Yes, we must respect the process. Crucially though, we must allow the process
to work through the functional dynamics of the other 4 Ps: people, places,
policies, and programs. The process
begins to break down whenever the other four Ps act with dysfunction. To be
effective, all five must be optimally understood and interdependently respected
by all stakeholders. Filling any gaps in this systemic reality is the most
efficient professional development and pathway to becoming an intentionally
inviting Effective School.
Related to equity in education the term
"accessible" has been prone to multiple meanings. When considering access
for students with disabilities, it is often confused with related terms such as
accommodation, adaptation, or assistive technology. For purposes of this
discussion, it makes sense to understand and explore what
are accessible educational materials
(AEM) and Accessible Technologies? Thereafter, you are ready to further
distinguish and clarify the meaning in the context of access for students with
disabilities and accept the invitation to access the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials
resource: AEM and the Digital Shift.
Returning to the
discussion on providing accommodations and ensuring accessibility, ideally, everyone
accepted last month’s invitation to bookmark and become familiar with the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials. While its free course has ended, all
materials including webinar recordings remain available for reviewing,
referencing and sharing with colleagues and other stakeholders. Therefore, Making Everyday Curriculum Materials Accessible for All Learners, remains valuable professional
development for achieving your goal to ensure accessibility in virtual education.
If
delayed in reviewing this resource, perhaps the following preview would be
beneficial: Due to their physical, sensory, or
learning disabilities, many students with
disabilities experience barriers to using curriculum materials. Yet, all
students should have access to the same curriculum materials. An intentionally inviting mindset acknowledges
accessibility improves the quality of your curriculum and learning outcomes for
all learners.
The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials selected five tropics for online modules
related to providing accessible classroom materials. The five topics are
directly relevant to the curricular materials educators use daily with their
diverse students:
- Introduction
to Accessible Educational Materials and Technologies
- How to
Make Your Documents Accessible
- How to
Locate Captioned Videos and Caption Your Own
- How to
Find Specialized Formats of Print Materials
- How to
Select Accessible Digital Materials
Each topic has
varied options for independent practice. A Participant can select
activities according to the time he or she has as well as the level of
commitment desired. Depending on those
choices, the time commitment will range from approximately one
to three hours per topic.
In partnership with the
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), Digital Promise recently
released a new resource that
aims to provide that guidance for designing, assessing, and implementing
educator micro-credentials. The linked interactive map, created
in partnership with the National Education Association and Center for Teaching
Quality, explores micro-credential
policies and implementation stories across the nation. Given states, districts,
professional organizations, and other entities are revising their systems and
policies to recognize micro-credentials for educators, it is worthwhile to note Making Everyday Curriculum Materials Accessible for
All Learners is a pre-approved course for the IAAP Certified Professional
in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) credential. This provides a
solid argument if your district or state has not already pre-approved your work
with this course material for CEUs or professional development credits.
To cite:
Anderson,
C.J. (April 30, 2020). Providing accessibility
in virtual education requires a process for professional
development [Web
log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/
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