JTC Event May, 2013

Karen Andrews

Dr. Veronica Smith

Karen Pedersen-Bayus

The Alberta Context Inclusion promotes the full participation of

all individuals in society, regardless of their traits, identities, or circumstances. In an

inclusive society, we understand that diversity is one of our strengths, and we are

able to build on our strengths together. When we act in an inclusive way, we promote the full participation of all

individuals in our society and acknowledge varying perspectives.

(Alberta’s Social Policy Framework, 2013).

The Alberta Context

Technology can help learners with special needs to more fully participate in learning activities...It is reasonable to assume that assistive technology will continue to break down barriers.

(Inspiring Education, 2010, p. 29)

The Alberta Context • Develop and support a modified curriculum and

learning resources for students with highly specialized learning needs.

• Create ways in which students with disabilities, or who

are gifted and talented, can access the curriculum and demonstrate their knowledge.

• Provide provincial professional development

opportunities for teachers, teaching assistants and learning coaches to develop instructional strategies for inclusive education in schools and school authorities.

• Increase access to technologies to support the learning

of all students.

Recommendations include:

The Alberta Context

The challenge? • Every learner is unique.

• Differentiating instruction is complex • Twenty-five years of research describe

what works in inclusive practice but it is difficult seeing how all the pieces fit together in a comprehensive framework that is practical, research-grounded, and efficient (Katz, 2012).

(\

How do we realize the vision? What needs to be in place?

INclusive, INnovative learning spaces

Inclusion is not about bringing people into what already exists… but about making a

new space… a better space for everyone.

Dei, 2006

ACCESS TO CURRICULUM

CHOICE

APPROPRIATECHALLENGE

ENGAGEMENT

Design Matters

A better space for everyone

The promise of new technologies

• are versatile

• are transformable

• are dynamic

• can be manipulated

Digital media

“The soul of new digital media is its flexibility” (Rose & Gravel, 2012)

•Build and share expertize around the design and implementation of inclusive, innovative ‘learning spaces’ at the Junior High level where technology is leveraged to create flexible pathways to success. •Of special interest is the role technology can play in supporting learners’ increased participation and achievement of learner outcomes in environments where there are diverse cognitive abilities (including students with intellectual disabilities and students identified as gifted) .

Purpose

Partners in the project

School jurisdictions have agreed to:

• Implement a research project that explores the role of technology and pedagogical practices in inclusive Junior High settings.

• Use the SETT framework to identify specific assistive technology for targeted students.

• Participate in research and in a research community of practice (RCOP).

• Share stories. • Host site visits. • Contribute to the project website and interim and final reports.

Communities of Practice - Etienne Wenger

• share a concern or a passion for something they do • learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. • engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain. • Requires: Commitment to participation and sharing

#flexpaths

Site Visits- We are hearing conversations about: • Technology access, management and planning • Technology integration • Skilled support staff • Pedagogical practices • Attitudes and Beliefs • Learner profiles • Professional learning • Learner-centred practices • Universally designed learning environments

15

Development is about creative

thinking.

The Essence of Developmental Evaluation

16

Evaluation is about critical

thinking.

The Essence of DE

17

The Essence of DE

Developmental Evaluation is about bringing critical

thinking to bear on innovative processes

Complexity Matrix

Certainty Close to Far from

Clo

se to

Simple Plan, control

Zone of Complexity

Technically Complicated Experiment, coordinate expertise

Socially Complicated Build relationships, create common ground

Brenda Zimmerman, Schulich School of Business York

Anarchy

Communities of Practice

Zone of high creativity and innovation

19

When is Developmental Evaluation useful?

20

When this…

Slide used with permission from Ricardo Wilson- Grau

21

…looks like this

Slide used with permission from Ricardo Wilson- Grau

22

Flexible Pathways: The Right Conditions for a Developmental Evaluation

Within each school authority the ‘program/exact plan/processes’ do not yet exist; it has to be created

We want to create a theory of change, or an understanding of the essential conditions, through practice

The situation is complex –the relationships of cause and effect may remain fundamentally unknown, yet rich case descriptions can provide insight retrospectively

Research Aims

• What are the processes and context factors that shape the successful implementation of technology in inclusive learning environments in Junior High/Middle school settings designed to facilitate the participation and achievement of learner outcomes for students who require significant accommodations to access the curriculum?

Many factors

Context and Processes

Engagement and

Participation

Outcomes

Year

30%

40%

50%

1 2 3 4 5

20 %

Traditional Evaluation Graph

Your Project

Year

30%

40%

50%

1 2 3 4 5

True impact!

Other interventions

Your Project

Developmental Evaluation Graph

30%

40%

50%

Year 1 2 3 4 5

Social innovation

Phase One

• What is our context now?

Phase Two

• What needs to happen first? Or what are we building upon?

Phase Three

• How can we build upon what we’ve learned so far?

Understanding Context – Questionnaires – Teachers and

Staff • Alberta Context Tool • - resources, leadership, culture • TPACC • -knowledge about teacher’s use of technology and pedagogy, including use with

diverse learners • QIAT • -knowledge about assistive technology – selection, use, implementation,

monitoring • Social Capital • - social trust, norms and • shared expectations; and channels for new information • ISTE • - essential conditions for technology standards • Tell them from Me • - student engagement questionnaire •

Components • Social Capital - - Collegial trust – “I can communicate freely with the principal

about school matters/” - Support for risk taking – “Teachers in my school manifest trust

and team spirit.” • Learning – “My students are motivated to learn” • Pedagogy – “The use of technology has enabled me to create

more ways for my students to express their thoughts and analyse their ideas.”

• Receptivity – “ I am eager to know how IT can improve my teaching practice.”

• Perceived effectiveness of Professional Development – “My confidence in using IT in teaching and learning has increased after attending staff development programs.”

Understanding Contexts Questionnaires – Students Examining Participation that is Meaningful to the

Students Themselves: What is valued? Social Networks

What do we know about children’s social participation at school? Main interest at school concerns relationships with peers….

• Interest in how children perceive their own situation

– Understanding of friendships – Loneliness at school

• How others perceive the included student

– How are children in the class connected to the child with developmental disabilities?

• Critical in understanding how to intervene!

How do children perceive their own situation?

Children from first to fifth grade (6-12 years) in fully included regular classrooms

They also reported having a friend Report poorer friendship quality

compared to typical More loneliness compared to typical

children Developmental shift across studies with

problem compounded later in development

Study 2 Study 3 Study 1

Loneliness by group and study

BOY with AUTISM

(b)

G

g

G

(g)

G g

(b)

b

b B

b

b (b)

LEGEND Gender and SNC: G = Girl, Nuclear B = Boy, Nuclear g = Girl, Secondary b = Boy, Secondary (g) = Girl, Peripheral (b) = Boy, Peripheral

g

G

G

G

(b)

B

How do others see children with ASD? Social Network Analyses

More diverse findings: 40% peripheral but also 38%

secondary Still very few isolated kids

(6%)

05

10152025303540

Social NetworkStatus

isolateperipheralsecondarynuclear

Understanding Context: What is happening in the Classroom? –

Observations • Classroom Assessment Scoring System

(CLASS)

Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2006 – Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (University of Virginia)

CLASS: System for observing and assessing the qualities of interactions between teachers and students in classrooms (Classroom Quality).

CLASS: Measures instructional and social-emotional interactions proven to contribute to students' academic achievement and social competencies

CLASS: Can be used to reliably assess classroom quality for research and program evaluation

CLASS: Validated in over 2,000 classrooms

What dimensions does the CLASS measure?

Classroom Organization Behaviour

Management Productivity Instructional Learning

Formats

Emotional Support Positive Climate

Negative Climate

Teacher Sensitivity

Regard for Student

Perspectives

Instructional Support Concept

Development Quality of Feedback

Language Modeling

Literacy Focus PreK/K Only

Classroom Quality

Observation

Document Analysis

• SETT - process documents • IPP -student learning goals • Decision Making around PD - planning and effectiveness surveys

Interview and ongoing feedback

- Provide feedback from questionnaires and deepen understanding of data with targeted interviews

Your turn

What should a universally designed learning environment look like?

Question #2

• What are important factors that support the infusion of technology and technological pedagogy in school/classroom settings? – Where are we struggling? – Where are do we have exemplars of practice?

Question # 3

• Why do you think these kinds of initiatives are important now?

Stay in Touch

• Tech. News • #flexpaths

Contact us

karen.Andrews@gov.ab.ca Senior Manager - School Technology Branch

veronica.smith@ualberta.ca Associate Professor, University of Alberta

Karen.pedersen-bayus@gov.ab.ca Education Manager –School Technology Branch

@kpbayus

Acknowledgments

• Alberta Education Support – Rita Wilson-Smith

• Research Assistants – Stephanie Hayes – Anastasia Kulpa – Krystle-Lee Turgeon – Ewa Wasniewski

• Students, Teachers, School Principals, School Support Staff in our five jurisdictions: Lakeview, Rocky View, Prairieland, St. Albert Catholic, and Fort Vermillion