Ms. Peterson-Tardif at Parkland Middle School regularly offers her students choices during a lesson. In the lesson that I observed, Ms. Peterson-Tardif offered choices for gathering information as well as several choices for students to show what they have learned. In this video, Ms. Peterson-Tardif reflects on the changes that she has made to her middle school science classes with the UDL framework.
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This morning I saw the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in action in the Advanced Chemistry class of Ms. Marie Paul. As soon as I entered the room the hum of engaged learning was evident. There was a video on the Promethean Board with a scientist who was explaining a chemistry concept and some students were taking notes from the video. There were students at their desks working and also taking laptops out of the cart to get them started so they could log in. There were students who were talking to Ms. Paul about their assignments and she had a clipboard in hand to sort out homework assignments. Ms. Paul has her lecture available on her Youtube channel for students to access as they work through the chemistry problems. Click on the image below to access one of Ms. Paul's lectures from Youtube. Ms. Paul's room had an atmosphere of purposeful and engaged learning. Students were both collaborating and working independently to understand the content from a variety of sources. They were able to build capacity for self-regulation by making choices for their learning. One student told me that the learning process in this chemistry class was different than most of his lecture based classes. Student Reflection It is challenging but when I leave the class, I actually know how to work out the problems for myself. Teacher Reflection from Ms. Paul I can definitely see added value of using a UDL lens in my planning. Students have multiple ways to learn the material. The videos are just one of the resources available to them. Beside the videos, my PowerPoint presentations are posted on Edline and my students have access to the whole textbook online. If a student chooses not to watch the videos, they can always go over the PowerPoint, read the material from the textbook even though very few opt for that option. The students also have a choice of completing their homework online or on paper. They even have a choice of taking their quizzes online or on paper. I honestly feel that I am making a better use of the face to face class time. I don't spend most of my time in front of the classroom lecturing. Instead, 90% of my time is spent interacting with the students. My role has changed. I walk around and help. I am more of a tutor and a guide, answering their questions. I used to be so busy in front of the room lecturing; I never had a chance to interact with the shy students who would never raise his/her hand to ask questions. I decided to start recording my lectures after a workshop I went to last December where 2 teachers presented the benefits of a flipped classroom. The next day, I created a YouTube account and started recording. I have made several mistakes, but I am doing better now. After that workshop and after listening to the testimonies of other teachers through the “Classroom 2.0 Live Video”, I was convinced that interacting with my students would be best use of my class time. My first recording was done on a snow day using the application “Screen Chomp” from my iPad. I posted the site of the video on Edline and sent an email to all my students asking them to watch the video before they come back to school and several students did. Now, I use ActivInspire for my recording, upload them on YouTube and post the YouTube link on Edline. Students are more engaged in class and I have better homework and test grades. Benefits of UDL for All Students One of the myths that we sometimes hear is that the Universal design for Learning mostly benefits the students with some type of special need. We consider this a myth because we realize that all learners have a "jagged profile" in which they will excel in some areas and have challenges in others. This image from Todd Rose's Myth of Average Ted Talk shows us some of the areas where learners can vary. We know that if we stretch the framework of our lessons to provide options for learners on the edge, rather than the middle, all students will benefit. In this instance, the advanced chemistry students were able to benefit from having multiple means of representation through the Youtube lectures that Ms. Paul had prerecorded, her PowerPoint presentations, an online textbook, and the CALM website to help guide their learning. They also had benefit of working at their own pace with the one on one assistance of Ms. Paul as she circulated to identify students who might need some tutoring/coaching to move through the work. Finally they have the option to complete homework and quizzes online or on paper.
Thank you Ms. Paul for sharing your outstanding work with students! Today I observed a middle school classroom as they were reviewing at the end of a unit. All around the room, sixth grade students were deeply involved in their choice of a variety of activities: making vocabulary flash cards, reviewing unit concepts on a laptop with an interactive flip chart of science concepts, playing a game with a group of other students on the Promethean Board, and working with available adults. Some students worked alone, others in small or even larger groups, yet, all were actively engaged in the activity that they chose. Mr. Haynes, the science teacher, decided to embed the use of the Promethean activotes in his Jeopardy! game. Using this technology resource allowed every student who chose that activity to submit an answer for each question and then see if their answer was correct. It also provides a quick gauge for the teacher as to which concepts might need clarification. Mr. Haynes decision to structure the learning experience by using the technology this way allowed each student to participate constantly throughout the review game which increased the levels of engagement. At Lakelands Park Middle School, Ms. Textoris has arranged her science room to facilitate the review options for students. Clear directions and organization help to facilitate choices for all students. I observed the following choices for review: independent study, matching game, picture puzzle, online textbook, crossword puzzle, flashcards, collage, and Promethean quiz. What are some logistical questions that you might have about the format of this type of review session?
When I was in the Weller Road classrooms today, I noticed that several teachers had posted a visual sign to help kids understand the folder structure of the server. This sign helps kids to better understand how to get to the resources that they need and also how to save documents to the proper place. As we move to a paperless classroom, it's important to show kids how the digital environment is organized. The screen shots and arrows make it much easier to remember where things are. |
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AuthorsWelcome! I am a media specialist at Brookhaven Elementary School. I began this blog when I was hired to work with the HIAT team as a UDL Project Specialist for the Expanding Bridges Grant. Since the Grant ended, HIAT staff now collaborate to contribute to the blog and share UDL stories from MCPS! Archives
December 2016
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