1. Tips for creating an inclusive mathematics classroom using universal design principles
Cheryl J. McAllister
Southeast Missouri State University
NCTM Regional Conference
Paducah, KY
October 10, 2002

2. What is inclusion?
According to Vaughn and Schumm (1995) inclusion is “the development of a school-based education model that is student centered and that bases educational placement and service provision on each student’s needs.”

3. The mandate for inclusive education
Federal and state laws
School board policy
Special interest groups (Council for Exceptional Children)
Professional organizations’ position statements (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Association for the Education of Young Children)

4. Federal and state law
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997.
Standardized testing required by states for all students

5. NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p. 12
The equity principle. Excellence in mathematics education requires equity – high expectations and strong support for all students. … Achieving this goal requires raising expectations for students’ learning, developing effective methods of supporting the learning of mathematics by all students, and providing students and teachers with the resources they need.

6. NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p
NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p. 12 (con’t)
All students, regardless of their personal characteristics, backgrounds, or physical challenges, must have opportunities to study – and support to learn - mathematics.

7. NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p
NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p. 12 (con’t)
Equity does not mean that every student should receive identical instruction; instead it demands that reasonable and appropriate accommodations be made as needed to promote access and attainment for all students.

8. NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p
NCTM(2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics, p (con’t)
Technology can assist in achieving equity and must be accessible to all students.
Help students explore complex problems
Computer tutorials
Link students in rural communities to advanced classes
Voice recognition software
(More on this later)

9. NAEYC and NCTM (2002). Early childhood mathematics: Promoting good beginnings, a joint position statement.
“In mathematics … learners benefit from having a variety of ways to understand a given concept. Building on children’s individual strengths and learning styles makes mathematics curriculum and instruction more effective. … Even with comparable learning opportunities, some children will grasp a concept earlier and others somewhat later. Expecting and planning for such individual variations are always important.”

10. The reality Not enough resources Large class sizes
Inadequate planning time
Teachers not consulted about placement of special needs students
Teacher isolation and little support from special education staff
Inadequate training for working with special-needs students
Inadequate technology and equipment

11. How do we attempt to meet the mandate?
Professional development to increase regular classroom teachers’ knowledge of educating exceptional students
Careful planning and instructional design
Use technology to allow subject matter to be accessible in a variety of formats

12. Professional development
Attend workshops and conference sessions at professional meetings
Suggest in-service workshops on including special needs students in the regular classroom
Suggest in-service workshops on how to use technology, i.e. computers, websites
Graduate courses
Personal research

13. Background information

14. What types of students are we talking about?
Students for which English is a second language
Students with physical disabilities
Students with learning disabilities
Gifted students
Students with non-traditional learning styles
Older adult students
All students

15. Barriers to access Communication barriers: Learning barriers:
Language disorders
Speech disorders
Learning barriers:
Learning disabilities
Non-standard learning styles
Attention disorders
Mobility barriers:
Extreme physical disabilities

16. Barriers to access Print barriers: Vision impairments
Reading difficulties
Beginning readers
Learning disabled students
ESL students
Aural barriers:
Hearing impairments

17. Instructional design Universal design Accommodation
Accommodations are built into the curriculum and instructional plans from the beginning
More responsibility on educators
Less work overall for teacher
Accommodation
Is developed as ‘add-on’ to existing curriculum and instructional plans
More responsibility on student
Seen as additional work for the teacher

18. Common accommodations
Extended time on exams and assignments
Alternative assessment
Note-takers or tape recorders
Readers or taped texts
Learning centers or resource rooms
Adapted equipment
Use of word processor for written assignments
Use of calculator for all computations
Teaching aide or peer tutor

19. What is universal design?
First developed by by architects to make buildings, parks, and other facilities accessible to all
Curb cuts
Ramps
Automatic doors
Universal design concepts were adopted by educators to make learning accessible to all

20. What is universal design?
…the design of instructional materials and activities that makes the learning goals achievable by individuals with wide differences in their abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand English, attend, organize, engage, and remember.(Bowe quoting CEC, 2000)

21. What is universal design? (con’t)
…achieved by means of flexible curricular materials and activities that provide alternatives for students with differing abilities. These alternatives are built into the instructional design…they are not added on after the fact. (Bowe quoting CEC, 2000)

22. 7 principles of universal design
Equitable use
Flexibility in use
Simple and intuitive use
Perceptible information
Tolerance for error
Low physical effort
Size and space for approach and use

23. Two components of universal design
Use of teaching methods and activities that are adaptable and address multiple learning styles
Use of technology to provide alternative access to information to be learned

24. Key characteristics of universal design when applied to education
The needs of the entire range of learners is considered when designing curricula, materials, methods, and environments
Provides multiple representations of information
Addresses engagement by considering individual preferences whenever feasible
Offers various methods of expression

25. Key characteristics of universal design when applied to education
Includes strategies to engage all 3 brain systems:recognition systems, strategic systems, and affective systems
Offers an array of strategy prompts, hints, or models of expert performance to assist learners

26. What about assessment?
Universal design principles must also be applied to assessment strategies if a fair and equitable measure of student understanding and learning is to be determined.

27. Now that we know what the theory is…
The question is: how do we accomplish all this in our own classrooms?

28. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Select textbooks and other materials that support and include students who have a wide range of abilities to see, hear, speak, and read.

29. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Selecting mathematics textbooks
Research indicates that 75% - 90% of classroom instruction is based on textbooks and the scope and sequence is determined by the book
Only about 3% of educational materials are field-tested with students prior to being published
A marketing survey found that the most important characteristic in the sale of math textbooks was the attractiveness of the art

30. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Research-based guidelines for selecting mathematics curricula for diverse learners
Emphasis on ‘big ideas’
Explicit strategies should be evident
Provide an adequate range of examples
Look for scaffolding strategies
Look for strategic integration of concepts
Build prerequisite skills before introducing new ones
Review should be sufficient, distributed, and cumulative

31. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
When using technology be sure to:
Provide captions for audio presentations
Provide educationally relevant descriptions for images and graphical layouts and videos
If possible put important course content on-line

32. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Permit and encourage the use of adaptive technology
Word processors
Special keyboards
Voice-input devices
Speech software
Websites and networked systems
Braille printers
Translation software

33. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Low-tech learning aids
Sticky notes
Highlighter pens
Calculators
Digital clocks
Tape recorders
Carbon paper note pads
Fanny packs to keep track of personal belongings

34. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
When teaching provide cognitive supports for content and activities:
Provide assessments for background knowledge and skill level
Summarize ‘big ideas’
Include explicit strategies to make clear the goals and methods of instruction
Provide scaffolding for learning and generalization
Build fluency through practice

35. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Good teaching tips you already use
Give immediate feedback, clarify instructions, ask for questions, repeat or give additional examples
Relate new topics to already learned topics or real-life examples
Go from concrete to abstract
Use peer mentoring, group discussions, and cooperative learning situations

36. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Make content personal
Develop study guides
Give more frequent, but shorter exams
Consider alternative assessment methods

37. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Offer multiple ways for students to interact with and respond to curricula and materials
Assignments where students choose method of learning
Assignments where students choose method of demonstrating knowledge
Assignments where review material is individualized to student’s interests or preferred learning style

38. Tips for regular classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment
Learn about the cultures of your students and reflect on how that will affect them
Develop a close collaboration with the special education staff
Don’t try to change everything at once

39. Final thoughts on universal design from Frank Bowe
“Universal design in education is based upon the premise that by preparing to meet diverse needs, we will better serve people with no special needs.” p.46
“We all need to remember that being among the ‘temporarily able-bodied’ is a short term gift.” p.47