I want to reflect on what I’ve learned so far when it comes to IEPs, and what we were shown at link-to-practice as I had heard the term so often in classes but hadn’t seen the physical paperwork yet. While I think that beginning to have students advocating for themselves and their learning is so crucial, I believe we should be considering a wide range of abilities to begin with while we plan our units. Art is often seen as a more accessible subject, and I would like to ensure I considering diverse learning needs, especially when I am presenting foundational art techniques, tools, and concepts. Art really is for everyone, and the room itself is often seen as a safe space. It can do wonders for mental health, and learning fine motor skills, as long as I am coming from a place of understanding and allowing for accommodations to be made. I’ve reached out for more help on this from my art teachable prof, as I’d like to hear what she recommends when it comes to creating accommodating lesson plans.
I found the conversations during class time to be really insightful, I think we are all going to be very aware of our place in ensuring we create lesson plans and spaces that can be enjoyed by all. I know I have had some difficultly in finding accommodations from the university and I will take that experience and let it inform how I interact with students. In my last reflection, I spoke about how technology over the pandemic was helpful for those who may find it challenging to be in class everyday, and I would like to implement what I have learned in this class to make my content accessible for students of diverse learning needs. As far as voice to text goes, I strongly dislike using it. I find it difficult to reflect as I speak, and text usually solves that for me. Many seniors in my life use it and love it, but I think it can be extremely frustrating for those with accents (my grandma, and my landlord both struggle with this).
