UDL Implementation, fall 2016 COURSE 603-103-MQ -- THE LORD OF THE RINGS

INSTRUCTOR: REBECCA MILLION

UniversalDesignforLearningGuidelines

•  ProvideMul6pleMeansofEngagement

•  Purposeful,mo-vatedlearners

Representation

•  ProvideMul6pleMeansofRepresenta,on

•  Resourceful,knowledgeablelearners

Action & Expression

•  ProvideMul6pleMeansofAc,on&Expression

•  Strategic,goal-directedlearners

Engagement

MyGoals•  Tobeginaprocessofimplementa6onofUniversalDesigninallmycourses

•  Throughtrialanderror,toworktowardsagoalofsystema6zingthoseaspectsofmycoursethatcanbeconverted/improvedwithUDforthelongterm

•  BykeepingaUDLJournal,toreflectuponmyteachingprac6ce,specificallytheintersec6onofUDLwiththefollowing:useofcrea6vityintheclassroom,Cri6calHumanis6cpedagogy,andAc6veLearning(seeaMachedreflec6onpaper)

•  TobecomeanadvocateforUDLinmydepartmentandintheNewSchoolandtheDawsonAc6veLearningCommunity

•  Tobecomepartofafacultylearningcommunitythatcansupportandinspirecon6nuedevolu6onofUDLinallofmyteachingprac6ce

Mul6pleMeansofEngagement

ConvertedalllecturenotesintoUDL–friendlyPowerPointPresenta6ons•  Totalof19newPresenta6ons,limitedto7-10slideseach

•  Graphic,easytoread

•  MostslideshaveIllustra6onsorimages

•  Minimaluseof“blocks”oftext

•  Differentcoloursfordifferenttypesofinforma6on(i.e.,purpletextfordiscussionques6ons,yellowtextforquota6ons)

•  Slidesdesignedtoengagestudentsinthough_uldiscussion,notsimplydeliverinforma6on

Engagement&Representa6on:Clarity,Variety,Choice,Collabora6on*

•  variedassignmentsandac6vi6esusingcrea6veandac6velearningstrategies

•  usedmusic,videogames,visualartandfilmtoillustrateconceptsandthemes

•  elicitedfeedbackbasedonstudents’reflec6onsonwhatthey’dlearned

•  fosteredcollabora6oningroupworkandac6velearningintheclassroom

•  createddocumentssuchas“HowtoReadforthisClass”andFAQsheetsforassignments

•  Incorporatedexplaina6onsoflearningobjec6vesinallassignmentsandac6vi6es,bothorallyandinwriMeninstruc6ons

•  usedavarietyoflow-andhigher-stakesassignments

*Onthisslide,I’vecombinedwhatI’vedonetocreatemul-plemeansofengagementandmul-plemeansofrepresenta-on,becausetheyoBenoverlapped,especiallyinthecaseofin-classac-vi-es.

Op6onsforPercep6onandComprehension•  providedallPowerPointpresenta6onsonLeainadvanceofclasseswheretheywerediscussed

•  providedallhandoutsandassignmentsheetsonLeainWorddocuments,foreaseofcustomiza6on

•  inprocessofprovidingaudioforPowerPointpresenta6ons

•  encourageduseofaudioformatsofalltexts,providedlinkswherepossible,encouragedstudentstosharelinkstoaudioorvideoversions.

•  providedopportuni6esforstudentstobringpriorknowledgeandexperienceintodiscussionsoftexts…throughdiscussionques6ons,in-classac6vi6esandshorthomeworkassignments,aswellasmajorwriMenassignments

Mul6pleMeansofAc6onandExpressionExecu6veFunc6on:

•  Usedscaffoldingexercisestoworkonessaystructure

•  Offeredone-on-oneedi6ngandtutoringonessay-wri6ng

•  UsedwhatIsawinedi6ngsessionstocreatechecklistsandFAQsforassignments

•  Demonstratedexamplesofavarietyofsuccessfulassignmentsanddiscussedwhytheyworked(showingmul-plestrategiesforcommunica-on)

Mul6pleMeansofAc6on&Expression:Op6onsforexpressionandphysicalac6on

•  UsedavarietyofwriMenassignmentsincludinganaly6calessaysandsmallcrea6veworks(leMers,drawings,games)toexploreideasinthetextandcri6calframeworksforunderstandingit(Hero’sJourney,raceandgendertheory,etc.)

•  In-classac6vi6eswereokenbasedonac6velearningpedagogy,usingwhiteboards,groupsengagingwithothergroups’work,presen6ngfindingstotheclassina“go-round”.

•  Major,finalassignmentwasacrea6veresponsetothetext.Formwasen6relyofthestudent’schoice,drawingontheirinterestsandskillstodemonstratealinkbetweenthetextandourworldandexperiences.

•  Finalassignmentswerepresentedinashowcase/party,wherestudentswereencouragedtowalkaroundtheclasslookingatpresenta6ons,playmusic,dressincostumes,playonthecomputer.

Somefinalthoughts:WhatI’velearnedApartfromtheprac-callearningaboutUDLitselfandaboutneurodiversityintheclassroom,therehavebeensomesurprisingrealiza-onsthroughthisprocess.Herearejustafew:

TotrulyimplementUDL,onehastochangethewayonethinksabouttheclassroomandabouteduca6oningeneral.InordertomakemycourseUDL,Ihadtoremembertolistentostudents,toturntheclassroomintoaconversa,onbetweenstudentsandmyself,andalsoamongstudents.

EmpathyandtrustareboostedbytheuseofUDLintheclassroom;bydemonstra6ngconcernforstudents’learningexperienceweopenthedoorbetweenthestudentandadeeperexperienceofwhateduca6oncanmeanintheirlives.

Fortheteachingofliteratureinpar6cular,UDLcanhelpusopenupanewworldtostudentswhopreviouslythoughttheyhatedreading,ortheycouldn’twrite.Inaddi6ontohelpingthemtoenjoyliterature,UDLcanalsohelpstudentstorealizethattheyenjoylearning.