How can faculty present important content to be learned in ways that improve student learning?
Page 6: Balanced Learning Environments
In the HPL framework, a balanced learning environment is created when all four lenses are focused in ways that support one another. In other words, teachers should ask themselves the following questions:
- Have I, as an instructor, discovered something of each learner’s background knowledge, interests, and social and cultural values, and have I helped them to become aware of how these things influence their opinions and perspectives?
- Have I, as an instructor, offered rigorous content and helped my students learn with understanding rather than merely commit things to memory?
- Have I, as an instructor, required high standards along with frequent opportunities for feedback, reflection, and revision in order to enhance the quality of learning?
- Have I, as an instructor, developed course values or norms that foster lifelong learning? Have I made my goals and assumptions for the class explicit, and are these in line with their needs?
It is important to remember that achieving this kind of focus is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Rather, it should be a continuous process of discovery and improvement for each student and for the course at large.
Benefits to Learners
One of the foundational beliefs embodied in the HPL framework is that everyone can learn but that the ways in which that learning takes place may be different for different people. A balanced learning environment allows learners to have more control over their own academic experiences by vigorously assessing and improving their own learning. These are important steps in helping them to develop the attitudes and aptitudes of lifelong learners.
Listen to the audio clip below to further your understanding about creating balanced learning environments (time: 1:07).
Transcript: Balanced Learning Environment
When Kellie and Amani met to discuss the module’s section on creating a balanced learning environment, they quickly agreed that this is where the rubber meets the road. Amani was candid about her own teaching practice. She acknowledged that she was doing a better job of creating a balance of the four lenses now than she did as a new professor, but she admitted that this was achieved more from her years of experience and instinct than by design. She also stated that working through the HPL Module with Kellie was helping her understand how to better design her courses to give her students more control over their own learning. Inspired by her mentor’s candidness, Kellie shared her fear of not being able to adequately prepare her students for what they would find in school settings. But she also told Amani about her “aha” moment when she realized that she could begin to design her courses in ways that encourage students to become problem solvers and to work collaboratively. She smiled as she talked about finally getting the big picture that through understanding how people learn, she really could play a part in helping her students’ development as lifelong learners.
A consistently applied learning framework like HPL is a useful tool with which instructors can formatively assess not only learning but also their own instruction. It can reveal under what circumstances instruction is effective and when it might need improvement. In a sense, this positions the instructor as the “Learner-in-Chief.” Moreover, this kind of self-assessment by an instructor is a way to walk in the learner’s shoes. The instructor may model for his or her students how to navigate and improve the current learning environment for the course. Doing so reflects a powerful and effective model for the students.
Activity
Take a few moments to view the following pages from the What Do You See? Perceptions of Disability module by clicking the links below. Identify which element of the HPL framework is demonstrated in each example, and reflect on the benefits for your students. As the previous diagram of the HPL framework depicts, there is a fair amount of overlap between the four areas. In these instances, choose the lens that you consider to be dominant, and simply note which of the other lenses are evident.
Biography: Occupation, Family, Education, and Hobbies Paragraphs
Biography: Occupation, Family, Education, and Hobbies Paragraphs
Activity
Write a brief biography about the young woman in this picture.
Occupation
What kind of information about her occupation activities did you include in her bio? People with disabilities are employed in a wide range of jobs from machine operators, administrative assistants, and service workers to nurses, lawyers, and engineers.
- Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the efforts of disability rights advocates, 4 million people with disabilities are employed. However, that represents only 27% of adults with disabilities, so there is a lot of room for improvement.
- The employment barrier is further reduced by the prevalence of reasonable costs for accommodations: 52% of all job accommodations cost less than $500 and the average cost of a job accommodation for a person with a disability is $200 (source: Job Accommodation Network). An example of an accommodation might involve placing blocks under a desk to increase the height so a worker who utilizes a wheelchair can get in and out comfortably.
- The rapid advancement of technology has allowed people with disabilities to perform job duties with the help of assistive technology. For example, Harris Communications (www.harriscomm.com) offers products such as phones equipped with amplification for those with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Family
Did you include information about family and relationships in your bio above? People with disabilities have different family backgrounds just like you do. Some are from supportive, loving families while others struggle to meet their daily needs. Individuals with disabilities engage in the same types of relationships as you do. Consider that people with disabilities:
- Have $544 billion in disposable income
- Are heads of households (73%)
- Are principal shoppers (48%)
- Are married (46%)
- Have no children in the household (23%)
- Own their own homes (58%)
Education
Did you include information about education in your bio above? The level of education determines the type of employment opportunities available.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools provide educational services to students with disabilities.
- Sixty-five percent of students with disabilities graduate from high school with a standard diploma in the 2012-2013 school year.
- More people with disabilities are enrolling in college as evidenced by the fact that 11% of undergraduates reported having a disability during the 2011-12 academic year.
- Most college campuses are generally accessible and house an office specifically for disability services or support. All states have a vocational rehabilitation office that provides educational, as well as vocational, support.
Hobbies
Did you include information about hobbies or leisure activities in your bio above? Recreational activities provide opportunities for a more active life and increased socialization. People with disabilities engage in the same leisure activities as you do:
- Thanks to the work of disability advocates, many organizations exist to help people with disabilities engage in recreational activities. For example, the Athletes Building Life Experience (ABLE) program at Easter Seals of Nashville creates opportunities for children to engage in activities like skiing, boating, and camping.
- Technological advances allow more access to leisure activities than ever before. The picture to the right shows specially designed skiing equipment for people who use wheelchairs. Increased public awareness (and a desire to tap into the spending power of people with disabilities) has resulted in the development of accessible resorts, national park trails, and cruise ships.
Activity
Go back and re-examine the biography that you wrote. Did you leave out any of the areas listed above? Many people are unaware that individuals with disabilities have the same recreational hobbies, education, careers, and families as their nondisabled peers and neighbors. Rewrite your biography to include all of these areas.
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Ursa Minor
Take a moment to consider some of the ways in which perceptions of disability can vary by culture:
- A disability is a blessing; the individual with the disability has unique gifts that contribute to the family or community.
- A disability is something to be addressed through medical or educational interventions.
- A disability is a curse, placed on the family for any number of violations or transgressions.
The strength of a family’s cultural beliefs affect how they treat a family member with a disability. Some people with disabilities face little bias or discrimination, while others may be shunned or excluded.
In her poem “Ursa Minor,” Jody Barnes writes about her perceptions of her son Alex. As you read it, consider whether Jody, who is Native American, has a similar or different perception of disability than the teachers and doctors who work with her son. When you are ready, complete the activity below.
They want to trap you in the flatness of their paper charts
They lay snares of straight lines and sharp corners
Because you are different
they name you with short, sharp words
autistic, A.D.D., hyper
They say something’s wrong
He won’t speak when spoken to,
He won’t count to five or say his ABCs
or play with other kids his age
With pens poised above graphs they wait
‘What color is the umbrella, Alex?’
You look through them
past the picture of the yellow umbrella
past the calm beige walls
through time and space
Tattooed behind your cautious eyes is the path
through the Milky Way
In the dark of your room when I lean down to kiss you
I can still see how the stars laid themselves out
and guided you down to nestle under my ribs
When you were born I didn’t count fingers and toes
Instead, like momma bear, I nuzzled you
and breathed in your familiar scent
You smelled like new clothes and cedar
and the water from the river behind my grandfather’s house
I touched the oblong scar on your belly
knowing then you were a gift from the spirits
What had made that mark?
Musket ball?
Arrowhead?
Spear?
The woman with the clip board calls you ‘cute’ and ‘precious’
She can sense the agenda stamped on your soul
But she doesn’t have the words to articulate
so she speaks in baby talk, thinking it’s you
who doesn’t understand
The nurse bends down to peer into your eyes
I want to ask her if she can see it too
But she turns away without comment
maybe the bright reason in the room has nullified the answers
that I find there
the same way the blinding lights of the city
wash away the path through the stars at night
Activity
Answer the following questions:
- Based on her poem, what do you think is Jody Barnes’s perception of disability? What do you think the teachers’ and doctors’ perceptions are? Explain your answers.
- How would you feel if you had a child born with a disability? Do you think your cultural background influences your views of disability? Explain your answers.
- What is Jody Barnes’s message?
Meet with a small group of classmates. Take turns sharing your responses to the questions above, including the impact of cultural beliefs.
- Are your experiences similar to or different from those of your classmates’?
- In what ways?
- What else did you learn from your classmates that could be beneficial to you as a teacher when working with students with disabilities? When working with parents?
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Film and Literature Portrayals
Character Activity
Activity
Pick a movie or a book that you’ve seen from these lists.
Movies
Do perceptions matter?
| Autism | Rain Man Mercury Rising The Boy Who Could Fly |
| Emotional or Behavioral Disorders |
A Beautiful Mind Identity As Good As It Gets |
| Deafness and Hard of Hearing |
Mr. Holland’s Opus She’s All That The Replacements |
| Learning Disabilities | Summer School |
| Intellectual Disability | Forrest Gump What’s Eating Gilbert Grape There’s Something About Mary I Am Sam Radio |
| Physical Impairments and Other Health Impairments |
X-Men 2 Notting Hill The Bone Collector Door to Door Tuesdays With Morrie Awakening |
| Speech and Language Impairments | Die Hard With a Vengeance Primal Fear My Left Foot The Piano |
| Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) |
The Bourne Identity Momento The Majestic Regarding Henry |
| Visual Disabilities | Daredevil Red Dragon Scent of a Woman Contact |
(Close this panel)
Books
Do perceptions matter?
| Autism | An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales by Oliver Sacks Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports From my Life With Autism by Temple Grandin Exiting Nirvana: A Daughter’s Life With Autism by C.C. Parks |
| Emotional or Behavioral Disorders |
A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison His Bright Light: The Nick Trania Story by Danielle Steel |
| Deafness and Hard of Hearing |
Silent Night by Sue Thomas I Didn’t Hear the Dragon Roar by Frances M. Parsons Reading Between the Lines by Lou Golan Listening With My Heart by Heather Whiteston |
| Learning Disabilities | Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by J. Gantos Laughing Allegra by Anne Ford Brilliant Idiot: An Autobiography of a Dyslexic by Abraham Schmitt, Mary Lou Hartzler Clemens (Contributor) |
| Intellectual Disability | Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner Naked by David Sedaris Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood |
| Physical Impairments and Other Health Impairments |
Miracles Happen: One Mother, One Daughter, One Journey by J. Ellison Still Me by Christopher Reeve Joni by Joni Eareckson Ten Things I Learned From Bill Porter by Shelly Macy My Left Foot by Christy Brown |
| Speech and Language Impairments | Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris Stuttering: A Life Bound Up in Words by Marty Jezer Because I Stutter by W. Johnson |
| Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) |
A Good Fight by Sarah Brady The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry |
| Visual Disabilities | Planet of the Blind by S. Kuusisto The Story of My Life by Helen Keller The Stolen Light by Ved Mehta |
(Close this panel)
- Recall a character from the film or book you have chosen who has a disability.
- Was the person with a disability portrayed in a positive or a negative light?
- How did you feel about the way the character was depicted?
- After seeing the film or reading the book, do you believe the audience or the reader comes away having a better understanding of the disability and the challenges it presents? Why or why not?
Assessment
Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in to your professor using whatever method he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.
In this module, you have had the opportunity to examine your attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities. As you watch the following movie, notice the reactions you have to these students with disabilities, and then answer the questions below (time: 1:20).
Music: People First ©1990 Karl Williams
The assessment movie displays nine photos of students with and without disabilities. Each photo is shown individually at first but then recedes into a collage with the other photos as the movie progresses. A description of the photos follows.
- Picture one: A young male student sits at his desk concentrating.
- Picture two: A female student in an elementary classroom uses a pencil to write.
- Picture three: A female adolescent student actively participates in class.
- Picture four: A female adolescent uses manipulatives for an activity.
- Picture five: A young male student puts together a puzzle.
- Picture six: A male adolescent student appears attentive in class.
- Picture seven: A young girl in a hospital wheelchair holds a teddy bear.
- Picture eight: A child with Down syndrome is shown dressed for a water sport.
- Picture nine: A male adolescent navigates his wheelchair outside.
The movie ends.
Everyone you meet
Has a story all their own
You are different from me
But we don’t have to stand alone
People first
We’re people first
People first
We’re people first
We will stand up for our rights
We will stand and tell what’s true
We will show the world
All that we can do
People first
We’re people first
People first
We’re people first
- Some of these children have disabilities. Do you think people’s perceptions of others play a role in the success of children with disabilities? Why or why not?
- Based on your own perceptions, how would you feel about having these children in your classroom?
- If you were put in charge of a movie production about a person who is blind, what type of perceptions would you want to make sure are portrayed in your movie? What myths could you debunk? What stereotypes would you want to make sure to avoid?
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Education and Hobbies Paragraphs
This is an example of a knowledge-centered activity. The students are given content information that can be added to their current knowledge base about the topic. This content is tied to an activity students had done previously on this page, anchoring the knowledge to something they already know and making it more permanent.
Ursa Minor Poem and Activity
This is an example of a community-centered activity. The students are given the opportunity to share amongst themselves in a safe environment that allows them to learn from one another and identify and acknowledge differing points of view.
Film and Literature Portrayals Activity
This is an example of a learner-centered activity. The students are able to bring to the surface their beliefs, feelings, and possible misconceptions about disability, helping the instructor to address these areas during class.
Assessment
This is an example of an assessment-centered activity. Once the students have completed the assessment activity, they may return to the corresponding Module pages to review content and to clarify or revise information where their previous answers could be improved. This re-evaluation of students’ answers allows them to review information about remaining misconceptions they may have.
