Category: Accessible Learning

January 28, 2025

Making Learning Accessible to All

Reading Time: 5 minutesThis post discusses the importance of accessibility and introduces the concept of Universal Design for Learning as a framework to help you incorporate accessible, inclusive teaching practices.

Categories Accessible Learning/Teaching/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

October 8, 2024

Mental Health: The Bigger Picture.

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe United Nations has declared Oct 10th World Mental Health Day. Throughout the month of October each year, the UN encourages industries and organizations across...

Categories Accessible Learning/Communicating With Students/Teaching/Theory and Practice

May 8, 2024

Reach Them All with Universal Design for Learning

Reading Time: 4 minutesUniversal Design for Learning (UDL) is about making course instruction, materials, and content accessible to everyone right from the start.  By doing this you will...

Categories Accessible Learning/Teaching/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

May 6, 2024

Accessible Teaching with Copilot 

Reading Time: 5 minutesAn overview of accessible learning at the College and provides ideas for supporting accessible learning using generative AI and AI-supported classroom tools. 

Categories Accessible Learning/AI and Teaching/Teaching

April 17, 2024

Teaching with Sign Language Interpreters (SLIs) or Interpreters in the Classroom

Reading Time: 4 minutesIntroduction As of 2021, there are approximately 382,700 deaf and 3,827,000 hard of hearing people in Canada (Canadian Association of the Deaf, n.d.; Malkowski, 2021)....

Categories Accessible Learning/Diverse Identities/Diversity/Equity and Inclusion/Teaching/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

April 16, 2024

Children in the Classroom

Reading Time: 5 minutesBy Sara Kafashan and Lauren Spring Thinking about student parents Some of you may have combined studying and parenting and you know how many challenges...

Categories Accessible Learning/Class Management/Equity and Inclusion/Teaching

January 31, 2024

Effective Whiteboard Use

Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen teaching in-person, the whiteboard can be an effective teaching tool in the classroom.  It helps students visualize content and recall important terms, concepts, and...

Categories Accessible Learning/Collaboration/In-person

October 6, 2023

The Neurodiverse Classroom and Collaborative Work

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat? The main purpose of this teaching tip is to assist educators in supporting neurodiverse groups in collaborating. So What? This is important because 1...

Categories Accessible Learning/Diverse Identities/Diversity/Equity and Inclusion/Teaching/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

June 29, 2022

Content Warnings in Teaching

Reading Time: 9 minutesWhat are content warnings? How can I best prepare my class for a difficult topic? This tip provides examples of content warnings and other tips for teaching difficult topics.

Categories Accessible Learning/Diverse Identities/Diversity/Teaching

August 31, 2021

Ways To Make Your Teaching More Accessible

Reading Time: 2 minutesBy Sara Kafashan [E]ducation providers have a legal duty to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2018 How can faculty...

Categories Accessible Learning/Diversity

August 31, 2021

Trauma Informed Teaching

Reading Time: 6 minutesAs we begin our teaching each semester, we welcome strangers into our class whose past experiences are unknown to us.  Over time, it sometimes becomes clear that a student is struggling with the impact of life experiences on the student’s ability to learn. This teaching tip will provide a research perspective and practical suggestions to help make your class a welcoming environment for students with trauma in their past (or present).

Categories Accessible Learning/Teaching

August 26, 2021

Accommodating and Supporting Students with Disabilities: Conestoga Faculty Stories

Reading Time: 7 minutesStories curated by Elan Paulson and Sara Kafashan Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are attending colleges in Ontario (Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, n.d.). In...

Categories Accessible Learning/Diversity/Faculty Stories

August 26, 2021

A Foundational Understanding of Accessible Teaching and Learning at Conestoga College

Reading Time: 4 minutesAcross Ontario colleges and universities, there are growing numbers of students with disabilities (Learning Disabilities of Ontario, 2019). At Conestoga, we have seen our numbers...

Categories Accessible Learning/Diversity

June 23, 2021

Best Practices for Faculty to Support Students in Distress or in Crisis

Reading Time: 4 minutesIn this post, you will learn about best practices to support students in distress or in crisis. Some of the information here is based on...

Categories Accessible Learning/Diverse Identities/Diversity

May 5, 2021

Read&Write for Studying and Research

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe following is a message from Conestoga College’s Library Services department. Read&Write is a literacy toolbar that helps students enhance their reading, writing, studying, and...

Categories Accessible Learning/Classroom Tech

December 1, 2020

Supporting Privacy Rights of People with Disabilities

Reading Time: 2 minutesInformation and links on protecting the rights of people to disclose or withhold information about theirdisability

Categories Accessible Learning/Diversity

November 16, 2020

Course Completion Assessment Process for Students with Documented Disabilities

Reading Time: 4 minutesAn FAQ on the Course Completion Assessment process and form, used by Accessible Learning and the program team to provide an opportunity for the meaningful consideration of retroactive requests by students with a documented disability.

Categories Accessible Learning/Student Success Services

July 15, 2019

Accessible Board Work

Reading Time: < 1 minuteBe sure that your board work is accessible to all students. The following tips will help you create clear and legible board writing.

Categories Accessible Learning/Diversity

July 15, 2019

Prepare Early for Accommodations

Reading Time: < 1 minuteConnect with Accessibility Service’s resources for faculty to prepare to connect students with on campus supports. Be sure to read and take action on emails...

Categories Accessible Learning/Assessing Learning/Diversity/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

February 11, 2018

Accommodation-Related Classroom Management

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat are some avoidable occurrences when providing instruction to students when some students may have accommodations? How can I best manage student behaviours while always...

Categories Accessible Learning/Diversity