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Braingle " Brain Teasers, Puzzles, Riddles, Trivia and Games

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User submitted and ranked brain teasers, riddles, quizzes, trivia, logic problems and mind puzzles. Free online games and message boards.

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The End of Average!? Disrupting the green of education!

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Message to our Loyal Users of CAST UDL Lesson Builder, UDL Book Builder, UDL Exchange, and UDL Studio

On January 15, 2024, we will retire this website, along with a few others. We know it has many devoted followers who will be sad to see it go. We're sad, too.

Making these creative tools and offering them free-of-charge to educators, parents, and learners at no charge the past decade-plus has been our joy, we also know that usage is way down, funding for the tools ran out years ago, and their underlying technologies are no longer contemporary.

To ensure a smooth transition, we're providing a three-month sunset period so you have sufficient time to download any stored materials you may have on the sites and to find alternative tools. After January 15, we will also close all user accounts.

Thank you again for your understanding and be sure to visit www.cast.org to learn more about the exciting innovations we are pursuing today and tomorrow! Questions: questions@cast.org

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Message to our Loyal Users of CAST UDL Lesson Builder, UDL Book Builder, UDL Exchange, and UDL Studio On January 15, 2024, we will retire this website, along with a few others. We know it has many devoted followers who will be sad to see it go. We're sad, too.

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Udltechtoolkit - About UDL , Writing tools , Graphic orga... by Karen Janowski

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TOUCH this image to discover its story. Image tagging powered by ThingLink

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The UDL Curriculum Toolkit supports the creation of flexible, customizable educational materials that allow all learners to progress to their full potential. Use the UDL Toolkit to enhance your existing curriculum or to build a web-based unit from scratch.

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This module examines the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and discusses how educators can apply UDL to proactively design learning experiences that are flexible enough to challenge and engage all students and that promote learner agency (est. completion time: 2.5 hours).

This module was developed in collaboration with CAST.

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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Universal Design for Learning: Designing Learning Experiences That Engage and Challenge All Students

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This module examines the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and discusses how educators can apply UDL to proactively design learning experiences that are flexible enough to challenge and engage all students and that promote learner agency (est. completion time: 2.5 hours). This module was developed in collaboration with CAST.

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Equity as a Basis for Inclusive Education Systems Change

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The First Step Toward UDL in a Classroom

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles while planning instruction for students with special needs.

After you read this, tell us your experience: Does instructional planning in your school sound more like the first or second example? What are your barriers, if any, to adopting the planning approach Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris took? What resources can we develop to help you? Read on, and then share your thoughts in the comments below!

***

There are often two questions about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that I hear when training:

1. Why would I do this? It is no different from differentiated instruction, and

2. How in the world would I do this? It is huge!

Two quick vignettes of teachers planning for instruction illustrate the answer to both questions.

Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Snyder are planning instruction for Dawn, a student with complex instructional needs who is included in Ms. Jacobs' English class.

Ms. Jacobs: We are reading The Giver for the next couple of weeks. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Snyder: Dawn can't read, so I don't think The Giver is going to be possible for her. And the subject matter doesn't really connect to her daily life so maybe I'll give her an adapted copy of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge instead. It also deals with the importance of memories and forgetting and it is written at a second grade reading level so it should be easier to understand than The Giver.

Ms. Jacobs: Oh, that is a great idea. And maybe her timeline could be sequencing from her daily schedule instead of from history?

Now compare these teachers to Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris, who are also planning for a student with complex instructional needs included in Mrs. Summers' English class.

Mrs. Summers: We are working on the themes and ideas in The Giver. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Harris: I love that book-but it can be a bit of a barrier for some of our students unless we pair it with some accessibility supports. We can easily get some adapted versions of The Giver and maybe offer students the opportunity to partner read or use their online text readers.

Mrs. Summers: Yes, that makes sense. We may want to highlight key words or pictures to summarize the main points for some of our students who will still need additional help. And while we are at it, let's think about how to make it a bit more engaging for some of our students...maybe we can start with timelines related to their own lives and then move from there to historical events that shaped their world instead of from a historical event to themselves. It can go both ways.

Mr. Harris: Plus we could use some online timeline creation tools, pictures, or text-based timelines to provide students with lots of ways to engage with the timeline and get interested in the task.

The difference between these two conversations is subtle, but it illustrates one of the key ways differentiated instruction and UDL differ-as well as one of the biggest leaps teachers need to make if they are going to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The biggest difference (and the most vital change teachers need to make to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment) is moving from the idea that the student is what creates barriers to learning to the idea that the curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment create the barriers. And, while the conversations above may seem only minutely different, the belief that the student has the potential to access and make progress toward any goal significantly changes the way teachers approach planning, instruction, and assessment.

Consider the classic study by Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) that examined how student performance and teacher expectations were tied together. They found that "when we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur" (Rosenthal and Babad, 1985). Our instructional decisions are based on our expectations, even if we are not necessarily consciously aware of them.

When we work from the premise that the barrier is within the student, then our job as educators is to fix the student so he can access instruction and materials. This belief sets up limits for all the things a school system can't change about a student: missing limbs, intellectual disabilities, an impoverished home, language and cultural differences, etc. When we work from the premise that barriers are within the instruction and materials, then our job as educators is to change instruction and materials to remove and reduce those barriers. We, as educators and school systems have control over those things.

This doesn't mean it isn't difficult. Looking at creating a UDL classroom may seem absolutely overwhelming. Consider the CAST website for their curriculum self-check: it is HUGE. There are so many things to think about. And then, on top of that, for students with complex learning needs you are still probably going to need to add some individualized supports on top of the universally designed curriculum, like Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris did when they added summarized text or pictures to represent key concepts and ideas from the full text. Conceptualizing the barrier as being within the curriculum, instruction and materials rather than the student may seem overwhelming for what initially seems like a tiny difference in how these two sets of teachers plan and teach. In my experience though, it is that single key difference that helps create a UDL classroom. It is that single key difference that improves students' opportunities to learn and sets up systems that improve student performance. In addition, it is that key difference that sets the stage for inclusive practices. So, if you want to build an inclusive classroom, the biggest step you can take is to change how you think about barriers.

Want to hear more from Deborah Taub? Be sure to check out this podcast she did on alternate assessment over at Think Inclusive, and this post on leaving behind the notion of inclusion as a place.

More on presuming the competence of all learners: "Presuming Competence: What It Is, What It Looks Like"

Deborah Taub is Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment, where she provides research and professional development assistance for states, territories, and other entities working to develop and sustain best practice. She has assisted states in building and evaluating systemic programs, especially around issues of inclusive practice for students with complex instructional needs, such as those with low incidence disabilities or who are dually identified as having a disability and ELL. Dr. Taub has designed, implemented, and evaluated alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, developed UDL and standards-based curricula and instruction, and conducted validity and alignment evaluations. She's an advisory member of National Center for Universal Design for Learning's UDL Taskforce, and a member of the TASH Inclusive Education Committee and the Council for Exceptional Children's CCSS Advisory Group.

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Your first step toward a UDL-designed classroom: Change how you think about barriers (Guest post) - Brookes Blog

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles [...]

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Page 6: Instructional Methods

The Sycamore Middle School team now has an understanding of how to apply UDL principles to instructional goals and materials. They also need to evaluate the instructional methods they use to teach content. They discover that, just as they need to present materials in multiple formats, they need to use a variety of instructional methods to deliver the content to all learners.

The traditional instructional methods are not especially flexible, nor do they provide students with many options for accessing content. For the most part, they promote passive learning-students are required to memorize information from the text, lecture, or video. Though they are given some opportunities to practice (e.g., complete worksheet), students often do not receive corrective feedback. Though effective with some learners, these instructional methods do not address the needs of all students nor do they effectively engage all learners.

Again, the Sycamore teachers evaluate the sixth-grade lesson on ancient Egypt, this time focusing on the instructional methods used to teach the content. They discover that traditional instruction is primarily teacher-directed rather than student-directed and emphasizes the learning of facts rather than the learning of concepts and skills. They notice a number of other barriers, too, which are listed in the table below.

Traditional Methods

Barriers

Students learn content by independently reading their textbook chapter on Ancient Egypt.

Requires students to:

Understand and learn the content, regardless of background knowledge or cultural experiences

Extract the relevant information in the text

During classroom lecture, the teacher summarizes information in the textbook.

Requires students to:

Learn by the limited examples in the textbook

Be physically or cognitively able to take notes

During whole-group instruction, the teacher shows a twenty-minute video on archeological finds and follows it with class discussion.

Requires students to engage or participate in whole-class discussion, regardless of disposition (e.g., shy students)

Whole-group instruction usually targets the middle 50 percent of the class (not all ability levels)

Students complete worksheets about pyramids and mummies as independent class work.

Geared toward memorization rather than the transfer of knowledge

Ignores students' learning preferences

When they design lessons using the UDL principles, teachers need to consider how to effectively teach content or skills to a classroom of learners with different abilities and learning preferences. This requires teachers to be flexible in the way they present and teach information and to offer their students options in the learning environment. The table below highlights some instructional methods that teachers may use to address the principles of UDL-representation, action and expression, and engagement-when teaching a diverse group of learners.

Representation

Action and Expression

Engagement

Now that the Sycamore team has learned a number of ways to address the three UDL principles, they are ready to apply what they know to the lesson on ancient Egypt. Following is their proposed plan for instruction.

Instructional Methods

Potential Barriers

UDL Solution

Students learn content by independently reading their textbook.

Requires students to:

Understand and learn the content, regardless of background knowledge or cultural experiences

Extract the relevant information in the text

Build or activate background knowledge by 1) asking questions about related experiences during whole-group instruction (e.g., funeral and burial traditions) and 2) preteaching vocabulary prior to assigning the text.

In addition to the text, present content utilizing multiple media and formats, such as audio (lecture), images (video), and manipulatives (models).

During classroom lecture, the teacher summarizes information in the textbook.

Requires students to:

Learn by the limited examples provided in the textbook

Identify key ideas

Be physically or cognitively able to take notes

Provide multiple examples of important concepts or objects (e.g., burial tombs and the afterlife).

Highlight important information by using intonation and by writing important words or concepts on the board.

Provide scaffolds and support by supplying an outline with key ideas highlighted to accompany the lecture.

During whole-group instruction, the teacher shows a twenty-minute video on archeological finds and follows it with class discussion.

Requires students to engage or participate in whole-class discussion

Whole-group instruction usually targets the middle 50 percent of the class (not all ability levels)

Utilize flexible grouping. Following the video, meet with small groups to discuss and demonstrate the process involved in an archeological dig using an excavation kit.

Provide adjustable levels of challenge and corrective feedback during small-group instruction (students are grouped by ability level).

Allow alternatives for students to express or demonstrate their learning by having students create a picture, story, or model to demonstrate what they think they would find if they excavated the school playground.

Additional Instructional Methods

The teacher designates a time for students to work in centers or with a partner to learn more about pyramids.

Present content utilizing multiple media and formats and utilizing flexible grouping. In addition to viewing pyramids in the textbook and in the video, students work in small groups to explore three-dimensional models of pyramids or in pairs to view virtual models of pyramids on the computer.

The teacher assigns a project related to pyramid construction.

Allow alternatives for students to express or demonstrate their learning. Have students demonstrate their knowledge of the construction of pyramids using their choice of material (e.g., model, drawing, report).

Use a rubric to grade the projects and provide corrective feedback.

Activity

Mrs. Hunter, a seventh-grade science teacher at Sycamore Middle, is teaching a chapter on cell division. She has started to implement UDL in her classroom and creates her weekly lesson plan.

Click here to examine and evaluate her lesson plan.
Mrs. Hunter's Lesson Plan
Mrs. Hunter, a seventh-grade teacher, is teaching a chapter on cell division. She has begun to implement UDL in her classroom and creates her weekly lesson plan to include the following.

Teacher:

Pre-teaches vocabulary (whole group)

Lectures on the process involved in cell division (whole group)

Shows ten illustrations of different types of cells reproducing using a PowerPoint presentation (whole group)

Gives end-of-chapter test (options: paper-and-pencil version, computerized version)

Students:

Stain onion cells and view under microscope (small-group activity)

Use pipe cleaners to model the stages of cell division (partner activity)

Create an illustrated booklet or presentation of the three stages of cell division (partner activity)-students can choose to complete the project by illustrating by hand, designing on the computer, or creating a PowerPoint presentation; students will be evaluated on the quality of their product

Review Mrs. Hunter's lesson plan and determine which instructional methods she uses to address the three UDL principles. (Click all that apply.)

Now that you have identified the instructional methods that Mrs. Hunter uses to teach a chapter on cell division, consider the following questions:

1. How did Mrs. Hunter address the needs of visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learners? Were there any learning preferences that she did not address?

2. Evaluate Mrs. Hunter's implementation of the UDL principles. Explain what elements you liked and how you think she could improve the lesson to meet the needs of all students.

3. One of the students in Mrs. Hunter's class has muscular dystrophy and as a result has difficulty with fine motor skills. Given Mrs. Hunter's lesson plan, do you think that this student will be able to access the content and effectively demonstrate her knowledge?

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The Sycamore Middle School team now has an understanding of how to apply UDL principles to instructional goals and materials. They also need to evaluate the instructional methods they use to teach content. They discover that, just as they need to present materials in multiple formats, they need to use a variety of instructional methods to deliver the content to all learners.

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Interested in designing your learning environment to be more flexible and accessible? Here are some great resources to help you get started. The videos and articles contain practical tips that in many cases can be implemented immediately. Have fun!

Videos and Quick Articles

In his interview about inclusive learning environments, Dr. Jon Mundorf suggested that teachers move away from thinking about what a classroom should look like to what it could look like. This video includes some pretty awesome flexible learning environment ideas that move away from traditional notions of classroom spaces.

Gallaudet University, "the world's only university designed to be barrier-free for deaf and hard of hearing students," is home to some incredible learning space design. Check out images of their campus with descriptions of the purposeful design elements used to reduce barriers to learning.

How do we teach students to collaborate in their learning spaces? This video from The Teaching Channel offers some tips for facilitating student collaboration. Simple changes can go a long way toward encouraging collaboration. For example, painting a large table or a wall with dry erase paint creates an instant reusable space for collaborative brainstorming.

A great way to help students take ownership over their learning is to involve them in the classroom design. There is no need to have the classroom completely set up prior to the first day of school, before student needs are evident. We are Teachers offers some great tips for having students design the learning environment. Providing a variety of seating options and allowing students to choose their seats is another way to increase ownership.

The classroom space is ultimately about learning, so it is helpful to have a variety of easily accessible learning resources available to students at all times. Examples include dictionaries, word walls with definitions, graphic organizer models, manipulatives, and strategies to access help when needed. Students should know where each resource is located and be permitted to independently access a resource whenever needed. This post has some tips for storing and organizing learning materials.

Classroom Ideas Crowdsourcing

Still looking for more inspiration? One advantage of digital media is the ability to crowdsource ideas and resources. This Padlet was created in order to share student-centered classroom ideas. You can use it to peruse what other teachers have done with their classroom spaces and can upload your own classroom images to share. ( note: all posts are subject to moderation and will not appear automatically.)

Trying to figure out what materials you'd like to purchase for your inclusive and student-centered classroom? Teachers around the country have posted to our UDL Materials Padlet to share their favorite classroom materials or their dream purchases. Feel free to post your own favorites. ( note: all posts are subject to moderation and will not appear automatically.)

We hope these resources will aid you in considering learning environments as flexible spaces that can change to meet needs at any point in the school year. Keep up the wonderful work!

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Learning Environment Digital Resource Round-Up

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Interested in designing your learning environment to be more flexible and accessible? Here are some great resources to help you get started. The videos and articles contain practical tips that in many cases can be implemented immediately. Have fun!

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Several years ago, I highlighted the following sentence in A Research Reader in Universal Design for Learning (2012), "From a UDL perspective, all learning situations are most effectively thought of as dynamic ecologies that capture transactions among learners, teachers, and the designed curriculum." I recall being struck by the use of the term "ecologies" because it instantly drew to mind the biomes my students had studied in biology, with the multitude of species interacting with the environment, each attempting to use what was available in order to thrive. Earlier in my career, I was introduced to the TEACCH approach which includes designing the physical aspects of the classroom to support intentional movement through the space as well as cues for behavior, and academic supports. Already primed with the idea of the learning space as an instructional tool, the word "ecologies" set off a whole flurry of ideas about the role a learning environment can play in student learning.

Fast forward to 2016 and I am still fascinated by learning environments. True, the quote I highlighted years ago included the curriculum and culture of a classroom within its definition of the classroom environment. But since then, I have been increasingly drawn to considering the physical spaces in which we teach.

I find myself asking questions like: "How does the space we inhabit impact our learning? How do the spaces we create impact our students' learning? Are the spaces we choose for learning similar or different from the spaces we are forced to learn in?" In addition to these questions, as a special education teacher, I always come back to the question of accessibility. "Is this space accessible to all?" While there are many ways to approach designing an instructional space, I will share the guiding questions I often ask myself when stepping into a classroom:

1. Does the physical space match the learning activity occurring?

This question should move us beyond the low hanging fruit of grouping desks for group work and moving desks apart for individual work activities. If having a whole group discussion, can my students interact with one another, or is it difficult to see and/or hear a multitude of potential speakers?If using stations, are the spaces for those stations physically delineated with materials that match the task? I often visit classrooms in which teachers say, "this is my seating arrangement." For the year? For the activity? For the moment? Consider how many ways you can move your classroom objects and furniture to support learning.

The next step is teaching your students the most common configurations you might use and having them help you move the desks. One brilliant middle school teacher I had the pleasure of working with used to provide pictures of the different arrangements and then timed her students to see how quickly they could transition into a different formation. By gamifying the changes in seating arrangements, her students became proficient and impressive in their ability to transition between activities.

2. Can all of the students move around the classroom?

I always knew if the desks in my classroom were not arranged in a manner that allowed for easy movement - I would develop desk height bruises on my legs and hips from walking into them. Are there clear and open pathways around your room? Can a student get up from his/her desk and walk to where materials are stored or to the stations and/or centers you have set up in your room? If someone who uses a wheelchair, walker, or cane were to enter your room, can they move around, or would you need to retrofit the space to accommodate them?

3. Are learning materials accessible?

Labeling materials areas with pictures and words will help keep classroom items orderly and will make the support staff and parent volunteers that might enter your room in feel confident in the space. When placing items around the room, consider who needs to access each item. Can they access the item safely and easily? If your space is tight, you might consider having materials stored at student desks or in multiple places around the room to cut down on traffic jams.

In addition to locating materials in the classroom, you should also consider if the materials are functionally accessible materials. "Righty" scissors are not accessible to a left-handed student. A glue stick with a top may not be accessible to a student with limited fine motor skill abilities. Do you provide materials that will allow student to engage in their work in a multitude of ways? For example, can students select to write or type their compositions? Are there other ways to demonstrate their knowledge such as create a presentation or video? Can students use math manipulatives and paper and pencil to work out problems? Plan your materials with a variety of students and abilities in mind (Jiménez, Graf, & Rose, 2007).

4. Does the room offer options to provide comfort while learning?

Have you ever watched undergraduates in the library? They enter the space with the purpose of learning and then navigate it in their own unique ways. Some go straight for the couches and arm chairs, others go to the study carrels, while others rush to reserve the group study rooms. In k-12 classrooms in which students are offered options in types of seating, elementary through high school students begin to resemble undergraduates in their variety of preferences. Feeling comfortable in a learning environment is linked to higher student achievement (Gilbert et al., 2013). These feelings of comfort are related to both the physical space and the culture. By offering choices and supporting students in valuing individual differences, a classroom with multiple seating options can positively impact student feeling toward the learning environment.

5. Are supports for behavior and learning visible and easily understood?

I once entered a kindergarten room in which the rules were clearly posted on the wall. But, in a room where most students were still learning to identify the letters of the alphabet, the poster did little to reinforce behavior expectations.

Conversely, at Halstead Academy in Baltimore County, Maryland, I saw room after room with pictures of expected behavior next to images of inappropriate behavior. In one room, the teacher had taken photos of the students acting out multiple scenarios. The visual cues for appropriate behavior in her room were images of a learning activity the students had engaged in and therefore were far more powerful. Find ways to model this behavior support in your own classroom.

6. Does this space make learners feel safe and respected?

Teachers take pride in their classrooms. But, whose space is it really? There are power dynamics that play out in a room both through our personal interactions and the way we design our physical space. How students feel in a space is correlated to the learning that occurs (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007). Sit in the different chairs in your room. Examine the walls. Navigate the space. If you were a student in that room, would you feel welcome and safe? Would you feel respected? If you are unsure, the solution is simple. Ask your students. Ask what they like and what they would change and then, within reason, make changes to adapt to their needs.

I know I am not alone in spending time thinking about classroom space. There are multiple Pinterest boards, Facebook posts, and Twitter discussions the show a variety of approaches to designing a learning space. But, beyond being esthetically pleasing, we need to consider how our spaces lend themselves to supporting our ultimate goal - ensuring all students learn.

As a second grader, my teacher gave me the option of sitting by myself next to the window whenever I felt overwhelmed. I would move silently to that place, look at the oak tree outside of the window, and feel less stressed. She gave other students similar options in our room. I recall discovering a love of writing that year. It was a simple act, but a profound one. It communicated the idea that "I value you and want you to feel comfortable in my room." Isn't that the message we want all of our students to receive?

References:

Gilbert, M. C., Musu-Gillette, L. E., Woolley, M. E., Karabenick, S. A., Strutchens, M. E., & Martin, W. G. (2013). Student perceptions of the classroom environment: Relations to motivation and achievement in mathematics. Learning Environments Research, 1-18. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-013-9151-9

Immordino-Yang, M. H., & Damasio, A. (2007). We Feel, Therefore We Learn: The Relevance of Affective and Social Neuroscience to Education. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(1), 3-10. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-228X.2007.00004.x

Jiménez, T. C., Graf, V. L., & Rose, E. (2007). Gaining Access to General Education: The Promise of Universal Design for Learning Toward Greater Accessibility, 41(2).

Rappolt-Schlichtmann, G., Daley, S.G., Rose, L.T. (2012) A research reader in universal design for learning. Harvard Education Press. Cambridge, MA.

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Considering Learning Spaces: How Do We Design Inclusive Classrooms?

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Several years ago, I highlighted the following sentence in A Research Reader in Universal Design for Learning (2012), "From a UDL perspective, all learning situations are most effectively thought of as dynamic ecologies that capture transactions among learners, teachers, and the designed curriculum."

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Lisa Carey, Education Consultant for the Kennedy Krieger Institute Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education, interviewed Dr. Jon Mundorf to gain his perspective on learning environment design. Dr. Mundorf is a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School at the University of Florida, a public school given the responsibility of developing innovative solutions to educational concerns and disseminating successful instructional programs to other school districts. He is internationally recognized as a UDL expert and is listed among CAST's UDL Professional Learning Cadre.

LC: You are a recognized leader in the field of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)implementation, and also a 7th grade languages arts teacher. What considerations do you make when you are designing or helping someone else to design a learning environment?

JM: It all starts for me with the assumption that learning is an interaction between the individual and the environment. Any kind of learner ability or inability exists in that environment. So when I think about designing learning environments, from the very beginning I'm thinking about setting the stage for where learning happens.

From the outset, the key piece for me is making sure the learning goals are really clear. I need to be very clear about what it is that I want students to know or be able to do.Once that is established, I start thinking about the environment itself. What are the different ways I can make sure that the goals are clear to the learners in that particular space? Once a conversation or thoughts around goals have developed, then the next layer of thinking is about opportunities. Where are the opportunities for flexibility, for options? For example, if the students have a writing goal and I know that the students have to write, I might be thinking about options for scaffolding and the different ways I can help students reach that goal. It all begins with recognizing the importance of the goal, then seeing the critical importance of the space, and then considering the methods and materials that exist within that space.

LC: I find that a lot of teachers start the school year with a certain vision of what their classroom should look like, or how it is going to be laid out. Then, they meet their students and the space turns out not to be functional or conducive for learning for a variety of reasons - the class is larger than expected, students need more space for movement, or the desk arrangement doesn't lend itself to collaboration. When this happens, I've found that some teachers are very hesitant to change up their learning environment. What advice would you give to the teacher that thinks they need to make some changes, but is worried about doing so during the school year?

JM: I will often repeat in my mind the phrase, "Rome wasn't built in a day." I have been doing that ever since I learned about UDL. It has really been one of my guiding thoughts about all of this work. I can't do it all at once. As we think about options and flexibility, it is very crucial that we don't bite off more than we can chew. As you come across those moments when something is not working as you think it should, you might encounter your own mental barrier, and may start feeling like everything needs to be changed. Start with one option, or a little bit more flexibility. Just try something small, a minor adjustment within the classroom.

You mentioned this idea of what "should" the classroom look like. Rather than thinking of what it could look like, I think teachers often become trapped by this notion of, what should it look like? Rather than what it could look like. I think that's a piece we need to push on as designers of learning environments - step away from should and move toward the possibilities of could. Just like we want to provide options for our students in the ways that they accomplish goals, it's important to give ourselves options for how we accomplish our goals. If we have this this thought in our mind of what it should look like, then we fall into the trap of "one size fits all." ! With Universal Design for Learning, there isn't just one way to do it. As we think about design in terms of what a learning environment could look like- if we just embedded that slight shift in language - we are already embedding some flexibility. For example, right now with my 7th graders, there are certain structures in the classroom that are working really well and others that aren't working as well. I recognize that whether it be a collaborative structure to encourage students to interact with each other, or a technology that gives students options to express what they have learned, all of those elements are options, and none of those are standards that I need to accomplish as a teacher. They are just the means I utilize to accomplish the goal.When they aren't going well, I can be flexible and reconsider my space. A big challenge with this work is that if you have this vision in your mind of what it has to look like, you've already created an inflexible learning environment. It might work one way for one class, but that doesn't mean it's going to work for every group of students you teach.

LC: I love the idea of "could" versus. "should" for framing design thinking. I think that there are so many ways for teachers to get ideas about designing their classrooms and that there is almost a sort of pressure from social media to have a beautiful room. This focus on aesthetics does not necessarily lend itself to functionality for learning. There is some literature showing that students have improved outcomes when they rate their classroom as comfortable. There is also a lot of recent talk about being culturally responsive in our classrooms. Can you talk about how the physical learning space can make students feel comfortable and respected in their classroom?

JM: I feel like the word "comfort" is one of those loaded words, much like the word "engagement." When I first started learning about UDL, I thought engagement equated to fun. When we talk about engagement, people automatically envision games and exciting activities. But, as we dive deeper into the concept, we go beyond just having fun and ask ourselves questions like, "Does this work or learning matter? Do students feel motivated by and connected in this work?" I feel like comfort is one of those words that is similarly definitionally-challenged. When we say comfort, we need to be clear that it is more than giving students comfortable chairs or assigning them work that is easy and non- threatening. We want kids to work hard; we need kids to be challenged to think deeply. There is great value in failure as it relates to learning. We want kids to try different approaches and learn from their mistakes along the way. As we think about comfort in the classroom, it's important that we are also thinking about what that means in terms of creating a space where all students feel welcomed and supported in working hard within a learning community. Developing relationships and demonstrating those relationships within the classroom space is important.T Next is helping students to get to know one another and supporting positive interactions within the classroom.

In terms of cultivating respect and comfort, we talk a lot within our English Language Arts department at the P.K. Youge Developmental Research School that our classroom materials and our curriculum need to include "windows and mirrors" for students. We want kids to discover reading materials and classroom elements that are windows into the world, as well as materials and elements that are mirrors, reflecting for the students their own experiences and cultures. We need to be really intentional about the voices and images we include as we design our environments and lessons.

LC: I think that the idea of "windows and mirrors" is a lovely way to remember to include diverse perspectives into learning designs. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and expertise about learning environments!

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Faculty Interview: Jon Mundorf, University of Florida - Design Considerations from the Universal Design for Learning Perspective

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Lisa Carey, Education Consultant for the Kennedy Krieger Institute Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education, interviewed Dr. Jon Mundorf to gain his perspective on learning environment design. Dr. Mundorf is a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at P.K.

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Last week we got a glimpse into the collaborative, analysis-rich classroom that David Olio has created. After seeing a classroom like David's where students work so well together, I always wonder how students got there. In these short videos, we unpack some of the strategies and routines that David has created to facilitate the collaborative learning environment that we see in his videos.
Tribes: Agreements for Learning Together
David explains how he uses the Tribes Learning Communitiesapproach to create a positive learning environment. Tribes are based upon four agreements: attentive listening, show appreciation/no putdowns, right to pass/right to participate, and mutual respect. David shares how these strategies can help to engage students socially, intellectually, and emotionally.
Desk Arrangement: Four Corners
The physical set-up of a classroom can either encourage or discourage collaboration. In this video, David shares how he arranges desks to facilitate collaboration among students. By using a "four corners" arrangement, David helps students to make eye contact and increase interaction through their physical positions.
Encouraging Appreciation
In all of David's videos, it's clear that he deeply enjoys his students. In this video, we see how David encourages his students to appreciate each other. David explains how he has students write appreciations for each other on note cards at the end of class. By focusing on appreciation, students are more likely to engage in effective collaboration.
Collaboration vs. Cooperative Learning
In this video, David gives us more insight into how he creates a collaborative learning environment. He points out the main differences between collaboration and cooperative learning, particularly stressing that collaboration requires students to develop their own ideas and doesn't work towards consensus.
Watch More From This Series Case Study of a Teacher: Engaging Students in Text Analysis (Part 1)Video Playlist: Collaborating to Plan Common Core Lessons for ELLs

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Case Study of a Teacher: Collaborative Learning Environment (Part 2)

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Last week we got a glimpse into the collaborative, analysis-rich classroom that David Olio has created. After seeing a classroom like David's where students work so well together, I always wonder how students got there. In these short videos, we unpack some of the strategies and routines that David has created to facilitate the collaborative learning environment that we see in his videos.

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As teachers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to motivate students and get them truly invested in their learning. But one of the simplest ways is often the most overlooked: involving students in setting up their own learning space from the ground up.

What would happen if you didn't spend the weeks before school designing your classroom and instead invited students into the process? You would experience more motivation, more energy, and higher achievement levels, say the authors of Get Active: Reimagining Learning Space for Student Success: a new book published by ISTE with support from Intel and Steelcase Education.

Here are some of their top tips for including students in the design process:

1. Let Go of Control.

Yes, we know it can be difficult to let go of your beloved fall-themed bulletin boards or meticulously organized classroom library. But letting go is the first step in getting your students to become more active members of your classroom community. You will still be involved, of course, but you have to be willing to give up some control to truly transform a classroom for active and flexible learning.

2. Survey Your Students.

What kind of lighting, color palettes and study spaces do they enjoy? What kind of furniture do they like to use? What ideas do they have to make the space work better for them? You can use online tools like SurveyMonkey to do an electronic quiz. Otherwise, just conduct a group brainstorm. Remind students that there are no bad ideas in brainstorms and to throw it all out there.

3. Create a Color Scheme.

Did you know studies show light blue and purples have a calming effect on learners, while warm tones like taupe and peach offer a relaxing atmosphere? Once you decide on a color palette with your students, add these colors when planning paint, fabric and accessories. It's an easy way to have a big impact and will really help tie the entire space together.

4. Use Technology to Reimagine Your Classroom.

Digital tools like Sketchbook and Google Drawings are an excellent way to give students the tools they need to design and explore. You could even create teams within your class to work on different areas or sections of the classroom. Have each team present their top two or three ideas, and allow the class to vote on their favorites.

5. Get Your Admin's Buy-In.

A lot of schools have restrictions when it comes to rearranging, painting, etc. Use the responses from your student surveys and/or the designs your students created to get approval from your administration. Even if they don't agree to everything, you'll have a starting point for negotiations.

6. Lose "The Front" of Your Classroom.

When you have an active learning space, it means utilizing every area possible. With a successful redesign, you won't have a "front" anymore: you'll be able to teach from anywhere in the room.

7. Get Rid of the Clutter.

And we mean you tub full of ancient anchor charts. Sometimes it's best to start from scratch, removing everything from a particular space and then adding back only what's necessary.

8. Create a Little Privacy.

One of the biggest things students typically ask for is a space that they can call their own. Think of this one as a challenge to create mini-classroom forts or reading nooks. One way to do this is to clean out those traditional cubbies and let students curl up inside to read. You can also create unique spaces by arranging simple bookshelves or crates.

9. Integrate Technology in a Way That Makes Sense for Your Kids.

For some, this might mean easy access to tablets and devices for on-the-fly research and activities. In other classrooms, it might make sense to have a dedicated area for technology, such as a computer corner, or even to stash screens out of the way entirely until they are needed.

10. Reach out to Local Businesses.

Have your students contact local businesses and parents to ask for materials and supplies. Organizations at the school (such as the PTA) might also be willing to provide some funding. Another possible funding source is the website DonorsChoose.org.

11. Go High and Go Low.

Sitting in a chair for extended periods of time can be difficult for young learners. High tables provide students a little more freedom of movement and better opportunities for collaboration. Low tables encourage students to get more involved.

12. Upcycle Furniture.

Look at the furniture pieces you already have, and find ways to improve them. Table legs can be cut to make a low table for floor seating. An old podium can become a standing desk. Wooden boxes can be transformed into nooks. Beyond the cost-saving benefits, reusing and repurposing materials promotes sustainability to students.

13. Invite Students to Decorate.

If you truly want students to have a little bit of ownership in the classroom, then they need to put their unique stamp on it. Set aside time after school or on the weekend for willing students to help with the project.

14. Don't Forget the Little Things.

Small details such as individual name cards and pencil holders can go a long way in making a classroom an inviting place for students.

15. Plan an Open House.

Once your classroom makeover is complete, hold an open house. Put out some snacks, turn some music on and let students bring their parents through the space to show them everything they've helped to create. You can also make a quick video to give parents a virtual tour.

16. Keep the Ideas Going.

A good redesign is an ongoing process, so you're never truly finished. Continue to introduce new features to the room. Some of these features might work while others won't. Get feedback, and adapt as needed.
Want more ideas like these? Get Active: Reimagining Learning Space for Student Success is a wonderful resource and inspired the ideas described above. Get your own copy today!

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16 Ways to Involve Kids in Creating Their Own Learning Spaces

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As teachers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to motivate students and get them truly invested in their learning. But one of the simplest ways is often the most overlooked: involving students in setting up their own learning space from the ground up.

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I'm always amazed at all the different systems teachers create to help their students organize materials. I see so many great ideas passed around in the Encouraging Teachers Facebook group that I asked to share a few of them here.

Katie T uses magazine storage containers as kids' work buckets. Students store iPads, head phones, and work folders inside and keep the containers on their tables during work time. A photo of the student is attached to the front with Velcro to show who it belongs to.

Mrs. Nelson uses crates as student self-storage for her middle and high school students. Bonus: she reports that students have stopped picking up and tilting their desks, and she's only had to reset desks once since she put the crates on. Mrs. Nelson found the milk crates for free and spent $2 on the zip ties. There is one crate for each student. Desks used multiple times a day are shared between a middle schooler and a high schooler: that way they don't have any incentive to go through one another's things in the crate because their materials are different.

Tiffany S. uses plastic drawers to store and organize markers, crayons, pencils, highlighters, and scissors. I could envision using this system in many different ways. It could be great for distributing materials: a classroom helper could grab the bin of scissors and pass one pair out to each student, then walk around and use the same bin to collect the materials again. Separating the markers by color can be useful, too. If a student's marker runs out of ink, you can quickly replace just the one marker instead of waiting and replacing the entire pack. Whenever loose supplies are found on the floor, it's easy to see where they should be returned to.

Tonya L. has a great idea for teachers who don't have a full class set of iPads and therefore won't be provided with a storage/charging station. She uses an inexpensive Sterilite desk caddy to store the 3 iPads she has for her class. She runs the power cords out the back and they plug into a power strip behind the caddy. When kids put the iPads back, they plug them in, which means they are always charged!

Michelle S. bought rolling caddies from Walmart to organize the materials for each group of students. The top drawer of the rolling caddies is for lined notebook paper; the second is for individual whiteboards, markers, and erasers; the third holds reference books and math manipulatives; and the bottom drawer is the garbage drawer that is dumped at the end of each day. No more up-and-down to the waste basket a million times a day!
How do you store and organize student's papers and supplies?

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5 clever ways to store and organize student materials

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I'm always amazed at all the different systems teachers create to help their students organize materials. I see so many great ideas passed around in the Encouraging Teachers Facebook group that I asked to share a few of them here. Katie T uses magazine storage containers as kids' work buckets.

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Graphic organizers are great tools to help kids break down assignments and keep track of thoughts in a visual way. The graphic organizers below can help your child with reading, writing, and math homework. Print them out and your child can fill them in by hand. Or you can have your child type directly into them.

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Graphic organizers are great tools to help kids break down assignments and keep track of thoughts in a visual way. The graphic organizers below can help your child with reading, writing, and math homework. Print them out and your child can fill them in by hand.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teacher’s guide

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UDL stands for Universal Design for Learning. When you teach using UDL, your lessons are designed in flexible ways to meet the needs of individual learners. Read more about UDL.

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Katie Novak Lesson Plan Review Template (1) (1)

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Feelings Expression info with pink scale 2016.doc

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Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need