3 Ways to Make Your Classroom More Accessible
How do you currently adapt your classroom environment to meet the needs of your students?
Your answer to this question may have changed due to a remote learning environment, or maybe you are finding a new routine transitioning back into a classroom. However, you most likely have a few ways that you ensure the learning outcomes are accessible and meet the needs of your students.
This blog post will focus on three (3) easy ways to improve your accessibility in the classroom to support all learning styles, exceptionalities, and strengths of your students. The resources shared can be implemented in either a remote setting or in a physical classroom environment.
A concept that will be explored throughout this blog post is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This approach is a research-based set of principles to guide educators in removing learning barriers for students and to ensure that learning is accessible for all.
This approach is an ideal end goal for all accessibility measures put in place in the classroom, and principles that ensure each students’ needs are met when engaging in their learning. UDL provides flexibility for the students that require it and provides a more rich learning environment for all students.
You may be thinking ‘I am already doing this in my classroom’, and you most likely have implemented strategies that align with UDL. If you’re interesting looking at the differences between traditional education and Universal Design, click here.
Resources created by Understood.org or CAST are a wonderful place to get started in learning more about UDL. Examples of UDL explored in the video above are:
- Provide flexible workspaces when possible
- Encourage access to various forms of content
- Post or write lesson goals on the board
- Visually support students learning throughout the lesson
UDL is making choices to enhance your classroom learning environment to engage and benefit all students. Ideally, you provide multiple ways students can engage in content explored in the classroom, with options to express or share their new knowledge.
Using UDL in your classroom will challenge the ways that you are currently sharing information with your students, and ask you to focus on building in flexible options for students, and removing barriers that may prevent students from engaging with content. Your lessons will have a strong emphasis on students reaching their own learning goals, and taking time to reflect along the way. Luckily technology is on our side, and we’ll explore below how you can create a learning environment to suit all of your students!
1. Vary Your Instruction
The first easy way you can enhance your accessibility within the classroom is to add multiple media within a lesson for students to engage in learning. Additionally, you may also provide a choice in how your students wish to explore a learning goal for the day. Note: If students require assistive technology to engage with a concept, please refer to step three: ‘Utilize your Resources’ for additional resources.
Examples of adding multiple instructional options include: sharing a video with closed captioning before you dive into a lesson, offering an audio recording to the new textbook chapter you will be exploring as a class, or providing students a few minutes to think, pair, share with an elbow partner before asking for their thoughts on a topic.
When starting a lesson, think about how you are going to be sharing the new content with your students. Then, challenge yourself to add another layer or option to learn the concept or access the information for students. Once students have an accessible way to digest and understand new information, this brings us to the question of ‘how do you provide an accessible space for your students going to showcase their understanding?’
2. Provide Options to Show Mastery or Comprehension of Concepts
The next way you can improve accessibility in your classroom is by examining your assessment ideas, and how you are going to prompt students to share their understanding of curriculum concepts, or learning skills. Switch up your usual assessment plans and provide students with new ways they may showcase their mastery or understanding of a concept.
When aligning your assessments with the learning goals, include frequent formative assessments, where students can share what they have already learned, and provide you with insight into their understanding of concepts. A great way for students to showcase their comprehension is by providing evidence and communicating their learning throughout the learning process. This can easily be documented in a digital portfolio. Through the use of digital portfolios, students can also have options on how to document this learning, through photos, videos, audio recordings.
Additionally, providing flexibility in your assignment dates can support students that may need additional think time, and when in the class providing students with well-timed breaks for students to absorb new information, or to take sensory breaks to help regulate throughout the school day.
For example, a student may record a quick audio clip explaining their thinking, and expand on their thought process. When students are in the habit of capturing their learning, it becomes an excellent way to authentically view their learning journey. A great way we have seen this used in classrooms is to prompt students to showcase their best work during a Student-Led Conference and have them reflect on their learning goals throughout the year.
Universally designed assessments are grounded on the principle that every student should be included in the target population to be tested. Placing students’ needs and perspectives at the center of decision making in test development helps create accessible tests that eliminate cognitive, sensory, emotional, and physical barriers. Barbara Dame, Karen Lea ‘Using Universal Design to Create Better Assessments’
Creating an accessible classroom includes providing multiple opportunities for your students to share their knowledge and understanding. For some students, this display of understanding may include writing an essay and uploading their document. For others, they may wish to create a video series or create a photo journal of their experiences. As long as you can clearly communicate the learning objectives and success criteria, how they get to the end result and their process can be represented using a variety of media.
myBlueprint provides options for students to showcase their learning using a variety of media, and is compatible with third-party accessibility websites to help students showcase their knowledge and understanding by visually representing their learning over time.
Utilize Your Resources
For some of your students, they may need additional support beyond the extra closed captioning in a video we explored above. There are amazing resources you can utilize in the classroom to help support your students, including low-tech options such as a Graphic Organizer, Writing Supports, Reading Guides, and Timers to keep on task. Below are wo types of digital resources you may easily implement: built-in assistive technology on devices, and third-party applications in Chrome internet browser.
With such a large range of accessibility resources,we encourage you to share your favourite resources in the myBlueprint Community, or comment directly on this post. You may also wish to continue your research. Assistive Technology Finder by Understood.org is a great place to start.
Built-In Device Accessibilities
Chrome Internet Browser Tools
Looking for more ideas on how to use myBlueprint to help support remote learning? Visit education.myBlueprint.ca/remote
Questions? Email support@myBlueprint.ca or call 1–888–901–5505.
