Anastasia Semash

Image source: Unsplash In the world of education, we often confuse a "busy" classroom with a "productive" one. We’ve been taught that an art room should be a kaleidoscope of color and that "white space" is a missed opportunity for inspiration. Consider a simple scenario which happens too often. A high school student with ADHD has difficulty focusing during class due to the classroom design, which includes bright, distracting posters on the walls and an excess of visual clutter. The student's...

This tutorial on using Google Classroom is available in a printed version for learners who prefer reading the hard copies. In my online art studio, I often see two different versions of the same struggle. I see the 70-year-old retired engineer worried that a shaky hand will "ruin" a drawing. I also see the 10-year-old student with ADHD, overwhelmed by a cluttered screen. While their lives are worlds apart, their need is the same: an environment designed for success. To meet this need, the...

In the world of instructional design, we often talk about "Learner-Centered Design." We conduct needs assessments, build personas, and map out learning paths. But there is a silent partner in the room during every design session: our own bias. Today, I took the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT) regarding physical disability. The IAT measures how quickly our brains associate concepts. For instance, "Physically Abled" or "Physically Disabled" would be paired with evaluations like "Good"...