Universal Design

Universal Design is a method of designing a space that will be functional for all, and the creation of products that may be used by as many people as possible, regardless of age, ability, or circumstances.

Following are some examples of Universal Design, and under each example, I’ve listed how it compares to my school building design.

·         Smooth, ground level, entrances without stairs

o   Only at the front door entrance. Side and rear door entrances have a step up/down.

·         Surfaces that are stable, firm and with slip resistance

o   Exterior surfaces surrounding the main building are concrete, thus firm, stable and slip resistant. However, surfaces surrounding the trailer classrooms are gravel and can easily cause a person on foot to stumble. Only one of the seven trailers has a concrete ramp leading to its entrance.

·         Wide interior doors, hallways, and alcoves with 60” x 60” turning space at doors

o   This holds true for my school’s interior.

·         Lever handles for opening doors rather than twisting knobs

o   This holds true to my school’s interior.

·         Components that do not require tight grasping pinching or twisting of the wrist

o   The side exterior door—next to teachers’ parking and used by most teachers upon their arrival is very difficult to open with only one hand. It requires two hands and twisting of the wrist. This makes entering the building especially difficult when teachers are carrying books, briefcases and other items into the building in the mornings.

·         Light switches with large plat panels rather than small toggle switches

o   All light switches throughout my school are very high up on the wall. In addition, the switches on several classrooms are almost hidden—I’ve personally have had to vigorously look for the light switch of one of the classrooms in this particular area of the school.

·         Bright and appropriate lighting, particularly task lighting

o   My personal opinion of the lighting in my school is that it is inadequate, at least in the classrooms I’ve seen. However, the lighting in the commons seems to be adequate.

·         Ramp access

o   There is only one in my school and it seems to be adequate.

·         Closed captioning on television networks

o   I don’t believe we have closed captioning television in my school.

·         Signs with light on dark visual contrast

o   None in my school.

Emerging Technologies--BrainPOP

BRAINPOP

·         Just the Facts

o   Founded in 1999, BrainPOP creates animated, curriculum-based content that engages students, supports educators, and bolsters achievement. Their award-winning online educational resources include BrainPOP Jr. (K-3), BrainPOP, BrainPOP Español, and BrainPOP Educators. Within their resource, you find movies, quizzes, experiments, timelines, activity pages, and much more covering hundred of topics within Math, Science, Social Studies, English, Technology, Arts, Music, and Health. All content is aligned to and searchable by state standards.

o   Their teacher community is over 125,000 members and they feature free lesson plans, video tutorials, graphic organizers, best practices, and much more. BrainPOP Educators is a new, free resource that supports teachers with shared tips, tools, and resources for teachers. Access to BrainPOP Educators is entirely free. Register for BrainPOP Educators at www.brainpop.com/educators.

o   Teachers can sign up for a free trial. However, it’s very likely that once you’ve tried it, you will want to subscribe.

o   Subscription cost varies depending on whether the subscription is for a classroom, an entire school, or a district. Subscription cost, however, for one-year subscription for classroom access  used by a teacher and students in s single classroom on up to three computers, projectors, or interactive whiteboard is as follows:

§  Classroom BrainPOP, $195

§  Classroom BrainPOP Jr., $125

§  Classroom BrainPOP Español, $150

§  Classroom Combo (All three products above), $265

§  Classroom BrainPOP ESL, $115

§  Classroom Combo plus BrainPOP ESL, $380           

·         In the Classroom

o   BrainPOP is ideal for both group and one-on-one settings. BrainPOP may be used in numerous ways, from introducing a new lesson or topic to illustrating complex subject matter to reviewing before a test. Content is aligned to academic standards and is easily searchable with their online Standards Tool.

·         Help, I’m Stuck

o   BrainPOP is suited for 21^st-century learning. All products are fully compatible with interactive whiteboards, learner response systems, projectors, Macs, and PCs. No downloading, installation, or special hardware is required.

o   To ensure that you’re able to receive assistance as quickly and efficiently as possible, BrainPOP has a “Help” page where you can select a help topic and receive answers immediately. If you don’t receive an immediate answer to your question, you can click on the contact us link, explain your problem or ask your question. They promise to respond shortly.

o   BrainPOP provides teachers with training via Webinars, Video Tutorials, Ideas for Integration, Professional Development, and Conferences.

·         Check it out

o   Here are the links to BRAINPOP and BRAINPOP Educator

§  https://brainpop.com

§  http://www.brainpop.com/educators/home/

Pre-Plan

The questions posed to my Spanish I 8th grade students is: What are the cultural similarities and differences (compare and contrast) among eight Hispanic Countries—must include Spain—according to information contained in each country’s online newspaper? How do these countries’ newspaper articles, weather reports, movies, and ads compare to samples from our home culture?

     The objective of this WebQuest assignment os for my students to research online newspapers from eight Hispanic countries (including Spain) and compare and contrast cultural similarities and differences among the eight countries of their choice. Students also must examine the newspaper articles, weather reports, movies, and ads and compare them to samples from their own home culture. A website link will be provided for them on WebQuest from which they can obtain the various links needed to research the eight Hispanic Newspapers of their choice.  (http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish3.html#newspapers).

HTML

The week we learned about html I was amazed to see how much actually goes into the behind the scenes programming of a web page. Personally, I don't think that I want to go that route. It all seems too complicated for me--not having an ounce of technology gene in my body. So, I'd rather build my web page using a technology that's more user friends, such as Web Page Building for Dummies.

Exámen ACCESS

Notificación para Padres

Su estudiante será examinado este año para determinar su progreso en el

aprendizaje del inglés. El examen es un mandato del Gobierno Federal e

incluye a todos los estudiantes identificados como Aprendices del Idioma Inglés (English Language Learner - ELL), independientemente que estén o no

recibiendo servicios.

EL examen se conoce como ACCESS - Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State. Los estudiantes serán evaluados entre el 24 de enero y el 4 de marzo de 2011.

Los estudiantes serán evaluados en lectura, escritura, comprensión auditiva y en conversación. El examen completo toma aproximadamente 2½ horas y será

administrado durante varios días.

Los resultados del examen nos ayudarán para preparar un mejor plan de

instrucción para su hijo/a. Usted será informado de los resultados. Por favor

indíquele a su hijo(a) la importancia de la prueba y de llevar a cabo su mejor

desempeño.

Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor llameme a mí o al administrador

de ESOL de nuestra escuela. Para más información acerca de la prueba

puede visitar esta página de Internet http://www.wida.us/.