Hello Kate, and others,

On Nov 30, 2007, at 10:57 AM, Kate.Brandt at mail.cuny.edu wrote:


> I also  have some questions about the standards.  What is  

> "universal design?"  And exactly which evidence-based teaching  

> practices will we, as staff developers, be expected to pass on to  

> teachers?


In the proposed AALPD Professional Development Standards there is a  
reference, in two of the indicators under standard 2, to "universal  
design":

-----------
Standard 2. Prepares practitioners to appreciate and respond to the  
needs of all students, create supportive environments, and hold high  
expectations for all learners.

Indicator (a)  PD planning takes into account the principles of  
universal design
Indicator (b)  PD providers are trained in the principles of  
universal design
-----------

Universal Design

This is evironmental design that helps everyone, not just people with  
disabilities. A curb cut in a sidewalk, for example, makes crossing a  
street easier for those pushing strollers and those on roller skates,  
bicycles and skateboards, (the great majority of the people who use  
curb cuts) as well as those in wheelchairs.

In a classroom or computer lab universal design refers to the idea  
that it is not sufficient to have separate, sometimes stigmatizing  
assists for learners with disabilities; instead, the entire learning  
environment -- including technology -- should accommodate the widest  
range of learners, including those with physical and learning  
disabilities.

Universal Design and Technology

An example of universal design in technology is a software feature,  
found now in nearly all  personal computers, that allows users to  
increase the size of the text.  This helps people who have difficulty  
seeing small text, including those who are more severely sight- 
impaired. Another technology example is the text-to-speech software  
found in many computers, and that could easily be installed in all  
computers, that enables people who are legally blind to have text,  
including web pages, read out loud. This software may also be useful  
to those who have specific reading disabilities.

For more information on universal design you might look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_design

For a definition of universal design in a learning environment, you  
could look at:
http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html

or

http://telr.osu.edu/dpg/fastfact/undesign.html

or

http://www.nectac.org/topics/atech/udl.asp


As for which evidence-based practices should be "passed on", the  
AALPD standards are not intended to be prescriptive in this area, but  
they do embrace both research (not necessarily "gold standard") and  
professional wisdom (which in my opinion has not yet been adequately  
defined in our field). Standard 5 focuses on practitioners' abilities  
to evaluate and apply research (including professional wisdom) and  
theory. I believe that the idea of Standard 5 is not to push any  
particular evidence-based practice but rather to help practitioners  
become skilled in evaluating and applying (and then judging the  
results of using) evidence-based practices.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net
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