Equity in the classroom is not a new topic and during my short time in education classes, this topic seems to ring through in every lesson. Equity in the classroom would mean that the teacher is attentive to ALL students. Time would have to be taken out to get to know each student and his/her learning styles in order to include all
students into each lesson. Students with disabilities are not just the ones that need accommodations. Students vary in every detail and educators need to make their lesson as broad reaching as possible. This could mean a variety of things from changing
the entire way the lesson is structured to adding an additional visual
companion to the lesson or to simply have the students work with their
accommodating assistive technology when needed. This is not
an option in my opinion, it is the teacher’s duty to teach all children. While it might seem like extra work for the already
over extended teacher, it is a necessity. Teachers need to be educated in the
techniques that would help them to run an inclusive equitable classroom. An up and coming issue is on equity has to do with the technology advances we are experiencing in the classrooms.
The digital age is among us and more and more books are coming with digital copies of their printed versions, or CDs with various audio lessons. According to the article, AIM for Digital Equity by Gayl Bowser and Joy Smiley Zabala Digital equity is the new topic being discussed and what is coming for the print disabled student might be promising. Changing over from print to digital allows for students to manipulate the text to a form that is more readable for them. Some students with disabilities are accommodated by AIM, Accessible Instructional Materials provided to them. These students have problems reading material from print for various reasons and their disabilities qualify them for these special materials. But what about the "average" student that might not qualify for a disability, but still struggles with their reading ability? What about the English language learner? These students deserve an even playing ground with the lesson being taught just as much as the next student. Having materials set up to be able to reach the entirety of the student population might seem like an impossible task, but I have learned that there are simple things that in this day in age of technology can be added to digital material where the student need not qualify to benefit.
Because I do plan on utilizing a class website I will have to be attentive to the accessibility of the material I put on there. For written material, having it available online makes it easier for students that struggle with the written word to use a screen reader or a translator. For visually impaired students screen readers also let the student know what pictures are on the document as well so alt text is required for picture descriptions to be read to the individual. Audio impaired students benefit from having a transcript for all audio tracks recorded on videos posted online. Doing all these measures on every uploaded document or website page created ahead of time can help the teacher from having to tailor every lesson when a new disabled student is enrolled in your classes. Having these materials always accessible help with the family at home in case anyone at home struggles with these things too. Overall everyone can benefit from multiple ways to absorb the information so a couple extra minutes on each lesson to ensure accessibility for all students seems like a good trade off to me.
Equality in the classroom does depend on the teacher. It is important for the teacher to look out for those kinds of things and to help each student succeed. They are responsible for giving all students an equal chance at succeeding. I really liked the way you explained how you will make sure your digital tools will be accessible to every student. You gave specific examples on the modifications you would do due to certain disabilities. I do believe that parent involvement as a lot to do with how the student is going to perform in the classroom. Giving the students the access to material outside of the class will give the parents an opportunity to review it and help their children outside of the class. This will really help the students that are struggling with the material.
ReplyDeleteMegan, your post about equity in the classroom was a thorough representation of how all teachers should cater to the diverse learning styles of students without hesitation. All students deserve equal opportunity and a classroom should model that ideal. I agree that it is worth the extra effort and time to ensure all students and parents have equal access to all classroom material. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGood analogy on equity, Megan. Some people mistake equity for equality. When the nature of equality is more concern with making sure all students are receiving equal treatment or one size fit all and that is where they (equality vs equity) draw the line and go their separate ways. Imagine passing out the exact size three (3) shoe to every student in your classroom then say they are all equal. Not going to work. The nature of equity - on the other hand - meets ever student where they are at (like you described perfectly in your post, Megan): every student gets the exact shoe size that fits them or in accordance with their learning style/needs.
ReplyDeleteLove the shoe analogy!
DeleteMegan,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some good points in your blog post. I liked how you mentioned how students with disabilities are not the only ones who need accommodations. This is very true, and I think all teachers need to have this mindset in the classroom. It is easy to just try and accommodate for the students who have disabilities, but every student has needs that need to be met. I also agree with you that it is necessary for teachers to put in the extra work to accommodate for their students. This is not something they should do, it is something they are required to do. I am also glad that you are planning on using a classroom website and that you are prepared to use technology in the classroom.