Universal Design for Learning: Technology Education Project
Timeline: January 5, 2009- May 21, 2010
Contact Teacher: Deborah Lindsey
[email protected]

All students, including ELL students and those with disabilities, participate in exploratory classes, including technology classes at Opelika Middle School. Mr. Lavaris Thomas and I modify the curriculum to make accommodations so that all students can be successful in our technology education classes. With input from the group of four teachers involved in this project, and later after faculty training and including their input, we have identified three problems based on current practices and have identified areas of need. As a result, we are proposing additions and/or changes in the presentation of our technology curriculum that would improve the overall education for each student at OMS.

PROBLEMS:
1. Students with disabilities often forget to bring their portable magnifying glasses or assistive technologies to our classes. With so much of our curriculum being computer based, this can present problems for the student.

2. Our technology module curriculum and related software is published only in the English language. Students need an alternative method to translate unfamiliar module terms and concepts into their primary language.

3. Technology Education labs do not have Internet access to support the technology curriculum and internet-based tools that are required in the curriculum. internet-based tools such as CAST Bookbuilder, CleverKeys, and so forth can not be accessed.

FOCUS:
The following list of goals was created and implemented to address the three problems listed above. The focus was three-fold: (1) to find and utilize available technology tools online to provide assistive technology on the computer so that students would not have to carry their assistive technology tools, by hand, from classroom to classroom; (2) to provide module translation tools readily accessible for ELL students who needed those resources so that the ELL students would no longer have to choose a module partner who was bilingual to assist the them with the translation of their module content; and (3) to acquire internet-accessible computers for our technology education labs so that these needed resources can be accessible to all students who need curriculum modifications. A key component of this focus is on teacher and faculty training so that these resources may be shared and utilized across curriculum content areas to help make curriculum accessible and improve education for all students at OMS.

GOALS:

OBJECTIVES	IMPLEMENTATION
Technology Provision of two networked computers for OMS Tech Ed labs to run module-related resources with UDL supports.	District technology support utilized Title I funding to replace three laptop labs with desktop computers. The laptops were refurbished, updates installed, and distributed to teachers who requested them for classroom use.
Technology Submit a request to purchase headphones, computer microphones, digital cameras (still and video) and scanners.	Found headphones for all computers in the Tech Ed labs. These were purchased several years ago with module upgrades and were packed away in a storage closet. Computer microphones were purchased for four modules utilizing Tech Ed Lab budget funds. Funds have already been allocated from the Tech Lab budget to purchase three digital video cameras by the end of this school year. Two HP scanners have been donated to the OMS Tech Labs in February, 2o1o.
Technology Send a list to the technology staff at central office, so that sites we need to implement UDL will not be blocked.	Rita Cunningham sent our list to the technology staff at central office. Some sites continue to be blocked however, we have been able to save programs on a thumb drive and load these onto our computers as needed.
Technology Create a website to link off the OMS and district websites. This website should include tools, websites, and information about technology available for use by students.	This website has been created. This site will be connected to our school website over the summer giving more people access to it.
Technology Submit a request to purchase a Promethean Board, ActivSlate, ActivTablet, and InFocus Projector so that these are available in both Tech Ed Labs to utilize resource with UDL supports.	Technology Education Budget funds were used to purchase a second Promethean Board and InFocus projector for the Tech Ed Labs. These were installed in February, 2010.
Teacher Training The four of us trained in UDL at our school will each train others. The technology department will be the responsibility of Deborah Lindsey.	I provided a training overview about our UDL project and the many available resources to my co-workers in technology during a common planning time on April 30, 2010. I loaded CleverKeys and the Virtual Magnifier on all computers in the technology labs and worked with individual teachers on how to use these. Each of the Technology Education teachers are working with the Keyboarding teachers to incorporate UDL principles in their curriculum by loading the Virtual Magnifier and Clever Keys on their computers and sharing resources that we both use in UDLilizing any Microsoft Office related projects for our students. Deborah Lindsey-available for continual training and assistance as needed to the technology department and will assist other exploratory teachers as needed.
Teacher Training Technology teachers will be directly involved in working cooperatively to UDLize the modules currently in the technology education labs.	The two of us technology education teachers began implementing the utilization of many of the UDL tools and ideas into our modules and projects. Picture examples of UDL incorporated in our module lessons and activities are included on the OMS UDL website. By focusing on UDLizing module lessons and activities to make accommodations for ALL students initially rather than making accommodations after planning has taken place on an individual-by-individual basis, barriers have been reduced for all students.
Funding Seek a grant to purchase digital cameras, video camera, scanner, headphones, and computer mics. Ask if any BBSST or Title I funds are available to purchase any of the above requests.	Found computer headphones in storage in the school that can be used with laptop computers we currently have. Used Technology Education Budget Funds to purchase digital video cameras, a Promethean Board, tablet, drawing pad, and InFocus projector fot the Technology Education labs. Submit a Best Buy grant this summer for digital still cameras and a scanner for one of the Tech Ed labs. Received two scanners in February 2010 donated by an outside source to the Technology Department.
Administrative Training Introduce administrators to the principles of UDL and enlist their support in implementing changes. Enlist their support for professional development, teacher training, and release time to do this training and implement other parts of this plan.	The four of us trained in UDL at Opelika Middle School presented the principles of UDL to the faculty and administrators on a professional development day, April 9, 2010. All administrators were present. Administrators were supportive of all implementation of UDL principles during the 2009-2010 school year.
Parent Training Present at technology night, April 13, 2010 introducing the principles of UDL and showing how we are implementing it in the classrooms, along with resources available to them at home.	Deborah Lindsey presented the principles of UDL at technology night, April 13, 2010 to the parents of all sixth through eighth graders who visited our Technology Education labs. Parents were able to see and experience how students utilize the Promethean Board to enhance their understanding of concepts presented in our module lessons through their involvement in hands-on activities. Parents were able to see how CleverKeys is a useful tool to assist ELL students with the translation of challenging vocabulary in module lessons to an understandable word(s) in their native language. Our teacher-created UDL website was given to parents as a resource for them to find other tools that their students might benefit from using.

RESULTS:

Since it was our basic goal and intent in the Technology Education Department to be trained in the principles of UDL and to begin utilizing UDL tools in our technology lessons, this plan has far exceeded our goal, both within our department and throughout our school. The list below shows the impact this project has already had school-wide:

1. Technology Education Department has been trained and is now using CleverKeys and the Virtual Magnifier. With the availibility of UDL tools loaded on the lab computers, Technology Education teachers are planning and creating lessons and projects that meet the needs of all students without having to make accommodations or modifications after the fact. Now our ELL students do not feel that they must choose to work with a bi-lingual speaking partner to assist them with the interpretation of their module lessons and activities. By utilizing CleverKeys to translate unfamiliar words found in module lessons, ELL students feel free to work with any friend in our technology class, bi-lingual speaking or not. Also, students with visual impairments are not identified as they travel throughout the school to exploratory classes including Technology and Keyboarding by carrying their hand-held magnifiers with them. Now they can access this tool on each computer in the labs and exploratory classes. (Please see photo examples of UDL implementation with module activities in the Technology Labs.)

2. Keyboarding Teachers are using the Promethean Board to incorporate UDL principles into their lessons. They are utilizing the Virtual Magnifier and Clever Keys loaded on their computers in the lab to assist in meeting the needs of all students. The Virtual Magnifier has been most helpful since it doesn’t require the use of ones hands to utilize it while typing. They have also mastered the resolution changer on their computers to change the display resolution for students with vision impairments.

3. Teachers school-wide have been trained on the principles of UDL and have access to the list of tools on this website. Teachers school-wide are asking questions and trying many of the tools listed on this website. (Please see "Teacher Submitted-School-Wide Teaching Training" section for more information)

4. Students have been introduced to the principles of UDL through school-wide advisory groups. They are aware of tools loaded on the computers throughout the school and are aware that many of these tools can be accessed via the internet and used at home to further assist students overcome learning challenges.

5. Parents have been introduced to the principles of UDL. They are aware of tools loaded on the computers throughout the school and are aware that many of these tools can be accessed via the internet and used at home to further assist students overcome learning challenges. In addition, they have access to the list of tools on this website. (Please see "Teacher Submitted- Parent/Technology Night" section for more information.)