tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222607052024-03-18T23:24:47.844-05:00e-Learning EvangelistRay Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-43959799079458701062023-09-13T11:48:00.003-05:002023-09-13T11:51:26.367-05:00ADA Title II Regs... IMPORTANT!<p> Michael Barbour's blog Virtual School Meanderings gets a lot more visitors than this blog. It helps that he posts multiple times daily. I asked for him to address this topic and he offered me a guest spot on is blog.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/guest-blog-entry-ada-title-ii-regs-important/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target=""><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="1004" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYzepLyezNmkO2MuocNq7fXYDAtFXhRm9N4vKx34lct_Tm2nXR-USS52xxoNGzMbyhXUP0P4hYQCM5WXRSPrD9gB7U6m-rURAIdeK3inHq6oAtex35v5eLyQg-gRUtP1xkoVAhK-dl7iyyG7Nw42wBccKpTik_xxaSHmehnEaySqIoILqg2YL/w595-h327/2023-09-13_11-41-40.jpg" width="595" /></a></div><p><a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/guest-blog-entry-ada-title-ii-regs-important/">Guest Blog Entry: ADA Title II Regs… IMPORTANT! | Virtual School Meanderings (wordpress.com)</a></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-75624395141514177232023-08-24T16:06:00.000-05:002023-08-24T16:06:24.885-05:00From Virtual School Meanderings: Who Are These Experts?I'll spill and admit I was one of the members of the discussion that Michael writes about in this post.<a href="" rel="nofollow"></a><div><br /></div><div>This is not the first time I've read an article where a university professor is designated, in the article as an expert on virtual education, had minimum or negligible creds in the particular field, and normally they're used to insert a negative perspective. </div><div><br /></div><div>Michael raises the issue in <a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2023/08/24/who-are-all-these-experts/">Virtual School Meanderings Aug 24</a></div>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-60132978504690051272023-01-26T14:37:00.000-06:002023-01-26T14:37:14.230-06:00A Podcast: What is True Accessibility<p> I was interviewed for this EdUp podcast. I was, as you'll see, pretty freewheeling. I was told not to prepare, and so that's how I went into it.</p>
<iframe src="https://anchor.fm/edup/embed/episodes/553-What-Does-Accessibility-Actually-Mean---with-Raymond-Rose--Public-Policy-Chair-for-the-Texas-Digital-Learning-Association-TxDLA-e1tt767/a-a90hd1i" height="166px" width="500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</p>
But I like the YouTube version better. EdUp didn't caption the session. You'll hear me get into that, but you can use the YouTube captioning with this version.
</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t8mqzS6W1w8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-16461270415063923472022-09-19T10:31:00.002-05:002022-09-19T10:31:56.276-05:00Texas Legislative Commission on Virtual Education Written Testimony<p><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Raymond M. Rose<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">Public Policy Chair, Texas
Digital Learning Association<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">Digital Accessibility
Certificate Program Design and Delivery Team<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just a little background so you know who I am. I have been
involved in virtual education in K-12 since its start. I was part of the team
that created the country’s first virtual high school, VHS. But I had been
directing one of the first teacher professional development projects funded by
the National Science Foundation (NSF) before that. Before getting involved with
virtual education, I had been a junior high science teacher, and a high school
guidance counselor before becoming a Civil Rights Specialist for the
Massachusetts Department of Education, and then trainer and manager for the
regional desegregation assistance center covering New England. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2007, as a member of the North American Council for
Online Learning (NACOL) Research Committee, I co-authored <a href="https://aurora-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/iNACOL_AccessEquity_2007.pdf"><i>Access
and Equity in Online Classes and Virtual Schools.</i></a> We knew there was no
guidance for the field. Ours was the first publication in the country
addressing accessibility issues in online education. In doing the research for
that publication, we discovered a school district that had established a policy
that students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) were not allowed to take
an online course. The Office for Civil Rights cited the school district for
violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973<b>. Unfortunately,
we continue to find reports of public schools that have an enrollment policy, yet
deny students with IEPs the ability to enroll in online learning opportunities.</b>
It’s also relevant to note that the three earliest virtual education programs
in the country, Florida Virtual, Kentucky Virtual, and the Virtual High School,
have all enrolled students with disabilities from their inception.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, there was little interest in accessibility or
that 2007 publication. I presented at NACOL conferences and at other
educational conferences on accessibility whenever I could. Interest in digital
accessibility was slow to happen in K-12, but moved a bit faster in higher
education. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2012, the Texas Department of Information Resources,
required Texas state agencies and the institutions of higher education to
designate an Electronic Information Resources Accessibility Coordinator, though
it has taken some institutions until recently to comply.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By 2014, NACOL, now the International Association for K-12
Online Learning (iNACOL), asked me to write an update so I researched and
authored <a href="https://aurora-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/iNACOL-Access-and-Equity-for-All-Learners-in-Blended-and-Online-Education-Oct2014.pdf"><i>Access
and Equity for All Learners in Blended and Online Education</i></a> became a
reality. By that time, there was more interest
in the importance and understanding of the need for accessibility. In
2010, the US Department of Education sent a <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20100629.html">Dear
Colleague</a> letter to the presidents of colleges and universities to address
accessibility issues with electronic book readers. That letter stated: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <i>…universities
agreed not to purchase, require, or recommend use of the Kindle DX, or any
other dedicated electronic book reader, unless or until the device is fully
accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision, or the universities
provide reasonable accommodation or modification so that a student can acquire
the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same
services as sighted students with substantially equivalent ease of use.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then in </span><a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.pdf"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2011, in another</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> letter to K-12
superintendents, they said the 2010 letter also applied to school districts and
they issued another letter to provide more information. It also said, among
other things: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i>Schools should begin by
considering accessibility issues up front, when they are deciding whether to
create or acquire emerging technology and when they are planning how the
technology will be used. To that end, schools should include
accessibility requirements and analyses as part of their acquisition procedures.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In my experience, this is largely ignored in K-12 education.
When OCR investigations find schools using digital resources that are not fully
accessible, the school district will be cited for non-compliance with Section
504.<span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2014 saw an increase in enforcement
of Section 504, especially as related to online accessibility issues. In the
compliance reviews, OCR stated their operational definition of accessibility,
which is a clarification of the 2010 letter. It states:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Those
with a disability are able to acquire the same information and engage in the
same interaction -- and within the same time frame – as those without
disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While it’s easy to say schools need
to review all digital materials for accessibility before purchase or use, the
scramble for digital resources at the start of the pandemic showed how little
accessibility was a consideration in the selection of digital resources. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One question is: when do schools
(teachers and school leaders) learn about the OCR definition of accessibility
or how to review materials for accessibility? <b>The short answer is they
don’t. TEA’s certification requirements for teachers and school leaders drive
the Educational Preparation Program and Education Leadership curriculums and
yet do not include specific mention of digital accessibility</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">School districts are required by
Section 504 to identify a Section 504 Coordinator. That role is normally just
added to the existing Special Education Director’s job description. But, in the
place where educators might be exposed to Section 504 regulations, special
education preparation, it is generally treated as just like special education. <b>Professional
development programs must focus on all aspects of Section 504 to ensure school
leaders and those assigned to the role of Section 504 Coordinator have a
comprehensive understanding of the regulations and implications of Section 504,
especially as it concerns digital accessibility. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #030a13; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">New teachers don’t have the
knowledge nor the time to add another task to their lives. One solution is the
building of high-quality professional development programs for practicing
teachers and school leaders. One that will introduce accessibility legislation
and provide them with the skills to conduct accessibility reviews of digital
resources. And, to make clear <b>that it is morally, ethically, and most
importantly, legally inappropriate to deny any student with a disability access
to virtual education or digital resources. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-77576471588333208752022-05-18T13:18:00.000-05:002022-05-18T13:18:09.830-05:00It's been a while -- about time to catch up<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been slipping, and not posting. There have been a variety of things worth posting. So, I'll make this a series of things that should have been posted over the past months.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's an article that I co-authored with Mary Rice. It's a result of a session we did together at DLAC 2022. </span><a href="https://www.k12dive.com/news/connecting-accessibility-third-party-curriculum-and-student-success/620439/" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;">Connecting accessibility, third-party curriculum and student success</a></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a;">School districts must carefully vet digital resources to ensure IDEA compliance, two learning accessibility advocates write.</span> </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The US Department of Justice posted <span style="background-color: white; color: #162e51;"><a href="https://beta.ada.gov/web-guidance/"><b>Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA</b></a>. </span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #162e51;">There's nothing new in the guidance. It's the same things that we've been talking about for years. But, it is nice to have DoJ reiterate them. And in that post there's some examples of issues, again, no surprises but useful information when you want to show examples.</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #162e51;">The </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Texas Legislature, established the<a href="https://tea.texas.gov/academics/learning-support-and-programs/texas-commission-on-virtual-education"><b> Texas Commission on Virtual Education</b></a>. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The commission was established to develop and make recommendations regarding the delivery of virtual education in the public school system and state funding for virtual education under the Foundation School Program. Tphe Commission has to prepare a report to deliver to the next Legislative session that begins in January 2023. They hold monthly meetings which are streamed, and the past meetings are available on the website. Mary Rice and I will be making a presentation to the Commission at it's May 25th session.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">There's a nice TCEA blog post: <b><a href="https://blog.tcea.org/how-to-encourage-digital-accessibility/">How to Encourage Digital Accessibility</a> </b>written by </span>Miguel Guhlin after we had a few email exchanges. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I think this is a significant blog post for TCEA. I've been trying to get some visibility for digital accessibility within TCEA for years and I count this as a significant win.</p></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-88385622749629543972021-10-01T10:31:00.003-05:002021-10-01T10:31:22.199-05:00Illinois Passes Law to Require Digital Accessibility in all K-12 Schools (from the DLC)<span style="font-size: medium;">Here's a blog post I wrote for the Digital Learning Collaborative.</span><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><a href="https://mailchi.mp/8ea333f92d2f/illinois-passes-law-to-require-digital-accessibility?e=fc7f418e2d" p="">Illinois Passes Law to Require Digital Accessibility in all K-12 Schools</a> </h2><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">BY RAYMOND ROSE</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Raymond Rose is the Public Policy Chair for the Texas Distance Learning Association, and a member of the development and implementation team for their Digital Accessibility Certificate program. He has been involved in online learning for almost three decades.</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">On September 2 Governor Pritzker signed </span><a href="https://trackbill.com/bill/illinois-house-bill-26-sch-cd-internet-accessibility/1978129/" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">Illinois House Bill 26</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">. The new law is designed to make digital content on third-party curriculum used in K-12 schools fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. In some respects, it echoes the current federal legislation </span><a href="https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleII_2010/titleII_2010_regulations.pdf" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">Title II of the ADA</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">, and </span><a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/statutes/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">. But it doesn’t go as far as the Federal statues do.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">HB 26 specifically applies to third-party curriculum provided through the Internet. It would appear that the law does not apply to digital resources or curriculum developed by the school.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Sec. 10-20.75.part (b) of the statute specifies the </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">“school district </em><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">must require that the Internet website or web service comply with Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 or any revised version of those guidelines.” </em><a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">WCAG 2.1 AA</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> is the current enforcement standard used by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). While Illinois HB 26 specifically applies to third-party digital content the Federal legislation, ADA and Section 504, applies to </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">all</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> digital content, both third-party and locally developed content, used by the schools.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">I’ll be curious to see what the state will consider adequate for the requirement. OCR does not consider it sufficient that a school district simply includes in all contracts with third-party vendors that their product meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The expectation is that the academic institution be active in reviewing digital resources for accessibility. I am party to discussions from higher education accessibility folks. And, while a number of colleges and universities do include a contract requirement it appears that often the digital resource will only partially meet the standard and then the institution will work with the vendor to make the product accessible so they can purchase it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">I believe that to meet HB 26 school districts will need to create a vendor review process. Many school districts probably already do content and technical reviews of potential digital curriculum resources, but they will now need to have staff with the knowledge of accessibility and specifically WCAG 2.1 AA who review digital resources before a contract is signed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">In 2010 the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent a Dear Colleague letter to all school superintendents that describes their interpretation of the ADA and Section 504. OCR is responsible for enforcing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and its implementing regulation at 34 C.F.R. Part 104, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of Federal financial assistance. OCR is also responsible for enforcing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq., and its implementing regulation at 28 C.F.R. Part 35, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">HB 26 goes into effect August 1, 2022. WCAG 3.0 is currently in draft and might be available before that. HB 26 says that the standard will be WCAG 2.1 AA or “any revised version of the guidelines”. As school districts develop their plans for review of digital resources, they should not avoid looking at the 3.0 standard.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">There are </span><a href="https://webaim.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">resources</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> to help accessibility reviews and there are organizations that provide </span><a href="https://www.txdla.org/accessibilitycertification/" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">training on digital accessibility</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> and there are others that will, for a fee, conduct accessibility reviews. In addition, there are companies that offer overlays that are supposed to ensure that website content is fully accessible; but be very careful because there have been problems with some overlay services.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Given that HB 26 doesn’t go farther than current federal regulations, and in some ways doesn’t even go as far, it’s unclear as to why the state legislature passed the law. The law seems to have received some </span><a href="https://newschannel20.com/news/local/new-illinois-law-increases-access-to-online-learning-for-disabled-students" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">media attention</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">, and the governor was quoted as saying “As online educational tools become further integrated into school curriculums, we need to be sure that these tools are properly addressing the needs of all the students and families they’re designed to serve.” Therefore, at the very least, the attention given to the law’s passage has raised the issue of accessibility for students with disabilities.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">The bottom line, for all academic institutions across the United States is that all digital resources need to be accessible to all people with disabilities. While Illinois HB 26 focuses on third-party curriculum products, the Federal legislation applies to all digital resources, even if developed in-house.</span></div>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-86544538394829326742021-09-01T10:47:00.001-05:002021-09-01T10:47:11.494-05:00Contacting Policy Makers -- Will it Make a Difference?<p> I've been having a discussion with some colleagues about what it will take to get some changes in both the way we prepare folks to run our k-12 schools and how we get them to understand more about online learning. </p><p>We've seen, over the past year and a half, that educational leaders in general, don't have a good idea of what high-quality online learning looks like, or what it takes to make it happen. Our past experience with emergency remote instruction (sometimes called virtual education) was generally not the best experience. </p><p>(I do try to mention, when I have the opportunity, that not all on-campus learning experiences are wonderful.)</p><p>What is clear, there's been little preparation in teacher preservice education or in educational leadership programs that helped to prepare the education community for a totally virtual experience.</p><p>One colleague suggested that the state legislative education committees might be a way to influence policy. Hmmm. So, this week I sent a message to every member of both the Texas Senate and House education committees. But since I'm not in any of their districts it will be interesting to see if there's even an acknowledgment.</p><p>Here's the message:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">Distance learning, correspondence course, virtual learning,
online learning, emergency remote learning, Zoom school. Do those terms each
bring to mind a different image of education? In 1960 a computer-based instruction,
called Plato began. In 1995 I was part of the team that created the first
virtual high school in the United States.
Virtual instruction has been well researched and has refined and
improved in quality over the past two-plus decades. There are quality standards
for virtual education.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic forced schools to abandon what
they knew best how to do, and rushed into emergency remote learning, often with
little though and planning. Students and teachers were asked to do things they
were totally unfamiliar with. It is not surprising then that emergency remote
learning was not as successful as on-campus instruction. </p><p class="MsoNormal">But, emergency remote learning was not and will not be the
same as virtual schooling. There are many different approaches to virtual
education, some are synchronous, the longer established are more often
asynchronous. There are studies of virtual education programs that report no
significant difference in student learning between online and on-campus
learning. There has been little research that evaluates the issues with
emergency remote learning. Like with virtual education, there are many flavors
of emergency remote learning and trying to paint them all with the same brush
does a disservice to the field.</p><p class="MsoNormal">My purpose in writing is point out that policies that use the
term virtual or online education as a catch-all, are mixing the good,
long-established, and studied programs with the hurriedly put together emergency
remote instruction. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Language is important. Quality is important. Experience
contributes to high quality online learning. Not all online learning is of high
quality. Not all on-campus learning is of high quality. But there are
wonderful, high-quality examples of learning in both approaches. Please don’t
prevent schools from replicating or creating high quality online learning
programs. The students will benefit.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-4552388078813867552021-03-30T15:48:00.000-05:002021-03-30T15:48:02.739-05:00In Massachusetts Vocational Schools Become The Latest Front In The Battle For Educational Equity<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The headline in the Boston Globe magazine read <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/18/metro/civil-rights-groups-urge-state-change-discriminatory-vocational-school-admissions-policies-lottery/?event=event12"><i>Civil
Rights groups urge state to change ‘discriminatory’ vocational school
admissions policies to lottery</i></a><i>.</i> I had to read it. I was a Civil
Rights Specialist with the Massachusetts Department of Education 1978-1980. I
had a role in reviewing the admissions policies for the public regional
vocational-technical high schools. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the time, many of the VocTechs had a set of hoops
students had to go thru to get accepted. One was a Differential Aptitude Test
(DAT).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time, the test had
separate scoring for males and females. It had been normed by having adults in
a variety fields take the test and then creating profiles for them. It was
never designed to be a screening test. That it had separate norms made its use
questionable. That it was never designed to predict success in a field made its
use questionable. That it had been normed on adults rather than junior high and
senior high school students made its use questionable. As a result we said the
DAT could not use as part of the admission screening process for VocTechs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Massachusetts Department of Education had a role then, in
working to ensure that VocTech admissions were free of bias. We worked with
those programs to ensure that all programs were open without regard to
student’s race, sex, color, or national origin. The department was also working
to ensure that students with IEPs were not arbitrarily excluded from admission.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the time I was with the Department <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/16/obituaries/dr-gregory-r-anrig-61-dies-led-educational-testing-service.html">Greg
Anrig</a> was the Commissioner, and he wanted the Department to monitor LEA
compliance. That approach didn’t sit well with the Superintendents who were on
having to ensure that their programs were in compliance with state and federal
legislation. The next Commissioner had been a Superintendent and was determined
to take the Department out of the role of compliance monitor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I believe that empowered Superintendents and significantly
undermined the role of the Department. And, looking at the Globe report, I’d
say the Dept of Education has continued to avoid protecting <span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">students of color, low-income students, students with
disabilitie</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">s</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">,
and English learners.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-59172528908389947212021-02-05T13:21:00.000-06:002021-02-05T13:21:25.107-06:00How to Become a Critical Reader of Online Research<p class="MsoNormal">Distance education has existed for a long time. Think
correspondence courses and the pony express. Education at a distance has
evolved as new technologies have been created. Radio and television played a
role in distance education sometimes used to reach students who were unable to
attend classes in a brick-and-mortar setting. Often the technology has been
used to attempt to reflect as close as possible the traditional instructional
brick-and-mortar models. Early email instruction resembled first correspondence
and then lecture classes. In the mid-90s
a new approach to education at a distance provided an alternative to the
synchronous satellite television and proliferation of satellite dishes that
were used to show that the school was advanced. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Virtual education started, not as a replacement for the
brick-and-mortar school but as a supplement. And primarily was asynchronous. Quick
move to 2020 and the COVID pandemic where schools were closed to help prevent
the spread of the disease. Because virtual education had grown from the first
few programs to over thousands of schools and programs reaching millions of
students and there were many different approaches to online learning in play,
school leaders quickly instituted remote learning options generally with little
thought to preparing or supporting teachers to operate in this new environment
(and I use the term “remote learning,” and not “online learning” here
purposefully). Sometimes they looked critically at the distance learning field,
but more likely just felt if there were lots of virtual education programs it
had to be easy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Recently we’re seeing a good deal written about remote instruction
with much of it being critical. Rightly so. What was missing, was the clear
statements that online learning isn’t as simple as posting PowerPoint slides
online or recreating the brick-and-mortar class activities in Zoom. And some of
that needs to be owned by stakeholders in the field of virtual schooling at all
levels who have been involved for over two decades, was what is actually
required to provide quality online learning experiences. There are now a myriad
of approaches to online learning. There is not a single instructional approach.
But if you don’t study online learning broadly then it’s like the blindfolded
feeling the elephant and having a limited experience but thinking they know
what an elephant is like.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The educational research on distance education, online
learning, and remote learning all suffers from the same problem. Many
researchers will report their results as generic for all online or remote
learning contexts. That paints the field with a very wide brush and the
research tends to reflect the inherent biases of the researcher. There is a
limited amount of research findings for many different approaches, but seldom
does the research describe the approach used for the subject of the research. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Selective use of research to write about online, virtual, or
remote learning can paint most any picture the writer wishes to portray. And then, that research is used to present a
generic view of the learning, without characterizing the specific approach or
stating that they are not talking about the entire field. In many instances the
author themselves have such limited knowledge of the broader field they don’t
even know what they don’t know. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">It is impossible, within the current range of research on online,
virtual, or remote learning to make blanket statements about the field beyond
the observation that online and hybrid instruction can deliver strong results,
but like anything in education there is no guarantee of good outcomes. No
matter what the claim, there’s always some study that shows a conflicting
result. Any claim about the field, other than to point to the diversity, needs
to be tempered with some qualifying statements. A critical look at the tenor of
an article can actually provide the reader with a sense of the bias of the
writer in most cases. A knowledgeable writer will state their bias or
experiences to help provide transparency and provide the reader with
perspective.<o:p></o:p></p><div style="mso-element: comment-list;"><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_5" language="JavaScript">
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</div>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-69634993792872057072021-01-08T12:13:00.003-06:002021-01-08T12:13:38.571-06:00Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (TETCs)<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://site.aace.org/tetc/"><b>Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (TETCs)</b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt;">The
TETCs should be viewed as a first step in a larger reform effort to better
address technology integration in teacher preparation programs. The release of
the TETCs provides future research opportunities including, but not limited to,
implications for course design, relevant faculty development for teacher
educators, and policy implications.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><a href="https://www.learntechlib.org/p/181966/">The TETCs</a> have been written by
insiders, and seemingly for insiders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There’s a lot hidden between the lines. The problem with that is that
while it makes it easier to write a set of competencies with a team of people
with different experiences and expertise, it is sometimes harder to know what
the ideal would look like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The TETCs were supported by a number
of organizations:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: 66.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://tech.ed.gov/"><span style="color: #008749;">The United States
Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (US DoE)</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: 66.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.iste.org/"><span style="color: #008749;">International Society
of Technology in Education (ISTE)</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: 66.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://site.aace.org/"><span style="color: #008749;">Society for
Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE)</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: 66.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.caepnet.org/"><span style="color: #008749;">Council for the
Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: 66.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.ntlcoalition.org/"><span style="color: #008749;">National
Technology Leadership Coalition (NTLC)</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: 66.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://aacte.org/"><span style="color: #008749;">American Association of
Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>But what’s missing may have, in part,
been determined by who’s missing.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When I look at the competencies, I see
issues not addressed which are important components of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>K-12 education <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are terms I’d hope to see used in the next
iteration of these competencies:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Accessibility, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Adaptive
technology, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Disability, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Equity Online
learning, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">WCAG, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I know that the curriculum in teacher
educator programs is largely determined by the state education agency (SEA) and
their certification and program standards. That, unfortunately doesn’t
guarantee it to be relevant to today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was teaching the required
instructional technology course in an undergrad educator prep program, I
recommended that we incorporate instructional technology into the other courses
as a way of having an option for a new course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I proposed that I’d create the instructional technology modules for the
other courses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My offer was declined
because the other professors weren’t interested in seeing that happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So instructional technology was siloed rather
than integrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I can see that
the TETCs might be seen as encouraging integration within teacher education
programs, it’s not explicit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I don’t see how the TETCs help
teachers select the best tech tools for remote instruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One survey asked teachers how they selected
the tools they used for during Spring 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The overwhelming response was ease of teacher use, not student
learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Administrators threw remote
instruction onto teachers without support, and many districts still didn’t
provide professional development for teacher use of remote instruction tools
over the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did they not know that
technology does require training and support, and remote teaching isn’t just
something to be picked up and happen magically?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s no wonder many students and parents have been frustrated by the
remote learning experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-46021168723137148922020-12-03T12:24:00.006-06:002020-12-03T12:28:17.787-06:00This is what journalistic malpractice looks like<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">John Watson from DLC and I collaborated on this latest blog post from DLC. (If you don't follow them you should.) And this saves me from writing a post today, which was on my to-do list.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mailchi.mp/a552972b84d0/this-is-what-journalistic-malpractice-looks-like?e=fc7f418e2d" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="735" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIFRU73pEEuzuhj8JMZCxF8dq7JS6J5E_k_OWs5ePgeCJmIRDuw6p7kzds9TQHKX20VarRGNSRI1CrGMfwl2xfsKF1_AypuhX9pqH09TblxlpywAiX7FWlKxPVlgvWEKtV0LD/w584-h534/2020-12-03_12-16-42.gif" width="584" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-22428482882584309922020-11-02T15:36:00.002-06:002020-11-02T15:36:29.878-06:00Happenings<h1 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Accessibility for All K-12 Students in Remote Learning</span></b></h1><p>I had announced this w<a href="https://youtu.be/5q1ondOKuUI">ebinar </a>was happening before it took place, but then never posted the actual event. You can watch the webinar.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5S2pFckMVZgPSSkF_r3zw7bnzBKoGCg4kgerK7paY_xum6Yc_mdTkEdyBxuGiQatoGLu8iFV3lKwxTBJihtV-6jbV-_lRq5dPt6HBwfNehOaDqoH8CzlSdB8Hz5creCXM-iZ/s712/Access+for+all+K-12.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the presenters on the webinar" border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="712" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5S2pFckMVZgPSSkF_r3zw7bnzBKoGCg4kgerK7paY_xum6Yc_mdTkEdyBxuGiQatoGLu8iFV3lKwxTBJihtV-6jbV-_lRq5dPt6HBwfNehOaDqoH8CzlSdB8Hz5creCXM-iZ/w400-h231/Access+for+all+K-12.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />It was fun to present with Mary Rice again.<div>Here's the direct link: <a href="https://youtu.be/5q1ondOKuUI">https://youtu.be/5q1ondOKuUI</a><div><p></p><h1 class="entry-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #232323; line-height: 55px; margin: 0px auto 15px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">How to Become an Instructional Designer: 13 Experts Give Their 3 Key Tips</span></h1><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A colleague asked me to be part of this blog post. I have had an interesting relationship with instructional designers, especially when it comes to online courses. In the early years of virtual education my complaint with IDs was a lack of awareness about online pedagogy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I have seen the work of some instructional designers who were most interested in making their product "pretty". And that seemed to be the focus of their ID preparation. It has taken the ID preparation programs some time to understand that pretty doesn't always mean effective instruction. It is also now expected, at least by me, that IDs know about and can implement fully accessible online courses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Instructional designers have recently been seen as essential as higher education has been forced to present instruction remotely. Institutions that had instructional designers to help with online course development were suddenly the critical element in supporting or creating remote and online instruction for every educational element of the institution.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp6MWwJ4CqwwSVU_MPrJuJpsAjrkT2Vb5yOcEQQhcJdHcj7rrKU9B_Pk6WU4dOrFI3SMjA4xSlEXGYhFjce_brOnsxOuw5wo6sljsWGDBzHqB3jz5-oJHV9dpVCRAd4rbSSD2/s982/13+ID+experts.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="982" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp6MWwJ4CqwwSVU_MPrJuJpsAjrkT2Vb5yOcEQQhcJdHcj7rrKU9B_Pk6WU4dOrFI3SMjA4xSlEXGYhFjce_brOnsxOuw5wo6sljsWGDBzHqB3jz5-oJHV9dpVCRAd4rbSSD2/s320/13+ID+experts.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think Scott selected the photo of me with a koala to make me look more cuddly.</div><br /><a href=" https://myelearningworld.com/how-to-become-an-instructional-designer-tips/"> https://myelearningworld.com/how-to-become-an-instructional-designer-tips/</a><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-74157078966110586712020-08-13T13:35:00.000-05:002020-08-13T13:35:46.361-05:00Accessibility for All K-12 Students in Remote Learning Webinar August 19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC9cOFdwKBEIiZX6Ly_5cAlepOyptIC8UGVwwYogPL1UoPazSzldAwBUqxyGggbtGVth-cre3uqIPH2w1hALuekOI_rp1AhXKJB_nB83ztFu82F6YQ29yFTuivabOLIlDBVUB/s1792/f-tucgsoe-diversitynow-200819.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC9cOFdwKBEIiZX6Ly_5cAlepOyptIC8UGVwwYogPL1UoPazSzldAwBUqxyGggbtGVth-cre3uqIPH2w1hALuekOI_rp1AhXKJB_nB83ztFu82F6YQ29yFTuivabOLIlDBVUB/w446-h640/f-tucgsoe-diversitynow-200819.jpeg" width="446" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2020/08/13/tuc-gsoe-diversity-now-webinar-series-accessibility-for-all-k-12-students-in-remote-learning/">https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2020/08/13/tuc-gsoe-diversity-now-webinar-series-accessibility-for-all-k-12-students-in-remote-learning/</a> </p>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-31614164670056580212020-06-10T12:20:00.000-05:002020-06-10T12:20:04.048-05:00What Is Your Organization Saying About Racial Justice (Equity)<p style="background: white; line-height: 1; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: left;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1;">There have been a variety of
statements written in the past few weeks about the systemic racism that has been</span></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8G9DbJ1SfmNqIs-ssxZPYlg14NHO25ASRvreVsUQrR5a-lexbY5NXehyphenhyphenpXMVTG0hMcihRPhVh3eX-RFGFc_o35Y5gZiVRXaOGqACLAggLpMq5rCe7F3_VH-HssjCG37RHLmh/s100/black+lives+matter_small-.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8G9DbJ1SfmNqIs-ssxZPYlg14NHO25ASRvreVsUQrR5a-lexbY5NXehyphenhyphenpXMVTG0hMcihRPhVh3eX-RFGFc_o35Y5gZiVRXaOGqACLAggLpMq5rCe7F3_VH-HssjCG37RHLmh/" /></a><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"></font></div><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">
recognized and acknowledged by a variety of educational organizations. Friend
and colleague Michael Barbour posted the ones he was seeing on his blog<a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/"> Virtual School Meanderings</a>.<span style="line-height: 1;"> </span>He posts, for
information purposes, the messages he gets. I get many of the same, but look
through his blog to find the full texts of the few I’d like to highlight.</font><p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 1; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 1; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The “thoughts
and prayers” comments used, especially by politicians after mass shootings –
rather than a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">commitment to action were not used this time. But organizations
have claimed to be allies to Black Lives Matter, condemning racism. What’s
interesting is the vow to continue keeping on.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 1; margin: 5pt 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 1;"><font size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><font face="arial"><b>Which
organizations would you prefer to support? </b><o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 5pt 0in 0in 0.25in;"></p><ul style="line-height: 1; text-align: left;"><li style="line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 1;"><o:p style="line-height: 1;"> </o:p></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 1; text-indent: -0.25in;">Saying “Black Lives Matter” simply is not enough.
As a community of researchers, we must unite to take bold, evidence-based
action that exposes and ultimately ends the catastrophic police killings of
unarmed Black people. AERA has issued calls like these before, sadly far too
often. Our Executive Director Felice Levine and I welcome your suggestions for
ways AERA members across divisions, SIGs, and committees can unite to have a
collective impact on this issue. We intend to use the influence of AERA to move
ahead.</span></font></li></ul><ul style="line-height: 1; text-align: left;"><li style="line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">We recognize that our Black
colleagues are hurting, and are mindful of the pain and trauma these ongoing events cause. Know that we stand in solidarity with you and are working
diligently to address how to move forward as an organization, mindful as well
that our field must also move forward with us. In the interim, we reach out
with words of encouragement and support to you and your loved ones. The world
may be burning both literally and figuratively, but we are committed to the
possibilities for transformation and making UCEA a more responsive, reflexive,
and just community for all our Black brothers, sisters, and siblings</font></li></ul><ul style="line-height: 1; text-align: left;"><li style="line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1;"><o:p style="line-height: 1;"> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Christensen Institute stands in solidarity with the Black
community in condemning racism, hate, and injustice in our country. We
stand alongside those who support a more equitable and just country in which
Black lives matter and an education system in which students of color thrive.</span></font></li></ul><blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Our
education team works hard to identify and analyze promising innovations that
could unlock more student-centered systems. We are committed to finding and
understanding new approaches to undo entrenched practices and build an
equitable education system that enables learners, particularly those from
marginalized communities, to reach their fullest potential.</blockquote><div style="line-height: 1;"> </div><blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: small; line-height: 1;">We
commit to holding ourselves to account. To that end, we are reading,
listening, learning, and partnering with experts who can help us to examine our
own organizational practices to root out the biases that affect our work.
We invite feedback and hope to engage in open dialogue as we move forward on
this journey.</span></blockquote><div style="line-height: 1;"><ul style="line-height: 1; text-align: left;"><li style="line-height: 1;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: small; line-height: 1;">The Aurora Institute stands with communities of
color, especially Black communities, as we all grapple with the systemic racism
and the unthinkable traumas playing out on the national stage today. While the
heartbreaking death of George Floyd and the protests have arrested our
attention, and perhaps only momentarily, we know that Black and Brown
communities contend with these injustices on a daily basis</span></li></ul></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">And then I got this one…<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small; line-height: 1;"><span style="line-height: 1;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small; line-height: 1;">(Highlander Institute) <i>We as white leaders can no longer claim to
be part of the solution while simultaneously sitting on the sidelines, and so,
we commit to the following:</i></span></blockquote><i><!--[if !supportLists]--></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><ol style="line-height: 1; text-align: left;"><ol style="line-height: 1;"><li style="line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1;"><span style="line-height: 1;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; line-height: 1;">We will
become more aware of and attuned to our <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-r/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">white privilege</span></a>. Until we – as white
educators – put in the effort to understand how our identity as white
adults impacts our behavior on a daily basis, we cannot make progress toward
challenging policies and systems that perpetuate our privilege.</span></font></li><li style="line-height: 1;">We will
cede power and make room for Black and brown people to lead – both within and
outside our organization. We stand in solidarity with our BIPOC (Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color) colleagues, who come to the table with
expertise and funds of knowledge beyond our capabilities as white leaders. We
will amplify and elevate Black-led organizations by using our platform to
showcase organizations that are doing this work through the lens of lived
experience.</li><li style="line-height: 1;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">We will
listen, show empathy, and take action in the form of learning. There are so
many resources guiding white people on how to show up for Black colleagues,
students, and families. We will buy the books, read the articles, attend the
workshops, and act on our new learning. [<a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-y/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">Diversity Talks</span></a> is offering free
online professional learning for white teachers this summer. <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-j/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">Equity Institute</span></a> has released a
statement titled, <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-t/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">“Racial Equity and Justice. Now.”</span></a>].
We will follow <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-i/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">Black education leaders on Twitter</span></a>,
and honor their perspectives by liking and retweeting their work without
inserting ourselves. We will <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-d/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">read</span></a>, <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-h/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">read</span></a>, and then <a href="https://highlanderinstitute.cmail19.com/t/t-l-pyhulut-ajktipir-k/" style="line-height: 1;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt solid white; line-height: 1; padding: 0in;">read some more</span></a>.</font></span></li><li style="line-height: 1;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">Finally,
we will engage in difficult, uncomfortable conversations that hold ourselves
and other white people accountable for our statements, biases, actions, and
inaction. We will engage in these conversations with humility, compassion, and
a commitment to supporting the journey of others as well as our own.</font></span></li></ol></ol><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">And one that I didn’t see on Michael’s blog and this is only the final
paragraphs of the message from John von Knorring President and Publisher Stylus
Publishing</font></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><i>It’s now time not for reaction, but action. </i></font></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><i>In whatever sphere we operate, as employees; employers of service workers;
users of gig services; business owners; educators; buyers of food, goods, and
services; sports fans; citizens; and voter s, we need to be aware of the
conditions under which people are working and whether they have opportunities
for advancement or to earn a living wage, and whether these conditions of work
are equitable across race.</i></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><i>If they are not, complain; call them out; write to the CEO; move your support</i></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; line-height: 1;">While this is a personal statement, it reflects the collective sentiments and
views of Stylus’s staff and their commitment to equity and social justice, and
who are working on a company-wide response. For my part, I will, beyond the
work I do, keep this conversation to the fore within my family and social
circle; work to influence my local community; and push my local, state, and
federal representatives to work for equity and dismantle the racist structures that
discriminate against Black and Brown people. </span><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"> to a different business; get on social media; get out and demonstrate (with
social distancing); call your local, state, or federal representative. We can
no longer afford, for the sake of our democracy and society, to be complicit. Bottom
line: we white people MUST DO SOMETHING!</font></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">(The entire statement is <a href="http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/554596/ec6a0a7aba/1727544977/d6d594211e/" style="line-height: 1;">here</a>) </font></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">If you’ve gotten this far, please take action when you receive
a message like these. Let them know you support them or help them understand why what
they are saying isn’t sufficient. And if
they need help knowing what to do </font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1; text-align: center;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><br /></font></div><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;">send
this link <i style="line-height: 1;"><a href="https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234" style="line-height: 1;">75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice</a></i></font><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 1;"><font face="arial" size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font size="2" style="line-height: 1;"><br /></font></p><br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-84221019763809653652020-06-04T15:13:00.006-05:002020-06-04T15:19:31.515-05:00How to Achieve Equity of Opportunity When Access Isn’t EqualLast week Kelsey Ortiz from<a href="https://idec.ku.edu/"> iDAC at Kansas University </a>and I figuratively sat down with Jason Mitchel to do a podcast as part of the Opportunity Thrives series.<br />
<br />
Our Session: <a href="https://opportunitythrives.com/how-to-achieve-equity-of-opportunity-when-access-isnt-equal/"><i>How to Achieve Equity of Opportunity when Access Isn't Equal</i> </a>was enjoyable. You'll have to listen (or read) to see if it was any good. One thing I was able to accomplish in the process was to encourage Sarah Williamson, the podcast's producer, to include a transcript with the podcast to make it more accessible.<br />
<br />
Sarah says she will make a transcript for all her podcasts and is even going to generate transcripts for the previously recorded podcasts. It's nice to know that I was able to have that influence. If you are making podcasts, please produce a podcast transcript and make the podcast more accessible.<br />
<br />
Here's the link to the podcast. <a href="https://opportunitythrives.com/how-to-achieve-equity-of-opportunity-when-access-isnt-equal/">https://opportunitythrives.com/how-to-achieve-equity-of-opportunity-when-access-isnt-equal/</a><br />
<br />
<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-9389435053510122042020-05-19T15:17:00.000-05:002020-05-19T15:17:24.146-05:0010 Tips on Using Tele-practice for Students with DisabilitiesNew post from a friend and colleague. Tele-practice is being used to provide services for students with disabilities during the growth in remote learning<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62ST_1eYd0-XjWBXxbZI0x_LDtAMLIU64jLeJn3ip5IQoy0L1FhkEjjhUWe4fuGLDzaQZy98lGUaO8fcUUgUYhxaEAt9oJ01eUnAXgn5OX35xtbGp4wgWTTZVMUaV6dfNUvG0/s1600/10+Tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Top of the Digital Learning blog with the 10 tips on using tele-practice " border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1078" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62ST_1eYd0-XjWBXxbZI0x_LDtAMLIU64jLeJn3ip5IQoy0L1FhkEjjhUWe4fuGLDzaQZy98lGUaO8fcUUgUYhxaEAt9oJ01eUnAXgn5OX35xtbGp4wgWTTZVMUaV6dfNUvG0/s400/10+Tips.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/blog/2020/5/19/10-tips-on-using-tele-practice-for-students-with-disabilities">https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/blog/2020/5/19/10-tips-on-using-tele-practice-for-students-with-disabilities</a>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-26623387829847670982020-05-18T11:00:00.001-05:002020-05-18T11:00:50.688-05:002020-2021 School Year<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not believe, even with states trying to loosen up, that
all K-12 schools will be back to the pre-pandemic normal. K-12 schools and
higher ed institutions should be planning for improvement and continuation
of some form of remote instruction. This year many school districts threw
together some form of remote learning – or just expected the teachers to pivot
into remote instruction -- with very little guidance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Failure to plan now will make the 2020-2021 academic year a time
of watching students fall further behind in their learning<i>. Failure to plan
now for services to students with disabilities could have a serious negative
impact on those students’ lives.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There has been simple guidance like; do not do 3 hours of
Zoom school. Research says don’t regularly do what might be a high school class
period (~50 minutes) lecture on Zoom. There are ways to make a Zoom session
more than a lecture and make it more appropriate as a learning tool. Because
the traditional classes were all synchronous doesn’t mean that the remote
teaching needs to be synchronous. There are benefits to asynchronous
instruction, but that would have required some professional development and
support for the teachers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is time for school districts and teachers to prepare for
the 2020-2021 school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will
likely be unlike any school start in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The more schools and teachers can do to prepare for remote and online
teaching the better, both for them and for <i>all</i> their students.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though the President wants schools to open now, I don’t
think he’s considering the teachers, administrators, specialists, and staff
that make the schools work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of
those folks are in high-risk categories, and while youth don’t seem as susceptible
to the virus, it’s unclear how effective they are as carriers. And not only can
they get the COVIS-19 virus, but there are limited instances of children
showing a syndrome like Kawasaki disease and unfortunately some fatal
incidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond that, thoughts about extending the school year or
school day don’t take into account existing teacher contracts. Suggestions for
lowering class size doesn’t account for the extra classroom space and
additional teachers that would entail.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
School leaders need to be planning for something other than
“business as normal” and help prepare teachers for another period of remote
learning. They also need to be planning on how to provide the services to meet
student IEPs. The 2020-2021 school year requires planning that needs to be
happening now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-43191341765409024542020-04-30T10:41:00.000-05:002020-04-30T10:41:01.318-05:00Website Developers Pay Attention, You May Be Liable If Your Website Is Not Fully AccessibleHere's an <a href="http://accessdefense.com/?p=5407">interesting case</a> from a Superior Court in California. That makes this a narrow ruling. But, worth paying attention to if you develop websites.<br />
<br />
The decision should have website developers paying much more attention to accessibility. In the case there were:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>allegations that the developer knowingly failed to do the design and testing activities needed to deliver an accessible website. It is significant that the alleged fraud included that false claim that automated testing of the website would be sufficient.</i></span></blockquote>
The case uses both the ADA and California's Unruh Act, so the Unruh component won't carry across state lines. ADA of course will.<br />
<br />
What's interesting to me, and got my attention is that Attorney Hunt in <a href="http://accessdefense.com/?p=5407">this posting </a>also suggests a risk to those who sell remediation and consulting services to remediate websites. When OCR determines there's accessibility issues with a school district website, they will require remediation and ask that an outside consultant be identified to help bring the website into conformance with <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/">WCAG 2.1 AA standards</a>. <br />
<br />
The ruling makes it clear that just using automated testing of a website is not sufficient. I like to use the <a href="https://wave.webaim.org/">WAVE web accessibility too</a>l browser add-in. It is always with me for every website I visit, and produces a simple report identifying errors. There's also a detail of the errors, but the basic report makes the point, and it's not me saying there are problems.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbIBh7RXrxtojeCMg3LCyN9h367LqM74xRlJ2V3cMGJQHwb9pAtwXb-apMVFF_4-6qGIObv9hyphenhyphen3qypw7O0PKwPMwS4up6Mpo1Q1joKVFIyBD7Gyg1atsmFrZRcuOV9VCwDVmw/s1600/WaveReport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1037" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbIBh7RXrxtojeCMg3LCyN9h367LqM74xRlJ2V3cMGJQHwb9pAtwXb-apMVFF_4-6qGIObv9hyphenhyphen3qypw7O0PKwPMwS4up6Mpo1Q1joKVFIyBD7Gyg1atsmFrZRcuOV9VCwDVmw/s640/WaveReport.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But this case makes it clear that a web development contract that includes accessibility as a requirement needs to do more than using an automated tool to ensure full accessibility in compliance with ADA.<br />
<br />
Website developers need to know and understand <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/">WCAG 2.1 AA standards</a> more than ever.<br />
<br />
<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-64756604829173210042020-04-06T12:07:00.000-05:002020-04-06T12:07:52.456-05:005 Minutes on K-12 Online Learning with Ray Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2020/04/02/5-minutes-on-k-12-online-learning-with-ray-rose/?fbclid=IwAR20TU6-pKIyXf9Fwqil2wSzs6r_-jG44EHfDpP0Hs3gYWNq7QQ7FCYjSy4"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="777" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-B_05n2RCp7OOy1LU-7hIXc5g78rtxLWKYhniSb8amaQAKp-RjyRXOONSFX2v6VhXdPbj17OwUU9CHO5XL44FV1ZmfFUS1K2PilEsYHKiA_bPide_1TifRK870SdxHPsZH0-/s400/Barbour+Blog+interview+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Michael Barbour interviewed me for his 5 Minutes series on his Virtual School Meanderings Blog.<br />
Watch the video<a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2020/04/02/5-minutes-on-k-12-online-learning-with-ray-rose/?fbclid=IwAR20TU6-pKIyXf9Fwqil2wSzs6r_-jG44EHfDpP0Hs3gYWNq7QQ7FCYjSy4"> here.</a><br />
<br />
Catch all the videos, by <a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/tag/vhsm-podcast/?fbclid=IwAR1f-G00pfKW62BcSF7yyPDvOBgDGs_fUGuZjtusBjWxBsMbqPGwrd5zKiQ">clicking here.</a> Michael continues to add to the series. And if you care about K-12 online learning you should be subscribed to Michael's Blog. He posts almost daily, sometimes more than daily.<br />
<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-80649558927919924362020-03-30T16:20:00.000-05:002020-03-30T16:20:09.386-05:00COVID-19 Schooling. Protecting the Civil Rights of Students with IEPs<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to know just what’s happening with schooling these
days because the language in the press and elsewhere isn’t precise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because a Governor has declared school
closed, what does that mean? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have classified the
different types of closures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the
basic one I think everyone is familiar with: school is closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That normally is short term and for something
like a weather event; ide storm, tornado, snow, hurricane, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But some schools have created “Snow Days”
where they ask teachers to prepare materials for students to do when there is a
cancellation of classes because of weather. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now we have a
situation also called school cancellation but what it really means in some states
is that school buildings are closed – but there may or may not be some form of
remote learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because education is a function of each state, what is
happening during the COVID-19 pandemic can be very different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some states have basically cancelled school (all
classes) for a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others expect some
form of remote learning to be taking place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>State education laws and legislative actions are a big reason for the
differences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of that, and the
lack of advanced preparation for something as unexpected as this situation,
there are lots of questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The US Dept of Education has tried to provide guidance in
particular for students with special needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, I have heard from a number of very well educated colleagues who
find the guidance unclear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to
attempt to clarify the situation with this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
hard to be specific because of differences in state law, and because there is great
variability in the needs of students with IEPs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every IEP should be tailored to serve the specific needs of the student.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is happening for all the students in what I’ll call
regular education (typical classrooms)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If the students are on break – there’s no instruction happening,
students aren’t required to do any educational activities – then there’s no
requirement for schools to provide services for special needs students. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>If a school district closes its
schools and does not provide any educational services to the general student
population, then a school would not be required to provide services to students
with disabilities during that same period of time. Once school resumes, the
school must return to providing special education and related services to
students with disabilities in accordance with the student’s IEP or, for
students entitled to FAPE under Section 504, consistent with any plan developed
to meet the requirements of Section 504.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-coronavirus-fact-sheet.pdf">https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-coronavirus-fact-sheet.pdf</a><span id="goog_1231305082"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1231305083"></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
UNLESS – if the
student’s IEP specifies ongoing services that are necessary to protect the
student’s mental or physical health, I argue that the school has a moral,
ethical, and potentially legal obligation to continue provide those services to
the extent possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>If an LEA continues to provide
educational opportunities to the general student population during a school
closure, the school must ensure that students with disabilities also have equal
access to the same opportunities, including the provision of FAPE. (34 CFR §§
104.4, 104.33 (Section 504) and 28 CFR § 35.130 (Title II of the ADA)). SEAs, LEAs,
and schools must ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, each student
with a disability can be provided the special education and related services
identified in the student’s IEP developed under IDEA, or a plan developed under
Section 504. (34 CFR §§ 300.101 and 300.201 (IDEA), and 34 CFR § 104.33
(Section 504))<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-covid-19-03-12-2020.pdf">https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-covid-19-03-12-2020.pdf</a><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If there are instructional activities for the regular
education students, then students with IEPs should be getting services that
match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most students with IEPs are
integrated into the pre-COVIS-19 regular classes for some if not all of the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students with IEPs should be
getting the same educational opportunities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
States where the expectation is that students will continue
with some form of remote learning may have defined the instructional time
requirement, and may have identified the type of documentation they need to
provide to the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most states have a
defined school year, sometimes 180 days, sometimes converted the 180-day
requirement into hours to give school districts more flexibility. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Depending on state law, it may be necessary for school
districts to reach that required instructional time to get state funding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>States may provide some waiver of that
requirement, but it may take state legislative action to accomplish that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the expectation is for the regular
education student, the same expectation would exist for students with IEPs
unless there had been a previous reduction in instructional time in the
student’s IEP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s where it gets tricky for school districts serving
students with IEPs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mode of delivery
of service changes with remote instruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the moment assume that the school is using ZOOM video conferencing,
and other online delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the IEP
didn’t already state that as one of the service delivery methods, ED recommends
that there be a revision in the IEP to reflect the new instruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, a school cannot make a change like
that without having parental sign-off on the change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ED is clear that the change in IEP does not
require a face-to-face meeting, but does require there be an appropriate paper
trail to support the change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There can be students who, in the traditional classroom had
no significant difficulty with instruction and learning, but with the shift to
this new remote instruction, are having difficulties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as in pre-COVIS-19 education, when a student
is having difficulties there’s an assessment to see if the student needs other
supports, the same should happen with this new situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s hope that schools resume their
traditional education practice, but using that as an excuse to avoid looking
for ways to support students having difficulties in the new remote instruction
environment is not acceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the Federal legislation is steady and U.S. Dept of Ed
guidance seems to be consistent, what’s happening in the schools seems to be still
evolving, especially as it’s clear the social distancing will continue for at
least another month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are links for guidance from the US Dept of
Education:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/frontpage/faq/rr/policyguidance/Supple%20Fact%20Sheet%203.21.20%20FINAL.pdf">https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/frontpage/faq/rr/policyguidance/Supple%20Fact%20Sheet%203.21.20%20FINAL.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-coronavirus-fact-sheet.pdf">https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-coronavirus-fact-sheet.pdf</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-covid-19-03-12-2020.pdf">https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-covid-19-03-12-2020.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
OCR Short Webinar on Online Education and Website
Accessibility<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMLk4cES6A&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMLk4cES6A&feature=youtu.be</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And a selection of news articles on the topic:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://www.educationdive.com/news/educators-scrambling-to-continue-special-ed-services-as-nearly-all-states/574603/">https://www.educationdive.com/news/educators-scrambling-to-continue-special-ed-services-as-nearly-all-states/574603/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://www.educationdive.com/news/educators-scrambling-to-continue-special-ed-services-as-nearly-all-states/574603/">https://www.educationdive.com/news/educators-scrambling-to-continue-special-ed-services-as-nearly-all-states/574603/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/covid19-updates-mde-clarifies-instructional-time-requirements-us-dept-of-ed-offers-broad-flexibility-in-testing-mandates/">https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/covid19-updates-mde-clarifies-instructional-time-requirements-us-dept-of-ed-offers-broad-flexibility-in-testing-mandates/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://edsource.org/2020/despite-assurances-of-flexibility-educators-fear-liability-in-online-instruction-of-special-ed-students/626898">https://edsource.org/2020/despite-assurances-of-flexibility-educators-fear-liability-in-online-instruction-of-special-ed-students/626898</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://www.southcoasttoday.com/special/20200325/remote-education">https://www.southcoasttoday.com/special/20200325/remote-education</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local-education/coronavirus-state-cancels-school-testing-sets-graduation-and-voucher-rules/oc2iW7BtkruLPlxF9z8OMO/">https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local-education/coronavirus-state-cancels-school-testing-sets-graduation-and-voucher-rules/oc2iW7BtkruLPlxF9z8OMO/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
And a specific example of the evolving guidance: <i>Mass students
with IEPS must have remote lessons<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/03/26/disabilities-school-guidance">https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/03/26/disabilities-school-guidance</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-21544844926114314682020-03-23T12:10:00.001-05:002020-03-23T12:10:26.159-05:00OCR SpeaksI like it when I can get a direct statement from the US Dept of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on issues of accessibility and online education. This is especially good information in light of the press for remote education in K-12 and higher education institutions. And, this is what I've been saying for years.<br />
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Please share this widely.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DCMLk4cES6A" width="560"></iframe>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-53193321544998876082020-03-07T11:27:00.000-06:002020-03-07T11:27:27.665-06:00Continuity of Education in Light of COVIS-19 ConcernsThere's been discussion in both K-12 and higher education about what to do about the face-to-face instruction in light of ongoing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. Given that academic institutions in other countries and in a few US communities have closed or have instituted "digital learning days" it's worth looking at the push for temporary online learning in light of quality online instruction and accessibility issues.<br />
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As I have pointed out in previous posts, in the US, both higher education institutions and K-12 have the same obligations to ensure that all digital resources and learning situations are fully accessible. I've recently seen a couple of higher ed institutions' continuity of education statements. I like the statement that Yale has. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: YaleDesign; font-size: 20px;">Instructors should... review the information
provided on the </span></i><i><a href="https://sas.yale.edu/faculty" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e4476; font-family: YaleDesign; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Student Accessibility Services website</a></i><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: YaleDesign; font-size: 20px;">. ADA regulations apply to all courses, whether
residential, online, or online temporarily in the case of a
disruption to normal campus operations.</span></i></span></blockquote>
It does apply to both K-12 and higher education. I have found, especially in K-12 institutions, digital accessibility has focused on students' having a digital device, and if that device can be connected to the internet. That may be the first step. But, if once they have a device the content is still not designed to be accessible, it's like not having a device.<br />
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Institutions of higher education and K-12 education have a legal responsibility to ensure that all educational programs, whether residential, online, or online temporarily need to be accessible.<br />
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As K-12 schools are looking to create online learning opportunities they could benefit from applying the <a href="https://www.nsqol.org/the-standards/">National Standards for Quality Online Learning</a>. These have been recently revised and are available for download without cost. The standards are designed as a benchmark for the development and delivery of online learning. Standards exist for <a href="https://www.nsqol.org/the-standards/quality-online-programs/">Programs</a>, <a href="https://www.nsqol.org/the-standards/quality-online-courses/">Course</a>s, and <a href="https://www.nsqol.org/the-standards/quality-online-teaching/">Teaching</a>. The standards address accessibility, so working to achieve the standards will also help in achieving accessibility.<br />
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Because at this point there's no good indication of how long school closures may last, it's better to think long-term and design online learning opportunities that do more than simply count as school days. Design those online learning opportunities to ensure that students don't miss their education.<br />
<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-586425924248491382020-03-07T07:17:00.000-06:002020-03-07T07:17:14.125-06:00I'm Back! Accessibility Can't be IgnoredYes, it's been a while since I last made a post here. A couple of medical issues got me out of the habit of posting here, but a couple of weeks ago I was at the DLAC 2020 conference in Austin and a colleague there told me they had enjoyed my posts and missed them. It was nice to know that I wasn't just talking to myself, so I promised myself I'd get back to this blog. I will be posting irregularly, but there is a lot going on so a lot of content to cover.Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-45686082303674414082018-10-31T11:22:00.000-05:002018-10-31T11:22:11.174-05:00Make Your Google Slides More AccessibleI've gotten interested in Google Slides recently. Slides are always a bit tricky when trying to ensure they are accessible. There's an add-on for Google Slides, Grackle Slides.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y3_1Vd9puk7s3w3Oiq7Xm7xI6ei4i9nrKaGlgIFhjh7Ab5p4fkKsN2qjoFW7wHbDeAkj4tFxMmSeAmEhBUjNmr4n0IoADoczKi4jtKFwuPv-r_vRzvA1eGp_9Yp-4lmfTI74/s1600/GrackleSlidesBubbleLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="98" data-original-width="320" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y3_1Vd9puk7s3w3Oiq7Xm7xI6ei4i9nrKaGlgIFhjh7Ab5p4fkKsN2qjoFW7wHbDeAkj4tFxMmSeAmEhBUjNmr4n0IoADoczKi4jtKFwuPv-r_vRzvA1eGp_9Yp-4lmfTI74/s200/GrackleSlidesBubbleLogo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Grackle Slides shows the content items of slides and checks text attributes to help find accessibility issues.<br />
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One concern though, it has a warning that it has permission to do a lot (delete files, edit them, etc) with files in Drive. If there's sensitive information in Drive, this add-on may not be for you.<br />
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Watch for more information about Google Slides.<br />
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<br />Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260705.post-64365952040474504832018-10-29T11:51:00.001-05:002018-10-29T11:51:55.230-05:00USDLA Webinar Nov 8: Issues in Access and Accessibility for All in Digital Learning Trish Trifio (Wayland Baptist U, and TxDLA) and I will be doing this session as part of USDLA's recognition of National Distance Learning Week. Thursday, November 8 3:30-4:30 Eastern<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Accessibility by individuals
with disabilities to digital
materials is one of the
major technology issues of
our time. The growth of
online learning, and the
increased use of digital
materials in blended and
flipped classrooms in K-12
and higher education has
created more accessibility
issues. The U.S.
Department of Education's
Office for Civil Rights and
the U.S. Department of
Justice enforcement of
accessibility issues has
made explicit the actions
academic institutions
should be engaged in to
ensure that all students
have full access to
learning.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>This session will provide a
brief overview of the topics
presented in
<b>TxDLA’s</b> Digital
Accessibility Certification
Program which positions
participants to be on the
leading edge of these
concerns by providing
them with an
understanding of current
legal enforcement actions,
resolution agreements,
consent decrees and
Universal Design for
Learning, while equipping
them with practical skills in
making digital content
accessible.</i></blockquote>
The webinar is free. Register <a href="https://www.usdla.org/2018-ndlw-issues-in-access-and-accessibility-for-all-in-digital-learning/">here</a>.<br />
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We intend this to be a very interactive session and will start by asking participants why they are in the session and what they want to take from it.<br />
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The full schedule can be found <a href="https://www.usdla.org/2018-ndlw-2018/?utm_source=2018+National+Distance+Learning+Week+(NDLW)!&utm_campaign=USATODAY-NDLW-CALL&utm_medium=email">here.</a>Ray Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11154845971520325829noreply@blogger.com0