neurodivergent/special needs

Assistive tech in your classroom: A practical guide — from understood.org by Andrew M.I. Lee, JD
Assistive technology (AT) are tools that let people with differences work around challenges. They make tasks and activities accessible at school, work, and home. Learn how AT apps and software can help with reading, writing, math, and more.

People who learn and think differently can use technology to help work around their challenges. This is called assistive technology (AT). AT helps people with disabilities learn, communicate, or function better. It can be as high-tech as a computer, or as low-tech as a pencil grip. It’s a type of accommodation that involves tools.

Assistive technology has two parts: devices (the actual tools people use) and services (the support to choose and use the tools).

Students who struggle with learning can use AT to help with subjects like reading, writing, and math. AT can also help kids and adults with the tasks of daily life. And many adults use these tools on the job, too.
.

6+ items re: teaching & learning-related items

On 02/20/2025, in education, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning spaces, neurodivergent/special needs, reading, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, UK, United States, by Daniel Christian

What Educators Need to Know About Dyslexia—and Why It’s Not Something to ‘Fix’ — from edweek.org by Elizabeth Heubeck

“The good news is, though, with early intervention and with the appropriate types of modifications and intervention, people with dyslexia thrive in today’s world.”

From DSC:
I have a retired friend who is dyslexic and, to this very day, feels the pain of being told — and treated like — he was stupid in the majority of his K-12 years. He later went on to get trained on how to operate missiles, solve a variety of highly technical IT-related problems, set up networks, run security departments, and more. He is a highly intelligent individual. But he is dsylexic. And he recalls the pain of those early education days.

I’m glad that we’ve made some significant progress in understanding dsylexia. And I hope that today’s dyslexic students don’t have experiences like his.

“Learning is frustration.”

The learning space is that space between “not knowing” and “knowing.” It can be very frustrating. But don’t be discouraged when you are frustrated. It means that you are learning. Eventually, you’ll get to “knowing.”
.

Department of Education Helps Students With Disabilities. Don’t Let It Disappear | Opinion — from newsweek.com by Katy NeasCEO, The Arc of the United States

When education is limited, so is opportunity. Without education, students with disabilities face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, poor health, and social isolation. Education is the foundation for independence, inclusion, and a future with choices. Strip it away, and we are not just limiting potential—we are forcing millions of people into a lifetime of barriers and hardship.

This issue is personal for me. As a former deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and a lifelong advocate for disability rights, I have seen firsthand what happens when children with disabilities face barriers—and how the Department of Education steps in to make things right.

An excerpt from Derek Bruff’s newsletter entitled, “Digital reading, belonging stories, escape rooms, and more”

Course Contributors
At the Top Hat Engage conference last week, I met Whitney Silvis-Sawyer, who teaches education courses at Louisiana Tech University. She regularly invites her students to provide feedback on her courses, and when she makes a change to a course in response to student feedback, she acknowledges that student by name (and with permission) in a “course contributors” section of her syllabus. Some of her course syllabi now have dozens of students listed who have helped shape her courses. I love this as a way to help students see that you take their feedback seriously and as a way to acknowledge sources of inspiration for one’s teaching.
…
In-Class Escape Rooms
Over on Bluesky, I was delighted to see that Lisa Fazio, who teaches psychology at Vanderbilt University, shared images of the escape room activity she designed as a review for her social cognition course. Her students worked in teams of four to complete a series of puzzles and open a number of combination locks, all of which required them to apply social cognition concepts they had been studying. Lisa writes, “Watching them race through the puzzles today brought me joy!” See Lisa’s thread for all the details.

Designing the Classroom of the Future: 5 Easy Pieces — from ed-spaces.com by Leslie Stebbins
When designing new classrooms the most important factors to consider are designs that encourage movement, provide space for collaborative and independent work, seamlessly embed technology, promote creativity, and provide flexibility.

Design for Movement: Sitting is the new smoking!
Build for Collaboration and Independent Work
Embed Technology Seamlessly: Clean up your Cables!
Promote Creativity: Mix it Up!
Flexibility with Limits

Addendums:

Let’s break down the barriers blocking neurodivergent people from higher education
— from timeshighereducation.com by Sourav Mukhopadhyay
How can we help neurodivergent students participate and thrive? Sourav Mukhopadhyay offers advice on making your classroom an inclusive environment for them
3 Ways to Begin to Develop Preschoolers’ Literacy Skills — from edutopia.org by Jacquelyn Bobien-Blanton
Developmentally appropriate activities focused on foundational reading skills can help young children have fun while they learn.
7 Learning Myths Your Students Probably Believe — from edutopia.org by Daniel Leonard
From left- and right-brain thinking to the notion that talent beats persistence, these common myths can hinder student learning. Here’s how teachers can help.
A Triangular Approach to Science Instruction — from edutopia.org by Kristin Acchione
Combining science literacy, data science, and hands-on learning helps get elementary students engaged in science lessons.
‘Golden ticket to job security’: Trade union partnerships hold promise for high school students — from hechingerreport.org by Sarah Carr
For trade unions and CTE programs, new collaboration may be key to survival

10 Extreme Challenges Facing Schools — from stefanbauschard.substack.com by Stefan Bauschard

TL;DR
Schools face 10 extreme challenges

– assessment
– funding
– deportations
– opposition to trans students
– mental health
– AI/AGI world
– a struggle to engage students
– too many hats
– war risks
– resource redistribution and civil conflict

Hundreds of thousands of students are entitled to training and help finding jobs. They don’t get it — from hechingerreport.org by Meredith Kolodner
The best program to help students with disabilities get jobs is so hidden, ‘It’s like a secret society’

There’s a half-billion-dollar federal program that is supposed to help students with disabilities get into the workforce when they leave high school, but most parents — and even some school officials — don’t know it exists. As a result, hundreds of thousands of students who could be getting help go without it. New Jersey had the nation’s lowest proportion — roughly 2 percent — of eligible students receiving these services in 2023.

More than a decade ago, Congress recognized the need to help young people with disabilities get jobs, and earmarked funding for pre-employment transition services to help students explore and train for careers and send them on a pathway to independence after high school. Yet, today, fewer than 40 percent of people with disabilities ages 16 to 64 are employed, even though experts say most are capable of working.

The article links to:

Pre-Employment Transition Services

Both vocational rehabilitation agencies and schools are required by law to provide certain transition services and supports to improve post-school outcomes of students with disabilities.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and requires vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to set aside at least 15% of their federal funds to provide pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services. The intent of pre-employment transition services is to:

improve the transition of students with disabilities from school to postsecondary education or to an employment outcome, increase opportunities for students with disabilities to practice and improve workplace readiness skills, through work-based learning experiences in a competitive, integrated work setting and increase opportunities for students with disabilities to explore post-secondary training options, leading to more industry recognized credentials, and meaningful post-secondary employment.

Repurposing Furniture to Support Learning in the Early Grades — from edutopia.org by Kendall Stallings
A kindergarten teacher gives five practical examples of repurposing classroom furniture to serve multiple uses.

I’m a supporter of evolving classroom spaces—of redesigning the layout of the room as the needs and interests of students develop. The easiest way to accommodate students, I’ve found, is to use the furniture itself to set up a functional, spacious, and logical classroom. There are several benefits to this approach. It provides children with safe, low-stakes environmental changes; fosters flexibility; and creates opportunities for spatial adaptation and problem-solving. Additionally, rearranging the room throughout the school year enables teachers to address potential catalysts for challenging behaviors and social conflicts that may arise, while sparking curiosity in an otherwise-familiar space.

How Teacher-Generated Videos Support Students in Science — from edutopia.org by Shawn Sutton
A five-minute video can help students get a refresher on important science concepts at their own pace.

While instructional videos were prepared out of necessity in the past, I’ve rediscovered their utility as a quick, flexible, and personal way to enhance classroom teaching. Instructional videos can be created through free screencasting software such as Screencastify, ScreenRec, Loom, or OBS Studio. Screencasting would be ideal for the direct presentation of information, like a slide deck of notes. Phone cameras make practical recording devices for live content beyond the computer screen, like a science demo. A teacher could invest in a phone stand and ring light at a nominal cost to assist in this type of recording.

However, not all teacher videos are created equal, and I’ve discovered four benefits and strategies that help make these teaching tools more effective.

Building Connections With Students as a Middle School Principal — from edutopia.org by Cristiana Jurgensen
This simple (and tasty!) strategy can help middle school principals get to know their students and create a welcoming school community.
6 Strategies for Building a Sustainable STEM Ecosystem — from edutopia.org by Rich Schiccatano
Upper elementary teachers can use these ideas to create meaningful, interdisciplinary STEM opportunities that encourage experimentation.

A researcher said the evidence on special education inclusion is flawed. Readers weighed in [Barshay]

On 02/01/2025, in Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), education, education reform, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, United States, youth, by Daniel Christian

A researcher said the evidence on special education inclusion is flawed. Readers weighed in — from hechingerreport.org by Jill Barshay
Clear solutions elude parents, teachers and researchers

I am always happy when my work generates a public discussion. That happened after a January column I wrote about a prominent scholar’s critique of the evidence for including children with disabilities in general education classrooms. Advocates, parents and teachers argued for inclusion, against inclusion and for some hybrid of the two. The director of education at the Learning Disabilities Association of America weighed in, as did the commissioner of special education research at the U.S. Department of Education. More than 160 people commented on one Reddit discussion about the story. Here’s a sampling of views I received or saw on social media.

I love this posting about a teen with Down syndrome visiting his mother’s grave to tell her that he graduated

On 12/17/2024, in neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians, youth, by Daniel Christian

A teen with Down syndrome visits mother's grave to tell her that he graduated pic.twitter.com/4QNghy5AVy

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) October 26, 2024

The Many Special Populations Microschools Serve — from microschoolingcenter.org. by Don Soifer

Kids representing a broad range of special populations have a strong presence in today’s microschooling movement. Children with neurodiversities, other special needs, and those coming to microschools at two or more grades below “grade level mastery” as defined by their state all are served by more than 50 percent of microschools surveyed nationally, according to the Center’s 2024 American Microschools Sector Analysis report.

Children who have experienced emotional trauma or have experienced housing or food insecurity are also being served widely in microschools, according to leaders surveyed nationally.

This won’t come as a surprise to most in the microschooling movement. But to those who are less familiar, understanding the many ways that microschooling is about thriving for families and children who have struggled in their prior schooling settings.
.

How AI is transforming learning for dyslexic students — from eschoolnews.com by Samay Bhojwani, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
As schools continue to adopt AI-driven tools, educators can close the accessibility gap and help dyslexic students thrive

Many traditional methods lack customization and don’t empower students to fully engage with content on their terms. Every dyslexic student experiences challenges differently, so a more personalized approach is essential for fostering comprehension, engagement, and academic growth.
…
Artificial intelligence is increasingly recognized for its potential to transform educational accessibility. By analyzing individual learning patterns, AI-powered tools can tailor content to meet each student’s specific needs. For dyslexic students, this can mean summarizing complex texts, providing auditory support, or even visually structuring information in ways that aid comprehension.

NotebookLM How-to Guide 2024 — from ai-supremacy.com by Michael Spencer and Alex McFarland
With Audio Version | A popular guide reloaded.

In this guide, I’ll show you:

How to use the new advanced audio customization features
Two specific workflows for synthesizing information (research papers and YouTube videos)
Pro tips for maximizing results with any type of content
Common pitfalls to avoid (learned these the hard way)

The State of Instructional Design 2024: A Field on the Brink of Disruption? — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
My hot takes from a global survey I ran with Synthesia

As I mentioned on LinkedIn, earlier this week Synthesia published the results of a global survey that we ran together the state of instructional design in 2024.

Boundless Socratic Learning: Google DeepMind’s Vision for AI That Learns Without Limits — from by Giorgio Fazio

Google DeepMind researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking framework called Boundless Socratic Learning (BSL), a paradigm shift in artificial intelligence aimed at enabling systems to self-improve through structured language-based interactions. This approach could mark a pivotal step toward the elusive goal of artificial superintelligence (ASI), where AI systems drive their own development with minimal human input.

The promise of Boundless Socratic Learning lies in its ability to catalyze a shift from human-supervised AI to systems that evolve and improve autonomously. While significant challenges remain, the introduction of this framework represents a step toward the long-term goal of open-ended intelligence, where AI is not just a tool but a partner in discovery.

5 courses to take when starting out a career in Agentic AI — from techloy.com by David Adubiina
This will help you join the early train of experts who are using AI agents to solve real world problems.

This surge in demand is creating new opportunities for professionals equipped with the right skills. If you’re considering a career in this innovative field, the following five courses will provide a solid foundation when starting a career in Agentic AI.

What Teacher Pay and Benefits Look Like, in Charts — from edweek.org by Sarah D. Sparks

Special education staffing shortages put students’ futures at risk. How to solve that is tricky. — from chalkbeat.org by Kalyn Belsha

The debate comes as the number of students with disabilities is growing. Some 7.5 million students required special education services as of the 2022-23 school year, the latest federal data shows, or around 15% of students. That was up from 7.1 million or 14% of students in the 2018-19 school year, just before the pandemic hit.

It’s unclear if the rise is due to schools getting better at identifying students with disabilities or if more children have needs now. Many young children missed early intervention and early special education services during the pandemic, and many educators say they are seeing higher behavioral needs and wider academic gaps in their classrooms.

“Students are arriving in our classrooms with a high level of dysregulation, which is displayed through their fight, flight, or freeze responses,” Tiffany Anderson, the superintendent of Topeka, Kansas’ public schools, wrote in her statement. “Students are also displaying more physically aggressive behavior.”

Expanding Access, Value and Experiences Through Credentialing — from gettingsmart.com by Nate McClennen, Tom Vander Ark and Mason Pashia
A Landscape Analysis of Credentialing and Its Impact on K-12

Executive Summary

This report examines the evolving landscape of credentialing and learner records within global education systems, highlighting a shift from traditional time-based signals—such as courses and grades—to competency-based signals (credentials and learner records).

Also recommended by Getting Smart, see:

New Goals Learning Experiences and Signals — — from gettingsmart.com by Tom Vander Ark and Carri Schneider

Retrieval practice improves learning for neurodiverse students — from by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

In my 15+ years of teaching, I have had students with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, and a range of learning disabilities. I have grown in my understanding of inclusive teaching practices and I strive to incorporate universal design principles in my teaching.

From my classroom experience, I know that retrieval practice improves learning for all of my students, including those who are neurodiverse. But what have researchers found about retrieval practice with neurodiverse learners?

(Side note: If you’d like an intro on neurodiversity and what it means in the classroom, I recommend this podcast episode from The Learning Scientists and this podcast episode from Teaching in Higher Ed. For teaching tips, I recommend this article from the University of Illinois CITL.)

Instructure Is Ready To Lead The Next Evolution In Learning — from forbes.com by Ray Ravaglia

Learning Management In The AI Future
While LMS platforms like Canvas have positively impacted education, they’ve rarely lived up to their potential for personalized learning. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), this is set to change in revolutionary ways.

The promise of AI lies in its ability to automate repetitive tasks associated with student assessment and management, freeing educators to focus on education. More significantly, AI has the potential to go beyond the narrow focus on the end products of learning (like assignments) to capture insights into the learning process itself. This means analyzing the entire transcript of activities within the LMS, providing a dynamic, data-driven view of student progress rather than just seeing signposts of where students have been and what they have taken away.
…
Things become more potent by moving away from a particular student’s traversal of a specific course to looking at large aggregations of students traversing similar courses. This is why Instructure’s acquisition of Parchment, a company specializing in credential and transcript management, is so significant.

Sharpen your students’ interview skills — from timeshighereducation.com by Lewis Humphreys (though higher education-related, this is still solid information for those in K12)
The employees of the future will need to showcase their skills in job interviews. Make sure they’re prepared for each setting, writes Lewis Humphreys

In today’s ultra-competitive job market, strong interview skills are paramount for students taking their first steps into the professional world. University careers services play a crucial role in equipping our students with the tools and confidence needed to excel in a range of interview settings. From pre-recorded video interviews to live online sessions and traditional face-to-face meetings, students must be adaptable and well-prepared. Here, I’ll explore ways universities can teach interview skills to students and graduates, helping them to present themselves and their skills in the best light possible.

What DICE does in this posting will be available 24x7x365 in the future [Christian]

On 11/20/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, career development, changing business models, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, distance education, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, liberal arts, library / librarians, lifelong learning, MBA, microlearning, multimedia, Natural Language Processing (NLP), neurodivergent/special needs, new business models, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, remote teaching and learning, skills, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, training / L&D, universities, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, web-based collaboration, Web3, webinars, workplace, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
First of all, when you look at the following posting:

What Top Tech Skills Should You Learn for 2025? — from dice.com by Nick Kolakowski

…you will see that they outline which skills you should consider mastering in 2025 if you want to stay on top of the latest career opportunities. They then list more information about the skills, how you apply the skills, and WHERE to get those skills.

I assert that in the future, people will be able to see this information on a 24x7x365 basis.

Which jobs are in demand?
What skills do I need to do those jobs?
WHERE do I get/develop those skills?

And that last part (about the WHERE do I develop those skills) will pull from many different institutions, people, companies, etc.

BUT PEOPLE are the key! Oftentimes, we need to — and prefer to — learn with others!

What’s a Special Education Aide Worth? A $9,607 Raise, to the Average Teacher [Lovison & Hyunjung Mo]

On 11/13/2024, in education, education reform, ideas, K-12 related, leadership, neurodivergent/special needs, productivity / tips and tricks, strategy, student-related, teachers, by Daniel Christian

What’s a Special Education Aide Worth? A $9,607 Raise, to the Average Teacher — from educationnext.org by Virginia S. Lovison and Cecilia Hyunjung Mo
Survey evidence shows teachers would trade additional salary for expert support

Teachers’ preferences are clear: they want to work where they will have the support of full-time experts in special education and pediatric physical and mental health. An overwhelming majority describe these supports as “beneficial” or “extremely beneficial” when asked to rate special-education co-teachers (93 percent) and paraprofessionals (92 percent), as well as counselors (89 percent) and school nurses (88 percent).

These roles are so important that teachers are willing to forgo salary increases when asked to choose between the two. Our analysis shows the average teacher is willing to trade a 21 percent raise for the full-time support of a special-education co-teacher and an 18 percent raise for a full-time special-education aide.

Also from Education Next, see:

The Education Exchange: Hoover Institution Proposes Massive K–12 School Reform — from educationnext.org by Paul E. Peterson
Education Futures Council recommends putting teachers and principals in charge

Macke Raymond, a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss a report from the Education Futures Council, which looks to identify and remove barriers to student success within the K-12 educational system.

From DSC:
I like the sound of putting teachers and principals in charge! As I just mentioned the other day, those on “the front line” (so to speak) know what’s working, what’s not working, and how best to fix things. Less legislators, more teachers.

“College competition & operational pain are the ‘new normal,’ S&P says” [Unglesbee] + other items re: higher ed

On 10/14/2024, in adjunct faculty, business side of he, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, faculty/staff, higher education, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians, student-related, teaching & learning, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

S&P: Community colleges lifted by improved enrollment and finances — from highereddive.com by Ben Unglesbee

Dive Brief:

With enrollment trends improving and state appropriations increasing, the community college sector has reason for “optimism,” according to a recent report from S&P Global Ratings.
For 2023, median full-time equivalent enrollment, at 5,439 students, was down just 0.3% from 2021 and up nearly 8.1% from the previous year, S&P found among the roughly 200 community colleges it rates. That comes after enrollment in the sector fell 7.7% year over year in 2022,.
Meanwhile, median state appropriations per FTE student for the sector increased 19.1% to $4,930 between 2021 and 2023, analysts found.

College competition and operational pain are the ‘new normal,’ S&P says — from highereddive.com by Ben Unglesbee-
Margins are down, costs are up and tuition revenue is constrained after the pandemic exacerbated existing challenges, according to a recent report.

Dive Brief:

U.S. colleges face a “new normal” and accelerated existing challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including constrained operations and heavy competition, a recent report from S&P Global Ratings found.
Between 2018 and 2023, operating margin rates fell from 0.8% to -0.1% amid rising costs to colleges, according to S&P. Meanwhile, median tuition discount rates at private colleges rose by more than 5 percentage points, to 44.4%, in that period, putting pressure on college revenues.
From 2019 through the second quarter of 2024, the ratings agency issued 126 credit downgrades for the higher ed sector, compared to 62 upgrades, per the report.

5 ways colleges can improve outreach to rural students — from highereddive.com by Laura Spitalniak
Students from small towns help strengthen campus communities, said panelists at the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s conference.

We cannot just swoop in and take the best and brightest and just say, ‘Oh, good job us.’ We want this to be a two-way highway, not a one-way brain drain.

Marjorie Betley
Deputy director of admissions at the University of Chicago

A Trauma-Informed Teaching Framework for Stewards — from scholarlyteacher.com by Jeannette Baca, New Mexico Highlands University; Debbie Gonzalez, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt; Jamie Langlois, Grand Valley State University; and Mary Kirk, Winona State University

Using the Trauma-Informed Community of Inquiry (T-I CoI) framework as a pedagogical design helped us address students’ emotional stress and facilitated cognitive growth and connection to the learning process. It also provided an opportunity to create a sense of community within an online learning environment. When we returned to in-person instruction, the model continued to be beneficial.

“California’s first graduate program in prison faces an uncertain future” [West] + other items re: prison education programs

On 10/11/2024, in adult learning, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), higher education, neurodivergent/special needs, pathways, society, sociology, United States, universities, vendors, youth, by Daniel Christian

Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)

³Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

California’s first graduate program in prison faces an uncertain future — from opencampusmedia.org by Charlotte West

Access to graduate programs inside is becoming increasingly important as the number of bachelor’s programs in prison grows with the return last year of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students. Since the first incarcerated bachelor’s graduates got their degrees from California State University Los Angeles at the state prison in Lancaster in 2021, California prisons now offer 11 bachelor’s programs, with two more starting next year.

Several of those Cal State LA grads continued on to the master’s program, which is open to students across California’s 34 prisons. It’s part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation commitment to offering education “from grade school to grad school.” Research shows that the higher the level of education someone achieves in prison, the less likely they are to return to prison once they are released and the more likely they are to find a job.

Lawsuit claims disabled young people in Illinois prisons were denied special education for years — from opencampusmedia.org by Charlotte West; also here at WBEZ.org

A new lawsuit claims Illinois has been violating state and federal law for nearly two decades by failing to provide special education services to young people locked up in adult prisons.

The federal lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and the Illinois State Board of Education was filed at the end of last month. On Wednesday, plaintiffs filed a motion seeking to make the case a class action lawsuit. Attorneys estimate the suit could affect hundreds of individuals currently in custody.

Lawsuits claim Black students in Northwestern’s prison education program were unjustly disciplined — from wbez.org
The men claim their efforts to prevent educators from being harassed inside were labeled as gang activity by prison officials.

A pair of federal lawsuits claim the Illinois Department of Corrections unjustly disciplined two Black students in Northwestern University’s prison education program because the students worked together to prevent university staff from harassment during their visits to the prison. Corrections officials deemed the coordinated effort to “stop problems” gang-related activity, according to the federal complaints.

The lawsuits were filed Wednesday morning. The plaintiffs, LeShun Smith and Brian McClendon, allege they were denied due process and targeted because of their race, violating their constitutional rights and effectively ending their education, said their attorney, Alan Mills.

Helping Neurodiverse Students Learn Through New Classroom Design — from insidehighered.com by Michael Tyre
Michael Tyre offers some insights into how architects and administrators can work together to create better learning environments for everyone.

We emerged with two guiding principles. First, we had learned that certain environments—in particular, those that cause sensory distraction—can more significantly impact neurodivergent users. Therefore, our design should diminish distractions by mitigating, when possible, noise, visual contrast, reflective surfaces and crowds. Second, we understood that we needed a design that gave neurodivergent users the agency of choice.

The importance of those two factors—a dearth of distraction and an abundance of choice—was bolstered in early workshops with the classroom committee and other stakeholders, which occurred at the same time we were conducting our research. Some things didn’t come up in our research but were made quite clear in our conversations with faculty members, students from the neurodivergent community and other stakeholders. That feedback greatly influenced the design of the Young Classroom.

We ended up blending the two concepts. The main academic space utilizes traditional tables and chairs, albeit in a variety of heights and sizes, while the peripheral classroom spaces use an array of less traditional seating and table configurations, similar to the radical approach.

On a somewhat related note, also see:

Unpacking Fingerprint Culture — from marymyatt.substack.com by Mary Myatt

This post summarises a fascinating webinar I had with Rachel Higginson discussing the elements of building belonging in our settings.

We know that belonging is important and one of the ways to make this explicit in our settings is to consider what it takes to cultivate an inclusive environment where each individual feels valued and understood.

Rachel has spent several years working with young people, particularly those on the periphery of education to help them back into mainstream education and participating in class, along with their peers.

Rachel’s work helping young people to integrate back into education resulted in schools requesting support and resources to embed inclusion within their settings. As a result, Finding My Voice has evolved into a broader curriculum development framework.

Question: Where Do You Need Guidance in Supporting Students With Learning Disabilities? [edutopia]

On 09/23/2024, in Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), education, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, neurodivergent/special needs, student-related, teachers, United States, by Daniel Christian

Question: Where Do You Need Guidance in Supporting Students With Learning Disabilities? — from edutopia.org
We want to better serve your needs. Tell us about the specific challenges you’re facing.

As an educator, you’re constantly adapting your teaching to meet the needs of your classroom, but it can be difficult to know everything necessary for effectively supporting your students, including those with learning disabilities.

We’re turning to you, our Edutopia community, to help us shape the content we create around this important topic. Where do you need more guidance in helping students with learning disabilities? Are there specific challenges you face, such as classroom accommodations, identifying learning disabilities early on, or navigating IEPs? Maybe you’re looking for help with differentiated instruction, inclusive teaching practices, or strategies for fostering social-emotional growth in these students.

..
More Guidance for Learning Disabilities
Are you looking for resources that have already been published? We maintain a page dedicated entirely to Special Education. This resource is updated continuously with our latest articles and videos, offering practical tips and insights from educators like you.

Learning Ecosystems

I love this posting about a teen with Down syndrome visiting his mother’s grave to tell her that he graduated

“California’s first graduate program in prison faces an uncertain future” [West] + other items re: prison education programs

Categories

Tags