Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners - Softcover
Synopsis
Learn how to incorporate accessible learning materials and technologies into your instructional design to ensure choice for learners and help them develop into independent, motivated expert learners.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing instruction that meets the needs of every learner. This book provides an overview of UDL, showing how to offer flexibility in methods of presentation, student participation and expression to support high achievement for all students, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency.
The book:
- Offers three modes of entry to allow educators to “start where they are” in their understanding of UDL and how it applies to their areas of instruction.
- Shows educators how to enhance and transform their instructional practices by applying a UDL lens to analyze and redesign lessons.
- Illustrates how to design accessible materials and use technology to provide more options for learners.
- Highlights how UDL is foundational to inquiry-based, project-based and constructivist hands-on learning.
Dive Into UDL shows K-12 educators how to incorporate UDL in their instructional design and engage in continuous professional growth. The book will also appeal to those in coaching positions and administrators seeking to support their staff.
Audience: K-12 educators
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Kendra Grant has held many roles in education, including teacher, district special education coordinator and assistive technology (AT) specialist in a large school district. She currently works with Quillsoft as director of professional development and learning, and was formerly co-founder and chief education officer for a professional learning company delivering large-scale technology implementation across North America. Grant holds a master’s of educational technology from the University of British Columbia with a focus on professional learning, eLearning (K-20) and the application of UDL to both. She is a past president of ISTE’s Inclusive Learning Network. Luis Perez is an inclusive learning evangelist whose mission is to help educators create more inclusive learning environments for all students through the implementation of UDL principles. He has a doctorate in special education and a master’s in instructional technology from the University of South Florida. He was the project manager for Tech Ease for All, a collection of free assistive technology and web accessibility tutorials for teachers. In 2009, he was one of 52 educators in the U.S. selected to join the 2009 class of the Apple Distinguished Educator Program. He is also a Google in Education Certified Innovator. Perez is currently the professional learning chair for ISTE’s Inclusive Learning Network.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
[CN]Chapter 4
[CN]Your Assumptions and Beliefs
The classroom is an extremely busy place with dozens of moving parts, dozens of personalities, and hundreds of demands on our time in any given day. There are just too many pieces of information for us to process or even notice them all. In many ways, the classroom is an example of the selective attention principle (Simons, 2010) at work. The effects of selected attention are illustrated in Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris’s famous “Gorilla” video (bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4a): When instructed to count to the number of times the players in white pass a basketball during the video, viewers become so focused on the passes that they fail to see a person in a gorilla suit walk through the game.
Our focus becomes a filter.
For many of us, our assumptions and beliefs about learning and learners become our focus and our filter. We expect to see certain behaviors: for certain students to succeed, for other students to struggle. We count the passes, but counting the passes reinforces our expectations so we fail to see the gorilla walk across the floor.
It’s only when we consciously look for the gorilla—when someone points out that we should look for the gorilla—that we see it. If you are lucky enough to have experienced the Simons and Chabris video without prior knowledge of its intent, it is an eye-opening moment. You can’t believe you missed the gorilla. It’s so obvious! However, some will insist the video was doctored. There is no way they missed that gorilla! The gorilla wasn’t there. If you want to give the test another try, take a look at “The Monkey Business Illusion” (bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4c) or “Movie Perception Test” (bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4b), which illustrate the same concept.
What’s the “gorilla moment” in your professional life? It’s when what you expect to see and pay attention to causes you to miss or misinterpret something important. It might be observing your class engaged in a task and missing the student quietly struggling. It might be watching a student not know what to do next and assuming they weren’t listening to your instructions. It could be assigning leveled text based on learners’ decoding skills, rather than their excellent comprehension skills when using a screen reader.
For Kendra, the gorilla moment was assuming disability was internal to the student and not dependent on a variety of factors within her control to change. She saw learners struggling with reading and writing tasks and provided technology to accommodate the disability. Although this recognized the underlying ability of the learners, she didn’t challenge (until later) the system belief that students who didn’t fit the “norm” required a diagnosis and label to get extra support and remediation or the conventional belief that text-based instruction and assessment were the best ways to teach and for students to learn.
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: What we measure and count is our focus. Our focus then becomes our filter, reinforcing what we “know” about our students. With this laser focus we often miss the gorilla in the room. What’s your gorilla? bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4a #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
Examining your assumptions and beliefs on a regular basis can help you clear your filter. Taking a step back from your teaching to look for the gorilla in your instruction and assessment, the learning environment, or your expectations of students, however, can cause disequilibrium. It can be shocking to suddenly see the gorilla. This is why it is helpful to share and reflect with others. Do they see the gorilla too?
Exploring your assumptions and beliefs about teaching, learning, and learners before you begin exploring more about UDL will give you a benchmark to help you see your professional growth over time. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to the “Pause and Reflect” questions. This information is for you and your professional growth, so consider recording it in some way to reference later.
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
Do you see the gorilla?
[[List]]
• How has your understanding of the average student influenced your teaching practice?
• How has your role as a general education or special education teacher shaped your teaching practice?
• Is it possible to reach and teach every student given the vast diversity of learners in our classroom?
• What does it mean to have a disability? Who should support students with disabilities or other learning differences?
• What role does technology play in your life? What role does technology play in your classroom?
• Who currently succeeds in your classroom and why? Did you succeed in the education system? Why or why not?
• What is your role as a teacher? What is the role of a student? What is the goal of learning?
[[/List]]
[[/Pause]]
[A]Exploring Your Assumptions and Beliefs
Your assumptions and beliefs are like the clothes in your closet. Some fit perfectly. Some don’t fit anymore, but still you hang on to them in case they fit again (they usually don’t). Some are old, worn out favorites that may be worth keeping. Can they be updated and repaired, or should they be replaced with something more up-to-date? Some might be trendy. Even if these seem to fit, do they stand up to everyday wear? Will they be replaced when the next trend comes along, or does this trend have its roots in solid design?
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.1 Assumptions and beliefs: Clean out your instructional closet regularly.
[[/Figure Caption]]
Just like performing a seasonal closet clear-out, regularly bring your assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning out into the light and examine them closely (Figure 4.1). Try them on. Be critical. Consider getting a new perspective from your trusted peers during this process, especially those with a critical eye and unflinching honesty!
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: Regularly “clean” your instructional closet. Review your assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning. Keep what fits, then tailor or dispose of those that no longer do. #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
Every teacher comes to teaching with assumptions and beliefs that come from a variety of places and times: our school experiences, our children’s (or friend’s children’s) school experiences, our pre-service, our graduate degrees, the PLN we curate, and the climate and culture of the schools and districts we work in. Some of these assumptions and beliefs may be accurate. Some may be accurate but difficult to implement for a variety of reasons. Others may need updating, refining, or changing. For example, when Luis first started learning about UDL, his focus was primarily on removing barriers by ensuring educational materials were accessible. This focus was shaped by his experience as a legally blind student who experienced frustration in trying to access the information he needed to complete his graduate education. Similarly, when UDL originated at the Center for Applied Specialized Technology (CAST), the focus was on removing barriers that kept “learners in the margins” (like Luis) from accessing learning. As UDL evolved, this focus expanded to more effectively address the needs of all learners, not just those with identified disabilities.
Kendra came to teaching with the assumption that disabilities were internal to the student, based on a medical model of identifying and labeling students who didn’t fit the system. She most likely internalized this message from her schooling as well, because there was little talk about the system not fitting the students. Assistive technology, such as text to speech and speech to text, appeared to be the perfect retrofit for these students. Kendra’s “how did I miss that?” moment came while creating a UDL video with Mindy Johnson, a UDL specialist at CAST. In the video, Mindy explained that learner ability (or disability) is at the intersection where the individual and the environment or context met. Kendra suddenly saw what she’d missed: It isn’t enough to just provide “disabled” students with technology to “level the playing field.” Equally important is changing our instructional practice to better support the variability of our learners. Rather than berate herself for focusing on one aspect of UDL, accessibility, Kendra recognized her understanding and application of UDL had grown and would continue to grow over time.
Rather than take an all or nothing approach, give yourself permission to “start where you are,” connect and scaffold to what you already know and do, and then move forward in a purposeful way. The challenge for us as educators is to remain open to examining our beliefs about learners and learning on a regular basis. We must question what we “know” and actively seek evidence that can confirm or refute our assumptions and beliefs (Figure 4.2). By sharing and discussing our assumptions and beliefs with others, we bring them out into the light to examine critically with the defining question: Is this best for all our learners?
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.2 Our current focus on time (number of hours per day, number of periods in a course, number of months in a grade) makes assumptions about learning. Ask yourself: Is time-based learning best for all learners?
[[/Figure Caption]]
The next sections explore assumptions and beliefs: Where they come from, how the current system can go against them, and how, when you’re ready, you can support others in examining their own. This is your first opportunity to choose your level. Consider your UDL Assessment score from Chapter 3, as well as your experience examining your assumptions and beliefs to help you to start where you are:
[[List]]
• Wade In: The Game of School. In this section, you’ll consider if you played the game of school and how your school experience influences your current assumptions and beliefs.
• Shallow Swim: System Assumptions and Beliefs. In this section, you’ll examine how assumptions and beliefs embedded within education impact learners and limit change. You’ll also explore, in detail, the system’s assumptions and beliefs about assessment and their far-reaching effects on learning and learners.
• Deep Dive: Leading the Change. In this section, you’ll explore how to leverage the ISTE Educator Standards to frame the changing role of the educator, as well as discussion points with which to support others as they examine and update their assumptions and beliefs.
[[/List]]
[A]Wade In: The Game of School
When first examining your assumptions and beliefs, it is important to reflect on your experience of school. What was it like for you? Were you able to successfully navigate the rules and requirements, or did you struggle? Chances are we all had some bumps in the road, but generally speaking most teachers quickly learned to play the game of school when they were students. As education innovator and author A. J. Juliani notes in his blog post “The Game of School vs. The Game of Life,” even young students can be adept at playing the game. At age 7 his daughter already knows the rules: “Make the adults at school happy, and the adults at home will be happy” (Juliani, 2017). Students who figure out the rules of the game are usually the most successful in the current system. They are compliant; they listen quietly, put their hands up, stay in their seats, do what they are told, and complete (mainly written) tasks on time and as assigned. Ultimately, in many schools, these are the students who we plan for and teach to.
Whether we realize it or not, many of us may have pursued a career in teaching because we learned to play the game well. We navigated the requirements and avoided most labels. We could completely fulfill the reading, writing, and test-taking requirements. We knew the rules and were able to play effectively enough to complete the game and get our degrees. In other words, we represent the subset of students that are successful in the current system.
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: UDL shifts the focus to mastering learning, not the game of school. #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
[B]Kendra’s Game of School
Kendra played the game of school—eventually. As she explained:
[[BQ]]
“In elementary school I liked to move a lot, and I was very opinionated. Girls in particular were supposed to be quiet and stay in their seats and do their work. I didn’t fit this description. I loved to read and write, and I had a good memory. So even though I didn’t fit the mold, I was successful. Eventually, I learned to behave like I was supposed to. I developed visual strategies to organize and plan. I learned to keep my opinions to myself—for the most part. My experience, while not devastating, suppressed my authentic self. Although I learned, I’m not sure I learned deeply. Today I might be labeled with ADHD or difficulties with executive functions. (Is it any wonder I worked in special education?)
“Because I learned differently, I have always sought ways to level the playing field through the application of UDL and technology to my teaching practice. My goal is to help every learner recognize and celebrate their strengths rather than feel less for not fitting the norm.”
[[/BQ]]
[B]Luis’s Game of School
In fifth grade, Luis’s teacher gave an assignment that required the class to memorize the capitals of all the Latin American countries, the kind of rote memorization that defined much of education at that time in the Dominican Republic. The teacher made a deal: Anyone who could recite all of the countries and their capitals would be allowed to leave a little early. Luis made a plan:
[[BQ]]
“I knew I had a good memory, so I volunteered to go first. Sure enough, I got them all right. I went home early!
“From that point on, I knew that my memory was an asset I could rely on to overcome one of my weaknesses: a tendency to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to prepare for tests. Through high school, I was able to memorize the layout of my textbooks (a form of photographic memory) and easily recall information during tests based on its location on the page. This served me well until college. I attended a small liberal arts school where assignments required more critical thinking. As a result, it took me a while to adjust to the new demands of college. What had helped me succeed earlier in life had also kept me from developing the other skills I needed to be successful in higher education.”
[[/BQ]]
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
Take a moment to consider the game of school.
[[List]]
• Did you play the game of school? Did you know you were playing?
• What might have happened if you had struggled with one or two of the “rules?”
• Is there a connection between how you played the game of school, and your assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning?
• Do you see the influence of the game of school in your school or classroom?
• Are there parts of the game you don’t think will change? Why?
[[/List]]
[[/Pause]]
[B]The Game Changer
Our learners may be able to play the game of school up to a certain point, but as they progress through school and the demands increase, this becomes more challenging.
UDL changes the rules of the game. It recognizes that for some learners the game of school is difficult, if not impossible, to play. Rather than one pathway around the board and strict rules, UDL encourages multiple pathways and includes flexible rules to broaden, rather than narrow who can play. With this in mind, go to the “Next Steps” section to apply what you learned, or continue reading if you are ready to go deeper into how the system reinforces our assumptions and beliefs.
[A]Shallow Swim: System Assumptions and Beliefs
Many of us naturally and regularly examine our assumptions and beliefs. We seek to not only confirm and validate what we see and do in our classroom, but also actively seek out research and opinions that challenge our norms. Although this is important to do as a professional, we still have to navigate within the current system.
Beyond the individual assumptions and beliefs you each bring with you from your own experiences in schools are the many assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning that are embedded in the education system—subjects, rows, marks and grades, and testing. Some assumptions and beliefs are so embedded we fail to see them, let alone examine them. There are multiple gorillas in the room.
These long-held, system-level beliefs can make it more difficult when you want to revise or replace some of your own assumptions. When you do challenge them, you often can only go so far before the system blocks additional change. You may encounter vocal opponents who are happy with the status quo. For example, educators who have taught in a particular way for years may have no intention of changing their practice. Parents, who are used to the system, could be resistant to change, concerned about their children’s ability to get into their colleges of choice. Students, who excel in the current system, might object. Even administration, fearful of push back from staff, parents, students, or their own superiors might be hesitant to tackle big issues. In addition, the requirements of the system—standards, curriculum coverage, grades, report cards, college requirements, grants, funding, and so on—make it difficult to veer very far off the current course.
Assumptions and beliefs, beyond being deeply ingrained, are also complex and interconnected. Sometimes they are simply the result of TTWWADI: That’s the way we’ve always done it. For instance, years ago at an educational technology conference, Kendra heard the story of a small school with two entrances, only one of which was ever used. One teacher began to question why and eventually discovered that, many years before, the school started using the one set of doors while the second set was being repaired. The repairs took from the end of one school year, over summer break, and into the next year, so using the single set of doors became the norm over time. It was just the way things were done, and no one had previously stopped to consider why.
Now, you may say, doors are one thing, but ideas, such as assessment and tests, are another. We don’t rely on one type of assessment because of TTWWADI—do we?
[B]Testing 1, 2, 3
Let’s put tests to the TTWWADI test by considering the assumptions and beliefs surrounding current testing practices. Rather than standardized tests, which we currently have little authority to reduce or change, think about teacher-designed tests and quizzes. Administered at the end of the week or a unit of study, these tests are generally paper-and-pencil tasks created to evaluate students’ content and procedural knowledge. They include all the math, spelling, history, science, and reading tests that require a student to read the instructions and then write their answers or circle the correct response. The design and delivery of these types of tests are based on the assumptions and beliefs associated with four areas: ability, motivation, learning, and assessment. The following lists outline the test assumptions for each area:
[[List]]
[[List head]]Ability
• Students are able to read the test and write the answers.
• Students are able to understand the cultural references embedded in the test.
• Students have English language proficiency.
• Students are able to focus and persist in the completion of the test.
• Bell curves are a natural occurrence; some students will do well, others will fail.
• Results without technology support are superior to results with technology support.
[[List head]]Motivation
• Students will pass the test if they study.
• A low score on a test will motivate students to try harder.
• Tests and the accompanying grade motivate students; they wouldn’t bother to learn if we didn’t test them.
[[List head]]Learning
• Tests are a good way for students to demonstrate their learning.
• Learning is measured by how well students remember facts, information, algorithms, and so on, and this measurement of understanding is best captured by a test.
• Tests (and the accompanying grade or percentage) provide students with feedback about their learning.
• Tests accurately reflect student’s understanding of the material or concepts.
[[List head]]Assessment—Validity/Reliability
• Tests are the most valid and reliable means of measuring student learning.
• Summative assessment supports student learning.
• Grades and percentages are reliable and objective; teacher observation and comments are subjective.
• Tests are important to determine students’ marks on their report cards.
• Tests are the simplest, quickest way to assess students given the size of classes and the demands on teacher time.
[[/List]]
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
Take a moment to quickly decide yes or no to each of the statements in the list of test assumptions and beliefs.
[[List]]
• Choose one assumption you agree with, then ask yourself: Why do you agree?
• Where did the assumption come from, and how is it confirmed for you?
• Is there any evidence that counters your assumption?
• Repeat these steps with an assumption you disagree with.
• Consider revisiting your assumptions after you explore Chapter 5.
[[List]]
[[/Pause]]
[B]What Are We Assessing?
Usually, when a test is created, little attention is given to the reading and writing requirements and their impact on the final outcome. If students fail a history, math, or science test, the reasoning is they didn’t study, know the material, or care. The common belief is that students who score poorly on the test need to put in more effort, to try harder.
One reason for these beliefs is that written tests are based on the assumption that everyone should be able to read the text. If a student can’t, that student, rather than the test, has a deficit or disability. To access technology or other accommodations to support completion of the test, students often require a label identifying the disability and a legal document in the form of an individual education plan or program (IEP). Even with this in place, students often need to actively seek out and request the extra support or accommodations. This need for a label or special request emphasizes the belief that the accommodation seeker is “different.” The assumption is that success requires a certain standard, and the standard must be met independently (i.e. no technology). Dr. Dave Edyburn coined the phrase naked independence to label the belief that brain power alone is superior to any “assisted” mental activities (Edyburn, 2006). As such, when students are provided technology accommodations, these tools are available only if they are not viewed as providing an unfair advantage. In many cases, even if technology support is provided during regular class time, students must shut off the support features during a test. The assumption is, students need to show their work on their own without the advantage of technology (Figure 4.3). Imagine if we applied this to another support technology, such as students’ prescription glasses?
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.3 Do you think someone who wears glasses in class is cheating?
[[/Figure Caption]]
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: We don’t tell students who wear glasses that they are cheating because they see better with their help. How is using technology to learn better any different? #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
With this in mind, go to the “Next Steps” section to apply what you’ve learned, or you can continue to the next section if you are ready to take a deep dive into leading change and challenging embedded, systemic assumptions and beliefs.
[A]Deep Dive: Leading the Change
It is important to recognize that your individual assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning are influenced by your personal experiences, as well as by the assumptions and beliefs embedded in the education system. Although you may enthusiastically dive into change, regularly challenging your assumptions and beliefs to transform your classroom, you may find others resist this sort of disequilibrium. Whether you are called upon to champion large-scale change within your school or district, or, whether on a smaller scale, you want to share and grow professionally with colleagues, you may encounter assumptions and beliefs that are deeply held, slowing down and even halting the change you know your school and learners need.
Assumptions and beliefs are deeply ingrained. They filter how we perceive the world, influence what we see (or don’t see), and determine how we will act. As educators, our professional reputations are based on our skills as pedagogical experts, and these skills are on display every day in the classroom. Examining our assumptions and beliefs, admitting their flaws, and committing to change, are very private and, at the same time, very public activities. As such, many educators hold firmly to their beliefs and resist altering what they do, because it is viewed as integral to who they are (Owston, 2004). But unless we actively challenge our assumptions and beliefs, most change is temporary. As Stephanie Hirsh and Joellen Killion write, “When practices change without deep exploration of the principles that guide them, people will be pulled back to their old ways” (2007, p. 21).
Struggling to change isn’t just an individual problem, but a system one as well. The call for system change, to transform education, is constant. Most agree it is necessary, yet it seems little changes. Like individuals, districts function on assumptions and beliefs. If these are not explored, challenged, and updated, each initiative becomes just another in a long line of initiatives—all enthusiastically rolled out then quietly forgotten. In “The Power of Beliefs and Assumptions” chapter of its Becoming Learning Systems course book, Learning Forward made this clear, “Many educational change initiatives fail because leaders focus too much on actions and not enough on their underlying assumptions. New behaviors often are not sustained over time because people’s beliefs have not been transformed, and the principles and assumptions needed to sustain the effort are not deeply embedded in the individuals and organization” (2014, p. 13).
When you’re trying to lead it, this type of change is challenging and messy work. You want to be action oriented, so you focus on a plan. You outline the steps, assign people to be responsible, create a timeline, and determine metrics to calculate success. All this busyness can ignore the assumptions and beliefs that should underpin, but are in opposition to, the plan. You’re placing the action cart before its team of horses: the assumptions and beliefs. Transforming individual assumptions and beliefs and embedding them in the system must come first. Being a leader requires you to advocate for change, share the vision for the change, and then model the process for change you want to see. It requires you to be vulnerable, to be willing to talk about difficult topics and have your assumptions and beliefs challenged.
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
As Margaret Wheatley wrote, “I’ve found that I can only change how I act if I stay aware of my beliefs and assumptions. Thoughts always reveal themselves in behavior. As humans, we often contradict ourselves—we say one thing and do another. We state who we are, but then act contrary to that. We say we’re open-minded, but then judge someone for their appearance. We say we’re a team, but then gossip about a colleague” (2010, p. 22).
To help you stay aware of how your beliefs and assumptions reveal themselves and affect your students, take a moment to complete the chart in Figure 4.4. You can add your own assumptions, as well, to personalize it. Consider using it with other educators formally or informally to begin the messy work of examining assumptions and beliefs. You might also want to create a similar chart for your district.
Assumption/Belief
(What I say)Action
(What do I do)Reality
(What others experience)
Treat all students fairly
Give students ownership of their learning
Include summative assessment practice
Create a safe, welcoming classroom
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.4 Chart your assumptions, actions, and impact to help begin sustainable change.
[[/Figure Caption]]
[[/Pause]]
In all this discussion about assumptions and beliefs one thing is often missing: Students. They are integral to the education system, and they too have assumptions and beliefs about themselves, the purpose of schools, and the way things work. They are more perceptive than we think. Even if they don’t express it, they often notice when our assumptions and beliefs do not align with our actions in the classroom. For example, we hear such terms as student agency, student ownership of learning, voice and choice, and student-centered instruction, yet, when students enter the classroom, all the traditional accouterments are there: rows, bells, tests, text-based instruction.
It isn’t enough to say we want these things for students. We have to examine our assumptions and beliefs about student ownership and leadership. It requires shared ownership and balance.
[B]The Educator as Collaborator and Facilitator
Most of you have probably heard the advice that educators should move from being the “sage on the stage” to being a “guide on the side” (King, 1993, p. 30). The ISTE Standards for Educators ask you to move beyond both these roles, urging you to get into the thick of it and learn with your students. This is clearly defined within the role of Collaborator (ISTE, 2017), which encourages educators to “to redefine their relationship with their students as they model collaboration and facilitate authentic co-learning experiences” (Indicator 4b).
Currently, educators are considered pedagogical experts. In many ways, this assumption and belief is true; educators have studied and trained to become skilled at their craft. The traditional view assumes the educator, as the expert, is responsible for determining the goals, methods, materials, and assessments to be used in the lesson. Educators are also often considered subject specialists as well, especially in the higher grades. Again as experts, they have the jobs of determining what content is important to know and delivering it to their students. With the advent of mobile technology and the means to easily create and share content, however, students are no longer dependent on the teacher for their content—or learning. Outside of the classroom they can pursue any topic that interests them, in virtually any format. These seismic shifts have heightened the need to shift the role of the teacher. Although pedagogical expertise is still important, the hierarchy of the classroom is quickly being replaced with environments where the teacher is a co-learner, modeling learning as a collaborative, connected, and shared experience.
The ISTE Standards for Educators signal not only a change in what teachers do, but also a shift in control. For many educators, their role is clearly defined, established by decades of tradition. Ownership and control of learning is based on the assumption that teachers lead and students follow. It is the educator’s job to create the lesson, then teach it and test how well students understood it. It is the student’s job to learn the material, complete assignments, and take the assessments. Even educators who embrace changes to their role often struggle with the release of responsibility for learning to students. They also struggle against system assumptions and beliefs that reinforce the status quo. Report cards, standard parent-teacher conferences, curriculum maps, and standardized tests place decision-making and ownership of learning in the hands of the teacher.
The Educator Standards also highlight significant shifts in ownership through the role of Facilitator (ISTE, 2017), in which educators are encouraged to “foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings” (Indicator 6a). To “foster a culture of ownership” the educator is encouraged to profoundly change the student-teacher dynamic by guiding students to assume an active role in the why and how of their learning. In essence, students are to shape and maintain the learning and social culture of the classroom, but they may not always be ready to take on this role as co-designers of learning right away. You can help your students develop classroom leadership skills by showing that you trust them and their abilities to grow into a shared role. You can do this by:
[[List]]
• Providing students with opportunities to set and pursue personal goals that extend beyond a single lesson or unit to the entire school year. These goals may be related to personal qualities, specific kills, or passions students want to pursue. To benefit the rest of the class, students would be asked to provide regular status reports during which they share what they are learning and ask for support from peers who have a similar interest.
• Actively involving students in the development of classroom norms that are revisited and revised as classroom events warrant throughout the year.
[[/List]]
These steps show students that you follow through on your stated beliefs when it comes to their ownership of learning. You don’t just pay lip service to them, but actually put your evolving assumptions about learning into practice as you redefine classroom roles. Shifting the responsibility for learning to your students you will help them develop their self-regulation, metacognition, and self-efficacy, some of the qualities that define an expert learner under UDL.
[A]Next Steps
Our assumptions and beliefs are complex. They are a combination of what we’ve learned, and what we’ve experienced. They can, just like our clothes, be outdated, worn, and difficult to throw away. Our assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning, however, ultimately determine what our classrooms look and sound like. Too often, if we don’t critically examine our assumptions and beliefs, what we say we believe and what we do in the classroom are in direct opposition. Although it can be uncomfortable to critically examine our long held assumptions, it is crucial to continually revise and update them. We must also be open to having our assumptions and beliefs challenged, not just by colleagues with whom we agree, but also by those who may see things differently. Like individuals, systems also hold assumptions and beliefs. Although we often recognize policies, procedures, and programs are outdated and in need of change, we fail to recognize that the underlying assumptions and beliefs, firmly embedded and interconnected in the daily routines of the system, are also in need of repair and replacement.
The ISTE Standards for Educators can help frame and guide discussions about assumptions and beliefs at both the individual and system level. As a leader, you need the courage and conviction to be willing to relinquish some control as you transfer some of the responsibility for learning to students. As a Collaborator and Facilitator for learning with your students, you will show them that they have your trust as partners in the nurturing of a classroom culture built around shared values and norms. This transfer of control and responsibility for learning may be one of the most difficult shifts for educators to make, but it may also be the one that results in the most significant transformation of learning from something that happens to students to something they can do for themselves as expert learners.
[CN]Your Assumptions and Beliefs
The classroom is an extremely busy place with dozens of moving parts, dozens of personalities, and hundreds of demands on our time in any given day. There are just too many pieces of information for us to process or even notice them all. In many ways, the classroom is an example of the selective attention principle (Simons, 2010) at work. The effects of selected attention are illustrated in Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris’s famous “Gorilla” video (bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4a): When instructed to count to the number of times the players in white pass a basketball during the video, viewers become so focused on the passes that they fail to see a person in a gorilla suit walk through the game.
Our focus becomes a filter.
For many of us, our assumptions and beliefs about learning and learners become our focus and our filter. We expect to see certain behaviors: for certain students to succeed, for other students to struggle. We count the passes, but counting the passes reinforces our expectations so we fail to see the gorilla walk across the floor.
It’s only when we consciously look for the gorilla—when someone points out that we should look for the gorilla—that we see it. If you are lucky enough to have experienced the Simons and Chabris video without prior knowledge of its intent, it is an eye-opening moment. You can’t believe you missed the gorilla. It’s so obvious! However, some will insist the video was doctored. There is no way they missed that gorilla! The gorilla wasn’t there. If you want to give the test another try, take a look at “The Monkey Business Illusion” (bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4c) or “Movie Perception Test” (bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4b), which illustrate the same concept.
What’s the “gorilla moment” in your professional life? It’s when what you expect to see and pay attention to causes you to miss or misinterpret something important. It might be observing your class engaged in a task and missing the student quietly struggling. It might be watching a student not know what to do next and assuming they weren’t listening to your instructions. It could be assigning leveled text based on learners’ decoding skills, rather than their excellent comprehension skills when using a screen reader.
For Kendra, the gorilla moment was assuming disability was internal to the student and not dependent on a variety of factors within her control to change. She saw learners struggling with reading and writing tasks and provided technology to accommodate the disability. Although this recognized the underlying ability of the learners, she didn’t challenge (until later) the system belief that students who didn’t fit the “norm” required a diagnosis and label to get extra support and remediation or the conventional belief that text-based instruction and assessment were the best ways to teach and for students to learn.
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: What we measure and count is our focus. Our focus then becomes our filter, reinforcing what we “know” about our students. With this laser focus we often miss the gorilla in the room. What’s your gorilla? bit.ly/DiveIntoUDLCh4a #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
Examining your assumptions and beliefs on a regular basis can help you clear your filter. Taking a step back from your teaching to look for the gorilla in your instruction and assessment, the learning environment, or your expectations of students, however, can cause disequilibrium. It can be shocking to suddenly see the gorilla. This is why it is helpful to share and reflect with others. Do they see the gorilla too?
Exploring your assumptions and beliefs about teaching, learning, and learners before you begin exploring more about UDL will give you a benchmark to help you see your professional growth over time. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to the “Pause and Reflect” questions. This information is for you and your professional growth, so consider recording it in some way to reference later.
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
Do you see the gorilla?
[[List]]
• How has your understanding of the average student influenced your teaching practice?
• How has your role as a general education or special education teacher shaped your teaching practice?
• Is it possible to reach and teach every student given the vast diversity of learners in our classroom?
• What does it mean to have a disability? Who should support students with disabilities or other learning differences?
• What role does technology play in your life? What role does technology play in your classroom?
• Who currently succeeds in your classroom and why? Did you succeed in the education system? Why or why not?
• What is your role as a teacher? What is the role of a student? What is the goal of learning?
[[/List]]
[[/Pause]]
[A]Exploring Your Assumptions and Beliefs
Your assumptions and beliefs are like the clothes in your closet. Some fit perfectly. Some don’t fit anymore, but still you hang on to them in case they fit again (they usually don’t). Some are old, worn out favorites that may be worth keeping. Can they be updated and repaired, or should they be replaced with something more up-to-date? Some might be trendy. Even if these seem to fit, do they stand up to everyday wear? Will they be replaced when the next trend comes along, or does this trend have its roots in solid design?
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.1 Assumptions and beliefs: Clean out your instructional closet regularly.
[[/Figure Caption]]
Just like performing a seasonal closet clear-out, regularly bring your assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning out into the light and examine them closely (Figure 4.1). Try them on. Be critical. Consider getting a new perspective from your trusted peers during this process, especially those with a critical eye and unflinching honesty!
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: Regularly “clean” your instructional closet. Review your assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning. Keep what fits, then tailor or dispose of those that no longer do. #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
Every teacher comes to teaching with assumptions and beliefs that come from a variety of places and times: our school experiences, our children’s (or friend’s children’s) school experiences, our pre-service, our graduate degrees, the PLN we curate, and the climate and culture of the schools and districts we work in. Some of these assumptions and beliefs may be accurate. Some may be accurate but difficult to implement for a variety of reasons. Others may need updating, refining, or changing. For example, when Luis first started learning about UDL, his focus was primarily on removing barriers by ensuring educational materials were accessible. This focus was shaped by his experience as a legally blind student who experienced frustration in trying to access the information he needed to complete his graduate education. Similarly, when UDL originated at the Center for Applied Specialized Technology (CAST), the focus was on removing barriers that kept “learners in the margins” (like Luis) from accessing learning. As UDL evolved, this focus expanded to more effectively address the needs of all learners, not just those with identified disabilities.
Kendra came to teaching with the assumption that disabilities were internal to the student, based on a medical model of identifying and labeling students who didn’t fit the system. She most likely internalized this message from her schooling as well, because there was little talk about the system not fitting the students. Assistive technology, such as text to speech and speech to text, appeared to be the perfect retrofit for these students. Kendra’s “how did I miss that?” moment came while creating a UDL video with Mindy Johnson, a UDL specialist at CAST. In the video, Mindy explained that learner ability (or disability) is at the intersection where the individual and the environment or context met. Kendra suddenly saw what she’d missed: It isn’t enough to just provide “disabled” students with technology to “level the playing field.” Equally important is changing our instructional practice to better support the variability of our learners. Rather than berate herself for focusing on one aspect of UDL, accessibility, Kendra recognized her understanding and application of UDL had grown and would continue to grow over time.
Rather than take an all or nothing approach, give yourself permission to “start where you are,” connect and scaffold to what you already know and do, and then move forward in a purposeful way. The challenge for us as educators is to remain open to examining our beliefs about learners and learning on a regular basis. We must question what we “know” and actively seek evidence that can confirm or refute our assumptions and beliefs (Figure 4.2). By sharing and discussing our assumptions and beliefs with others, we bring them out into the light to examine critically with the defining question: Is this best for all our learners?
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.2 Our current focus on time (number of hours per day, number of periods in a course, number of months in a grade) makes assumptions about learning. Ask yourself: Is time-based learning best for all learners?
[[/Figure Caption]]
The next sections explore assumptions and beliefs: Where they come from, how the current system can go against them, and how, when you’re ready, you can support others in examining their own. This is your first opportunity to choose your level. Consider your UDL Assessment score from Chapter 3, as well as your experience examining your assumptions and beliefs to help you to start where you are:
[[List]]
• Wade In: The Game of School. In this section, you’ll consider if you played the game of school and how your school experience influences your current assumptions and beliefs.
• Shallow Swim: System Assumptions and Beliefs. In this section, you’ll examine how assumptions and beliefs embedded within education impact learners and limit change. You’ll also explore, in detail, the system’s assumptions and beliefs about assessment and their far-reaching effects on learning and learners.
• Deep Dive: Leading the Change. In this section, you’ll explore how to leverage the ISTE Educator Standards to frame the changing role of the educator, as well as discussion points with which to support others as they examine and update their assumptions and beliefs.
[[/List]]
[A]Wade In: The Game of School
When first examining your assumptions and beliefs, it is important to reflect on your experience of school. What was it like for you? Were you able to successfully navigate the rules and requirements, or did you struggle? Chances are we all had some bumps in the road, but generally speaking most teachers quickly learned to play the game of school when they were students. As education innovator and author A. J. Juliani notes in his blog post “The Game of School vs. The Game of Life,” even young students can be adept at playing the game. At age 7 his daughter already knows the rules: “Make the adults at school happy, and the adults at home will be happy” (Juliani, 2017). Students who figure out the rules of the game are usually the most successful in the current system. They are compliant; they listen quietly, put their hands up, stay in their seats, do what they are told, and complete (mainly written) tasks on time and as assigned. Ultimately, in many schools, these are the students who we plan for and teach to.
Whether we realize it or not, many of us may have pursued a career in teaching because we learned to play the game well. We navigated the requirements and avoided most labels. We could completely fulfill the reading, writing, and test-taking requirements. We knew the rules and were able to play effectively enough to complete the game and get our degrees. In other words, we represent the subset of students that are successful in the current system.
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: UDL shifts the focus to mastering learning, not the game of school. #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
[B]Kendra’s Game of School
Kendra played the game of school—eventually. As she explained:
[[BQ]]
“In elementary school I liked to move a lot, and I was very opinionated. Girls in particular were supposed to be quiet and stay in their seats and do their work. I didn’t fit this description. I loved to read and write, and I had a good memory. So even though I didn’t fit the mold, I was successful. Eventually, I learned to behave like I was supposed to. I developed visual strategies to organize and plan. I learned to keep my opinions to myself—for the most part. My experience, while not devastating, suppressed my authentic self. Although I learned, I’m not sure I learned deeply. Today I might be labeled with ADHD or difficulties with executive functions. (Is it any wonder I worked in special education?)
“Because I learned differently, I have always sought ways to level the playing field through the application of UDL and technology to my teaching practice. My goal is to help every learner recognize and celebrate their strengths rather than feel less for not fitting the norm.”
[[/BQ]]
[B]Luis’s Game of School
In fifth grade, Luis’s teacher gave an assignment that required the class to memorize the capitals of all the Latin American countries, the kind of rote memorization that defined much of education at that time in the Dominican Republic. The teacher made a deal: Anyone who could recite all of the countries and their capitals would be allowed to leave a little early. Luis made a plan:
[[BQ]]
“I knew I had a good memory, so I volunteered to go first. Sure enough, I got them all right. I went home early!
“From that point on, I knew that my memory was an asset I could rely on to overcome one of my weaknesses: a tendency to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to prepare for tests. Through high school, I was able to memorize the layout of my textbooks (a form of photographic memory) and easily recall information during tests based on its location on the page. This served me well until college. I attended a small liberal arts school where assignments required more critical thinking. As a result, it took me a while to adjust to the new demands of college. What had helped me succeed earlier in life had also kept me from developing the other skills I needed to be successful in higher education.”
[[/BQ]]
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
Take a moment to consider the game of school.
[[List]]
• Did you play the game of school? Did you know you were playing?
• What might have happened if you had struggled with one or two of the “rules?”
• Is there a connection between how you played the game of school, and your assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning?
• Do you see the influence of the game of school in your school or classroom?
• Are there parts of the game you don’t think will change? Why?
[[/List]]
[[/Pause]]
[B]The Game Changer
Our learners may be able to play the game of school up to a certain point, but as they progress through school and the demands increase, this becomes more challenging.
UDL changes the rules of the game. It recognizes that for some learners the game of school is difficult, if not impossible, to play. Rather than one pathway around the board and strict rules, UDL encourages multiple pathways and includes flexible rules to broaden, rather than narrow who can play. With this in mind, go to the “Next Steps” section to apply what you learned, or continue reading if you are ready to go deeper into how the system reinforces our assumptions and beliefs.
[A]Shallow Swim: System Assumptions and Beliefs
Many of us naturally and regularly examine our assumptions and beliefs. We seek to not only confirm and validate what we see and do in our classroom, but also actively seek out research and opinions that challenge our norms. Although this is important to do as a professional, we still have to navigate within the current system.
Beyond the individual assumptions and beliefs you each bring with you from your own experiences in schools are the many assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning that are embedded in the education system—subjects, rows, marks and grades, and testing. Some assumptions and beliefs are so embedded we fail to see them, let alone examine them. There are multiple gorillas in the room.
These long-held, system-level beliefs can make it more difficult when you want to revise or replace some of your own assumptions. When you do challenge them, you often can only go so far before the system blocks additional change. You may encounter vocal opponents who are happy with the status quo. For example, educators who have taught in a particular way for years may have no intention of changing their practice. Parents, who are used to the system, could be resistant to change, concerned about their children’s ability to get into their colleges of choice. Students, who excel in the current system, might object. Even administration, fearful of push back from staff, parents, students, or their own superiors might be hesitant to tackle big issues. In addition, the requirements of the system—standards, curriculum coverage, grades, report cards, college requirements, grants, funding, and so on—make it difficult to veer very far off the current course.
Assumptions and beliefs, beyond being deeply ingrained, are also complex and interconnected. Sometimes they are simply the result of TTWWADI: That’s the way we’ve always done it. For instance, years ago at an educational technology conference, Kendra heard the story of a small school with two entrances, only one of which was ever used. One teacher began to question why and eventually discovered that, many years before, the school started using the one set of doors while the second set was being repaired. The repairs took from the end of one school year, over summer break, and into the next year, so using the single set of doors became the norm over time. It was just the way things were done, and no one had previously stopped to consider why.
Now, you may say, doors are one thing, but ideas, such as assessment and tests, are another. We don’t rely on one type of assessment because of TTWWADI—do we?
[B]Testing 1, 2, 3
Let’s put tests to the TTWWADI test by considering the assumptions and beliefs surrounding current testing practices. Rather than standardized tests, which we currently have little authority to reduce or change, think about teacher-designed tests and quizzes. Administered at the end of the week or a unit of study, these tests are generally paper-and-pencil tasks created to evaluate students’ content and procedural knowledge. They include all the math, spelling, history, science, and reading tests that require a student to read the instructions and then write their answers or circle the correct response. The design and delivery of these types of tests are based on the assumptions and beliefs associated with four areas: ability, motivation, learning, and assessment. The following lists outline the test assumptions for each area:
[[List]]
[[List head]]Ability
• Students are able to read the test and write the answers.
• Students are able to understand the cultural references embedded in the test.
• Students have English language proficiency.
• Students are able to focus and persist in the completion of the test.
• Bell curves are a natural occurrence; some students will do well, others will fail.
• Results without technology support are superior to results with technology support.
[[List head]]Motivation
• Students will pass the test if they study.
• A low score on a test will motivate students to try harder.
• Tests and the accompanying grade motivate students; they wouldn’t bother to learn if we didn’t test them.
[[List head]]Learning
• Tests are a good way for students to demonstrate their learning.
• Learning is measured by how well students remember facts, information, algorithms, and so on, and this measurement of understanding is best captured by a test.
• Tests (and the accompanying grade or percentage) provide students with feedback about their learning.
• Tests accurately reflect student’s understanding of the material or concepts.
[[List head]]Assessment—Validity/Reliability
• Tests are the most valid and reliable means of measuring student learning.
• Summative assessment supports student learning.
• Grades and percentages are reliable and objective; teacher observation and comments are subjective.
• Tests are important to determine students’ marks on their report cards.
• Tests are the simplest, quickest way to assess students given the size of classes and the demands on teacher time.
[[/List]]
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
Take a moment to quickly decide yes or no to each of the statements in the list of test assumptions and beliefs.
[[List]]
• Choose one assumption you agree with, then ask yourself: Why do you agree?
• Where did the assumption come from, and how is it confirmed for you?
• Is there any evidence that counters your assumption?
• Repeat these steps with an assumption you disagree with.
• Consider revisiting your assumptions after you explore Chapter 5.
[[List]]
[[/Pause]]
[B]What Are We Assessing?
Usually, when a test is created, little attention is given to the reading and writing requirements and their impact on the final outcome. If students fail a history, math, or science test, the reasoning is they didn’t study, know the material, or care. The common belief is that students who score poorly on the test need to put in more effort, to try harder.
One reason for these beliefs is that written tests are based on the assumption that everyone should be able to read the text. If a student can’t, that student, rather than the test, has a deficit or disability. To access technology or other accommodations to support completion of the test, students often require a label identifying the disability and a legal document in the form of an individual education plan or program (IEP). Even with this in place, students often need to actively seek out and request the extra support or accommodations. This need for a label or special request emphasizes the belief that the accommodation seeker is “different.” The assumption is that success requires a certain standard, and the standard must be met independently (i.e. no technology). Dr. Dave Edyburn coined the phrase naked independence to label the belief that brain power alone is superior to any “assisted” mental activities (Edyburn, 2006). As such, when students are provided technology accommodations, these tools are available only if they are not viewed as providing an unfair advantage. In many cases, even if technology support is provided during regular class time, students must shut off the support features during a test. The assumption is, students need to show their work on their own without the advantage of technology (Figure 4.3). Imagine if we applied this to another support technology, such as students’ prescription glasses?
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.3 Do you think someone who wears glasses in class is cheating?
[[/Figure Caption]]
[[Tweet]]
Tweet: We don’t tell students who wear glasses that they are cheating because they see better with their help. How is using technology to learn better any different? #DiveIntoUDL
[[/Tweet]]
With this in mind, go to the “Next Steps” section to apply what you’ve learned, or you can continue to the next section if you are ready to take a deep dive into leading change and challenging embedded, systemic assumptions and beliefs.
[A]Deep Dive: Leading the Change
It is important to recognize that your individual assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning are influenced by your personal experiences, as well as by the assumptions and beliefs embedded in the education system. Although you may enthusiastically dive into change, regularly challenging your assumptions and beliefs to transform your classroom, you may find others resist this sort of disequilibrium. Whether you are called upon to champion large-scale change within your school or district, or, whether on a smaller scale, you want to share and grow professionally with colleagues, you may encounter assumptions and beliefs that are deeply held, slowing down and even halting the change you know your school and learners need.
Assumptions and beliefs are deeply ingrained. They filter how we perceive the world, influence what we see (or don’t see), and determine how we will act. As educators, our professional reputations are based on our skills as pedagogical experts, and these skills are on display every day in the classroom. Examining our assumptions and beliefs, admitting their flaws, and committing to change, are very private and, at the same time, very public activities. As such, many educators hold firmly to their beliefs and resist altering what they do, because it is viewed as integral to who they are (Owston, 2004). But unless we actively challenge our assumptions and beliefs, most change is temporary. As Stephanie Hirsh and Joellen Killion write, “When practices change without deep exploration of the principles that guide them, people will be pulled back to their old ways” (2007, p. 21).
Struggling to change isn’t just an individual problem, but a system one as well. The call for system change, to transform education, is constant. Most agree it is necessary, yet it seems little changes. Like individuals, districts function on assumptions and beliefs. If these are not explored, challenged, and updated, each initiative becomes just another in a long line of initiatives—all enthusiastically rolled out then quietly forgotten. In “The Power of Beliefs and Assumptions” chapter of its Becoming Learning Systems course book, Learning Forward made this clear, “Many educational change initiatives fail because leaders focus too much on actions and not enough on their underlying assumptions. New behaviors often are not sustained over time because people’s beliefs have not been transformed, and the principles and assumptions needed to sustain the effort are not deeply embedded in the individuals and organization” (2014, p. 13).
When you’re trying to lead it, this type of change is challenging and messy work. You want to be action oriented, so you focus on a plan. You outline the steps, assign people to be responsible, create a timeline, and determine metrics to calculate success. All this busyness can ignore the assumptions and beliefs that should underpin, but are in opposition to, the plan. You’re placing the action cart before its team of horses: the assumptions and beliefs. Transforming individual assumptions and beliefs and embedding them in the system must come first. Being a leader requires you to advocate for change, share the vision for the change, and then model the process for change you want to see. It requires you to be vulnerable, to be willing to talk about difficult topics and have your assumptions and beliefs challenged.
[[Pause Sidebar]]
[SB Head]Pause and Reflect
As Margaret Wheatley wrote, “I’ve found that I can only change how I act if I stay aware of my beliefs and assumptions. Thoughts always reveal themselves in behavior. As humans, we often contradict ourselves—we say one thing and do another. We state who we are, but then act contrary to that. We say we’re open-minded, but then judge someone for their appearance. We say we’re a team, but then gossip about a colleague” (2010, p. 22).
To help you stay aware of how your beliefs and assumptions reveal themselves and affect your students, take a moment to complete the chart in Figure 4.4. You can add your own assumptions, as well, to personalize it. Consider using it with other educators formally or informally to begin the messy work of examining assumptions and beliefs. You might also want to create a similar chart for your district.
Assumption/Belief
(What I say)Action
(What do I do)Reality
(What others experience)
Treat all students fairly
Give students ownership of their learning
Include summative assessment practice
Create a safe, welcoming classroom
[[Figure Caption]]
Figure 4.4 Chart your assumptions, actions, and impact to help begin sustainable change.
[[/Figure Caption]]
[[/Pause]]
In all this discussion about assumptions and beliefs one thing is often missing: Students. They are integral to the education system, and they too have assumptions and beliefs about themselves, the purpose of schools, and the way things work. They are more perceptive than we think. Even if they don’t express it, they often notice when our assumptions and beliefs do not align with our actions in the classroom. For example, we hear such terms as student agency, student ownership of learning, voice and choice, and student-centered instruction, yet, when students enter the classroom, all the traditional accouterments are there: rows, bells, tests, text-based instruction.
It isn’t enough to say we want these things for students. We have to examine our assumptions and beliefs about student ownership and leadership. It requires shared ownership and balance.
[B]The Educator as Collaborator and Facilitator
Most of you have probably heard the advice that educators should move from being the “sage on the stage” to being a “guide on the side” (King, 1993, p. 30). The ISTE Standards for Educators ask you to move beyond both these roles, urging you to get into the thick of it and learn with your students. This is clearly defined within the role of Collaborator (ISTE, 2017), which encourages educators to “to redefine their relationship with their students as they model collaboration and facilitate authentic co-learning experiences” (Indicator 4b).
Currently, educators are considered pedagogical experts. In many ways, this assumption and belief is true; educators have studied and trained to become skilled at their craft. The traditional view assumes the educator, as the expert, is responsible for determining the goals, methods, materials, and assessments to be used in the lesson. Educators are also often considered subject specialists as well, especially in the higher grades. Again as experts, they have the jobs of determining what content is important to know and delivering it to their students. With the advent of mobile technology and the means to easily create and share content, however, students are no longer dependent on the teacher for their content—or learning. Outside of the classroom they can pursue any topic that interests them, in virtually any format. These seismic shifts have heightened the need to shift the role of the teacher. Although pedagogical expertise is still important, the hierarchy of the classroom is quickly being replaced with environments where the teacher is a co-learner, modeling learning as a collaborative, connected, and shared experience.
The ISTE Standards for Educators signal not only a change in what teachers do, but also a shift in control. For many educators, their role is clearly defined, established by decades of tradition. Ownership and control of learning is based on the assumption that teachers lead and students follow. It is the educator’s job to create the lesson, then teach it and test how well students understood it. It is the student’s job to learn the material, complete assignments, and take the assessments. Even educators who embrace changes to their role often struggle with the release of responsibility for learning to students. They also struggle against system assumptions and beliefs that reinforce the status quo. Report cards, standard parent-teacher conferences, curriculum maps, and standardized tests place decision-making and ownership of learning in the hands of the teacher.
The Educator Standards also highlight significant shifts in ownership through the role of Facilitator (ISTE, 2017), in which educators are encouraged to “foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings” (Indicator 6a). To “foster a culture of ownership” the educator is encouraged to profoundly change the student-teacher dynamic by guiding students to assume an active role in the why and how of their learning. In essence, students are to shape and maintain the learning and social culture of the classroom, but they may not always be ready to take on this role as co-designers of learning right away. You can help your students develop classroom leadership skills by showing that you trust them and their abilities to grow into a shared role. You can do this by:
[[List]]
• Providing students with opportunities to set and pursue personal goals that extend beyond a single lesson or unit to the entire school year. These goals may be related to personal qualities, specific kills, or passions students want to pursue. To benefit the rest of the class, students would be asked to provide regular status reports during which they share what they are learning and ask for support from peers who have a similar interest.
• Actively involving students in the development of classroom norms that are revisited and revised as classroom events warrant throughout the year.
[[/List]]
These steps show students that you follow through on your stated beliefs when it comes to their ownership of learning. You don’t just pay lip service to them, but actually put your evolving assumptions about learning into practice as you redefine classroom roles. Shifting the responsibility for learning to your students you will help them develop their self-regulation, metacognition, and self-efficacy, some of the qualities that define an expert learner under UDL.
[A]Next Steps
Our assumptions and beliefs are complex. They are a combination of what we’ve learned, and what we’ve experienced. They can, just like our clothes, be outdated, worn, and difficult to throw away. Our assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning, however, ultimately determine what our classrooms look and sound like. Too often, if we don’t critically examine our assumptions and beliefs, what we say we believe and what we do in the classroom are in direct opposition. Although it can be uncomfortable to critically examine our long held assumptions, it is crucial to continually revise and update them. We must also be open to having our assumptions and beliefs challenged, not just by colleagues with whom we agree, but also by those who may see things differently. Like individuals, systems also hold assumptions and beliefs. Although we often recognize policies, procedures, and programs are outdated and in need of change, we fail to recognize that the underlying assumptions and beliefs, firmly embedded and interconnected in the daily routines of the system, are also in need of repair and replacement.
The ISTE Standards for Educators can help frame and guide discussions about assumptions and beliefs at both the individual and system level. As a leader, you need the courage and conviction to be willing to relinquish some control as you transfer some of the responsibility for learning to students. As a Collaborator and Facilitator for learning with your students, you will show them that they have your trust as partners in the nurturing of a classroom culture built around shared values and norms. This transfer of control and responsibility for learning may be one of the most difficult shifts for educators to make, but it may also be the one that results in the most significant transformation of learning from something that happens to students to something they can do for themselves as expert learners.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Search results for Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert...
Stock Image
Dive into UDL Immersive Practi
Published by
The International Society for Technology in Education, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Softcover
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00091841479
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Education, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Softcover
Seller: Zoom Books East, Glendale Heights, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: very_good. Book is in very good condition and may include minimal underlining highlighting. The book can also include "From the library of" labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys, dvds, etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Seller Inventory # ZEV.1564846652.VG
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive Into Udl: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Educa, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.99. Seller Inventory # G1564846652I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive Into Udl: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Educa, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.99. Seller Inventory # G1564846652I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive Into Udl: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Educa, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: As New. No Jacket. Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.99. Seller Inventory # G1564846652I2N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive Into Udl: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Educa, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.99. Seller Inventory # G1564846652I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive Into Udl: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Educa, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.99. Seller Inventory # G1564846652I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Techno, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_371576265
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Techno, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or limited writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_339231746
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Published by
International Society for Technology in Education, 2018
ISBN 10: 1564846652
ISBN 13: 9781564846655
Used
Paperback
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR014270499
Quantity: 1 available