The Importance of Accessibility
At the Modern Classrooms Project, we talk about meeting every student's needs. This is easier said than done! Students have all sorts of needs, and it requires expertise, and hard work, to figure out how to respond.
To that end, we've spent much of the summer building a comprehensive, research-based Accessibility Guide, that explains (with action steps) how to make each element of your Modern Classroom more accessible to all. Here are some highlights:
★ Make videos accessible. Being able to rewind and re-watch videos, any time and from anywhere, makes videos well-suited to students' individual needs. You can improve the accessibility of videos by adding subtitles, using Edpuzzle notes to give students wait time, and testing your videos across a variety of devices.
★ Make self-pacing accessible. Self-pacing facilitates differentiation: students have the time they need to master each new skill. To make self-pacing work for all learners, consider using individualized student trackers, setting explicit directions on your LMS and/or classroom walls, and destigmatizing failure when students don't get things the first time around.
★Make mastery accessible. Requiring mastery sets a high expectation of all learners, and it's important that each learner has the scaffolds necessary to succeed. Support every student with differentiated mastery checks, quiet spaces for students to complete these checkpoints, and frequent opportunities for revision.
Beyond these quick tips, the full guide contains detailed suggestions for meeting the needs of emergent bilinguals, students on the autism spectrum, and more. We hope it will be a useful resource for all of you!