An Inclusive Mathematical Journey: Everyone Deserves a Slice of the Pi

Welcome to an inspiring exploration of creating accessible and inclusive mathematics instruction. This presentation, “An Inclusive Mathematical Journey: Everyone Deserves a Slice of the Pi,” delves into strategies, tools, and best practices for designing and delivering mathematics content that is accessible to all learners.

Key Highlights

Session Norms and Introductions

Dr. Chris Smith and Dr. Thomas Cooper, instructional leaders from North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS), set the stage by establishing session norms focused on empathy, capacity building, solution orientation, and shared expertise.

Learning Objectives

Throughout this session, you will:

• Investigate strategies for generating accessible mathematical instructional content.
• Discuss various instructional strategies for providing inclusive mathematics instruction.
• Demonstrate digital tools that can be used to create accessible mathematics.

Understanding Accessibility in Math

Explore the challenges and successes related to providing accessible mathematics experiences. Learn about the importance of designing with accessibility in mind, using Universal Design for Learning principles, Quality Matters Standards, and Backwards Design.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Identify common challenges such as stakeholder awareness, incorrect text-to-speech readings, and creating accessible graphs and images. Discover low-tech and high-tech solutions that have been successfully implemented to address these challenges.

Mathematical Content Representation

Understand different methods for presenting mathematical content, including:

• Using images with alt text
• LaTeX markup language
• MathML markup language

NCVPS Curriculum Development

Learn about the NCVPS curriculum development process, which includes designing courses with built-in accommodations and addressing unique situations as they arise. Explore the opportunities and challenges NCVPS faces in creating accessible math content.

Digital Tools and Resources

Discover the variety of digital tools used by NCVPS to improve accessibility in math courses, including Canvas, CidiLabs, YuJa, and Grackle Docs. Learn how Microsoft Word’s robust equation editor and other tools like Desmos can enhance accessibility.

Interactive Learning Experience

Engage in activities that demonstrate the application of these tools and strategies. View examples of accommodations in the Canvas LMS and explore resources for creating more accessible math content.

Join us on this journey to create an inclusive mathematical learning experience, ensuring every student has equal access to the wonders of mathematics.