aesthetic aligns with many of the AEM suggestions. For example, I often use white backgrounds when designing presentations. I am conscious of layout and space and avoid clutter. I use fonts without serifs. I like to create clean-looking materials. However, I didn't realize that by creating beautiful materials, I was excluding people; not everyone could engage in my work.
― Ken Haemer
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The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning at CAST has some amazing resources for supporting the use of AEMs. The adjacent YouTube link is a video series for creating AEMS.
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