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Pedagogy Tip of the Day:
Always analyze which of your classroom practices are ableist, or only serve students who fit your prefab ideation of who a "student" might be.
Examples to follow in a short thread.
Read, RT, pass it on, etc.
Always analyze which of your classroom practices are ableist, or only serve students who fit your prefab ideation of who a "student" might be.
Examples to follow in a short thread.
Read, RT, pass it on, etc.
1. Do you only present your classes/lectures orally?
If so, students with hearing disabilities as well as students with certain mental/invisible disabilities will struggle to fully access course information. Consider providing written notes, captioned audio, or multimodal format.
If so, students with hearing disabilities as well as students with certain mental/invisible disabilities will struggle to fully access course information. Consider providing written notes, captioned audio, or multimodal format.
2. Do you have a strict attendance policy?
If so, students w/ chronic health issues, including mental health issues, will be penalized through ableism. Reconsider what it is you're grading when you grade attendance. Is it course content mastery? If not, why're you grading it?
If so, students w/ chronic health issues, including mental health issues, will be penalized through ableism. Reconsider what it is you're grading when you grade attendance. Is it course content mastery? If not, why're you grading it?
3. Is your syllabus typed in accessible fonts and colors? Does it use accessibility features like stylized headers and section titles so that students who use screen readers or assistive technology can read it?
If not... fix that. Now. Posthase.
If not... fix that. Now. Posthase.
4. Are you relying heavily on PDF readings for sharing content with students?
PDFs are not screen-reader friendly. Provide word doc versions of readings when possible, or look for e-versions that are screen-reader accessible.
PDFs are not screen-reader friendly. Provide word doc versions of readings when possible, or look for e-versions that are screen-reader accessible.
5. Do you rely heavily on graphics, slides, and images to share your content?
If so, make sure those images or slides ALL exist in pure text form, as well - whether it's alt text for an image, or an actual typed script of the same information present in your slides, flyers, etc.
If so, make sure those images or slides ALL exist in pure text form, as well - whether it's alt text for an image, or an actual typed script of the same information present in your slides, flyers, etc.
6. Are you holding classes synchronously?
If so, have you polled your students to see if that's actually working for them? If not, why haven't you? What will you do for students whose internet or time isn't so easily negotiated? How will you accommodate?
If so, have you polled your students to see if that's actually working for them? If not, why haven't you? What will you do for students whose internet or time isn't so easily negotiated? How will you accommodate?
7. ARE YOU USING GOOGLE PRODUCTS?
If so, did you know that students in a number of non-USA countries (ex: China) can't access G-suite AT ALL? Find an an internationally friendly option and move forward from there.
If so, did you know that students in a number of non-USA countries (ex: China) can't access G-suite AT ALL? Find an an internationally friendly option and move forward from there.
Anyway, these are just a few ideas. Feel free to add more if you can think of any! There's just so much ableism going around while we make this transition to online teaching (and frankly, always, but also now, I guess).
We can do better.
Please try to do better.
We can do better.
Please try to do better.
