Teaching Every Sudent

Review of    http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/

 



This site ties everything in perfectly that I've posted about UDL previously! This link encompasses everything I've discussed so far. In one area you can find links to UDL basics, case studies, how to get started on your lessons, and sample lessons for elementary, middle, and high school levels.

 

If you have checked out this specific site do yourself a favor a click around the multiple links that will send you on your way to better planning!

 

 

 

                Every child is capable of learning. You have the keys to unlock their potential!

Additional Teacher Resources for UDL!

I like to always have my own tool kit of websites that can assist me in my planning. They must be user friendly by being simple to navigate. They must be filtered to get me to the specific items I need easily and efficiently and have plenty of visual aides! Below I've listed some sites I've found to be very "teacher friendly" and  should be able to help you in your planning while using UDL.

Here are 5 of my top favorites to add to the ones I've already discussed in my previous posts! Enjoy!

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/udl/- provides an a great visual on UDL steps! Includes webinars and articles!

http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts/Universal-Design-FF.pdf - provides a nice, easy to read layout of implementations to make in your classroom and lessons!

http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts/Guided-Notes-Fact-Sheet.pdf - ever heard of guided notes? Here is a best practice explained how to use guided notes and why we should be using this method!

http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/PDF/equal_access_udi.pdf- listed in a brochure format are ways to improve your class atmosphere, ways to properly assess, and ways to make accommodations!

http://udlexchange.cast.org/home- here you can browse UDL lessons and build your own!

Implementing UDL!

Now that I've become more familiar with UDL and it's principles, reflected on my own weaknesses and strengths in my UDL lessons, and watched a video example in the previous post on how UDL is actually used in a classroom, I found this amazing tab on the udl center's site: http://www.udlcenter.org/implementation.

This tab on the site helps you build implementation skills.

It includes
-a new book you can purchase that explains implementing UDL into your lessons and classroom.
-a UDL checklist, which is the one that I used to assess my own lessons in the previous posts.
- a downloadable UDL Wheel.

The wheel is a great resource in itself! You can print it out and stick it wherever your lesson plans are! It's so easy to follow and have right at your fingertips!

UDL implementation is a process of change that tends to occur in a recursive, continuously improving cycle of learning and progressing.

The graphic below offers another way of thinking about the UDL implementation process that highlights its iterative, continuously improving aspects.


By also checking out this tab it led to read about advocacy for UDL and how Maryland just adopted UDL! Exciting to know and learn that other states are putting forth fresh ideas and are interested in taking education to the next level!


Cast (2012). The National Center on Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from: http://www.udlcenter.org/implementation

UDL in Action!

After evaluating and reflecting on my lesson that I pre and post-assessed using my UDL checklist, I became increasingly curious how other teachers are implementing UDL in their classrooms and lessons. I miss the days of student teaching when I could sit in a teacher's classroom and gain a multitude of ideas I could use. Now that have my own classroom, it's hard to get new ideas and incorporate them in useful ways because the only classroom I'm in is my own!

Wanting to know more about how I can strengthen my weaknesses in UDL I explored this fabulous resource:http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines 

I encourage you to check it out! It has a simple UDL chart and graphic organizer to help you in your planning with each of the 3 key areas: representation, action and expression, and engagement.

I also included a video from the site that shows exactly what I wanted to see! UDL in ACTION! Check it out!
                       





CAST: About UDL. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html

Reflecting on UDL in my lessons so far

Based on my posts this far we've discussed UDL, tools and tips on planning UDL lessons, and barriers we need to eliminate for our students. Using a lesson I planned for my ESY severe multiple disabilities class, I evaluated my lesson and then using a UDL checklist, revised my lesson.

My strongest UDL areas so far seem to be providing multiple means of representation as we discussed in my first post. I can easily think of ways to display information and ways to offer alternatives for auditory and visual learners.

My weakest UDL areas that still need further developing seem to be providing multiple means for engagement, specifically varying demands to optimize challenge.

My biggest challenge to developing greater variety in the use of UDL would be simply searching and researching what new digital technology is out there and ways other educators are using it.

Overall, I want to learn not only ways to enhance my lessons to reach more of my learners, but to learn about new areas of technology that I am not aware of currently, especially for special needs students.

"Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful." - Margaret J. Wheatley


Keep on reflecting..... ~ Michelle

Curriculum Barriers- How can we eliminate them?

Review of  http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/curriculumbarrierstutorial.cfm - Help to stop creating barriers for students!

 

As discussed in the last post, we talked about how to plan for all learners. Once we get started in planning, educators usually come across potential barriers that are inherent in your planned curriculum materials and methods.  In the Curriculum barriers tutorial, on the cast site, it takes you step by step to planning for a child with specific strengths, weaknesses, and needs. The tutorial helps point out missed opportunities between materials, methods, and students strengths and interests. The tutorial is short and very easy to navigate. This is another great “tool” to add to your teacher bag of tricks. The tutorial gets you thinking about your students and materials and manipulatives that may be useful to them and the tools you may be using that are creating “barriers” for them. A barriersI have made are wait time for my students to answer and really think.

To practice, this the site also provides a template to use. It’s available in word or pdf format. I’ve downloaded it for my personal use, as you should too! It will help me plan and avoid barriers and unhelpful methods I currently may be using. I’m sure my smiling bunch of 26 will benefit from this wonderful template.

Happy Planning! 

~ Michelle

Have you tired the tutorial or template? What barriers were you currently creating for your struggling students?

Planning for All Learners

 Review of http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/toolkits/tk_introduction.cfm?tk_id=21 – Planning for all learners- a toolkit for UDL!

 After reviewing the site in my previous post, we should all know that UDL is based on meeting the needs of every student in our classroom in the best way possible. Sounds nice, but what to do when you have 30 students all with different needs? WHOA! Overwhelming? Maybe to some! If you are currently a teacher and experience the demands of not only classroom management, new curriculum and books, parents, faculty obligations outside of the classroom, UDL can seem like an impossible task! Trust me, this year I am staring at my plans constantly wondering how I’m going to meet all the needs I am coming across in my room of 26 this year! It is a daunting task at the least.

HOLD ON! Don’t run away from teaching just yet! The site above has come to the rescue!

This site introduced me to PAL, meaning Planning for All Learners! Just what we teachers need, a plan! The plan builds on two prerequisites:

        1. A basic understanding of Universal Design for Learning, and

        2. Commitment of participating educators to make the curriculum and learning accessible for all learners.

So now I have a basic understanding of UDL and I definitely have a commitment to my profession and students, now I just need to follow this plan. Below is a diagram of the 4 steps.

The first is setting goals. Next, is analyzing status. Then, apply UDL. Finally, Teach the UDL lesson.  An in depth description of each is provided on the site.                      

                              

The BEST thing about this site? You can practice PAL with provided templates and tutorials!!!

Off to some practicing….. ~ Michelle

 
What do you think of PAL? Is this something you find useful for your lesson plans?

 

Universal Design for Learning - a plan to reach all students!

Review of http://udl.wiki.ciu20.org/home - a Wiki space explaining UDL

 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) basically helps educators come up with ways to meet the diverse needs in their classrooms. This year in particular for me I have the widest range of learners I've had in years. This calls for me to be more creative in my teaching and to follow UDL ideas so all of my students are learning and progressing. UDL calls for 3 specific things and they are multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. Representation gives learners various ways acquire information. Expression gives learners various ways to show what they learned. Engagement means to get to know what your students’ interests are and to use that as a means of motivation for them.

The wiki site posted above gives more explanation of what UDL is in a very simple and explicit way. The great thing about the above link is that if you are new to UDL it gives sample lesson plans and also my favorite on the website is a link to how to create electronic books! They give you step by step instruction on creating E-books for students in your class with disabilities! Amazing! Here is the direct link to E-books!

Thanks for reading my first post! Looking forward to continuing my exploration of assistive technologies with you!

 

~ Michelle

 

 



About Me

Hi! My name is Michelle. I'm currently a 2nd grade teacher. Prior to 2nd grade to I've taught 5-8 grade math and science. This will be my 5th year teaching. I am currently in the Cabrini College Graduate Program to obtain my Special Education certification and masters degree.

In this blog I hope to take others on my journey through learning about various techniques and devices to help students using assistive technology. I hope to come up with user friendly resources that you and I can both use and discuss the various roadblocks we encounter as educators trying to meet all students' needs.