In organizing my thoughts for this initial entry, I have been mulling over my ideology in regards to instructional design as it pertains to technology. I was propelled backwards into the early 80's when my mother was teaching a community ed course at night. This class was all about how to print documents using the question mark key, and how to create a cute visual "loop" of letters on the computer screen. This was exciting stuff back then! My mother was a high school teacher during the day, teaching office skills to special ed kiddoes, my father was an air traffic controller working with massive cutting edge equipment; Even my grandmother worked at TEA and continues to be the most tech-savvy Oma in all of New Braunfels and beyond :-) Perhaps because of my experiences in a family which prizes academics and technology equally, I have found my calling with integrating technologies for students with disabilities who require a little help in accessing the curriculum. I am truly blessed to be a blessing to others.
Imagine, a young girl who is diagnosed with rapid macular degeneration. One year she is a typical fifth grade girl, who adores books by an author named Avi, and the next year she isn't able to independently navigate through her new middle school, she requires massive amounts of new equipment and methods for work completion, and worst of all....she can't lay on a beanbag and read those Avi books to comfort her in a new world of loneliness. Via Bookshare.org and a text-to-speech device called the Classmate Reader, I gave her that freedom again. Sure, there are numerous methods for sitting at a computer or CCTV to increase the magnification of the text, but don't all middle school kids deserve to just sit and chill while they read?
Imagine, a ninth grade boy with spastic cerebral palsy, and a mind to rival Stephen Hawking. His physical issues are the only challenges for him. What are some of the needs you think he may have? What are some of the resources you would tap into? I will reveal the solutions I worked out for him later, but I would LOVE to elicit your thoughts on the matter.
So, what is instructional design? At this point, I stick by the original thought I tweeted, "Ideally, Instructional Design is UDL-based with multi-modal means for acquisition of knowledge & demonstration of mastery." It must be planned with deliberate forsight, and that plan must take into account learner needs as well as learner barriers. As I grow in my knowledge of this course I look forward to fine-tuning my definition, but I think my ideology and passion for a Universal Design for Learning will remain.
