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Take the Working Genius Assessment (if you haven't yet)

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Take the Working Genius Assessment (if you haven't yet)

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST.

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Unless educators are working interdependently to achieve a common goal for which members are mutually accountable, they are not a team (DuFour 266).

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‎The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni: What is Your Genius? on Apple Podcasts

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‎Show The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni, Ep What is Your Genius? - Feb 22, 2021

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1. Danielle went through the norms and expectations

2. Make working agreements:

a. assume best intentions

b. respectful disagreements

c. mutual support for understanding

d. shared responsibility

e. accept different perspectives

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Current levels of student learning: Engagement Data

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Current levels of student learning: Engagement Data

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These are the ones I struggle with the most. I expect involvement in discussions and collaboration, but often the blower end students find these things very hard. they don't want to look dumb, or make a mistake. Often I lead in to answers by stressing words or asking something I have just taught but when students feel weak in maths they will not pick up these queues. i try and encourage them to answer the easier questions at the start so they can be involved but often silence is the only answer. I feel these students are intimidated in my classroom and I want to be able to change that, while still encouraging them to be more involved.

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A few of the students could be pushed harder, but most of them are at level or just below. Working with my co-teacher, Ashley, is helping scaffold for the lower level students, but I think we could serve the higher students better.

(collected from Canvas and rubrics)

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We will create structured growth for the weakest, middle, and strongest levels of our students.

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To meet the diverse needs of my 7th-grade ELD class, I will implement flexible grouping based on language proficiency, ensuring tailored instruction. Scaffolded instruction will break down tasks, offering clear guidance and gradually increasing complexity. Frequent formative assessments will enable quick identification of challenges, providing timely feedback for targeted support. These strategies aim to create an inclusive learning environment, allowing each student to progress at their own pace while enhancing language proficiency.

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Scaffolding: My PGP goal this year is related to breaking projects down into small, simple pieces to ensure that all students can find some level of success. Basically, "dumbing down" everything so no one is left confused. It might be overly simple for some students, but this way we get better final projects.

Open-ended project based learning: Art projects are all set up where high achieving students can go as deep as they want, putting in tons of effort if they choose and if they enjoy the project.

Assess on skills taught, not artistic value: The majority of art rubrics are centered on the specific topics that we cover in class and few, if any, points are assigned to actual aesthetics, so that students who work hard and practice the skills can achieve as much as those who are stronger in art.

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Using a rubric, I will identify where students fall in different skills. Then I will place them in small groups accordingly to provide specific, differentiated instruction. This will allowed targeted, individualized instruction for all students.

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Content

provide differentiated texts at students' reading level

provide practice tests for repetitive application of assessments

pre-teach & reteach related vocabulary

Process

utilize graphic organizers and sentence stems to help students organize thoughts

analyze formative assessments to provide additional support in Applied Learning Math Studio

Product

use exemplars and provide steps to complete assignments/projects

help students build self-regulated behaviors to assist students in completing the products

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1. Chunking Content: Breaking down complex information into smaller, manageable/simple parts. This helps my students with processing difficulties to understand and retain content more effectively.

2. Flexible Grouping: Alternatign between individual, pair, and group activities. This allows my students to work in the setting that suits them best at any given time and fosters social skills.

3. Use of Graphic Organizers: Implementing tools like mind maps, flow charts, and Venn diagrams to help students organize their thoughts and understand relationships between concepts, especially helpful for those with poor executive function skills.

4. Regular, Short Breaks: Allowing brief, structured breaks during lessons. This helps students with ADHD to manage their energy and focus better.

5. Preference assessments methods: Offering various ways for students to demonstrate their understanding, such as oral presentations, projects, or written reports, catering to diverse learning styles and strengths.

6. Step-by-Step Instructions and Checklists: Providing clear, concise instructions for assignments and use checklists to guide students through complex tasks, aiding those with executive function challenges.

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I often feel that the students I am actually missing opportunities with is the middle students. Because they are doing "just fine" or even "great" they don't end up with as much personal attention.

I am working in more set times for individual check points in order to intentionally take time to meet with the middle students. During the check points students will use a rubric to share how they feel they are doing in class and have the opportunity to share progress, interesting ideas and ask questions.

I will create the rubric/guide and have one check point with each student during the next month.

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Adding more failure safe assessments (non scored and used for deeper level discussion or thought)

More opportunities for practice before final performance

Variety in assessments (maps, drawing, poetry, digital work, small group discussion, videos, floor meetings, pictures, etc.)

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I have an A4 paper with each of my class lists. Next to a student's name, I make tallies every time I meet with them, whether in a small group or 1-1.

At the bottom, I list students' names and skills I need to work with them on. Sometimes, they're in groups.

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A high percentage of students were very successful on all their art projects this semester. The overall quality of work has gone up quite a bit. I feel this is mainly due to simplification of the steps, careful explanation of each step, and enough time for everyone to finish before moving on to the next steps. It led to some students finishing quickly and then getting off task, but others used the time to help their classmates. (This actually happened more than I expected) Their artwork is the evidence that this strategy worked well.

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What impact did your strategy have on students? How do you know?

Through exit tickets and homework assignments, I was able to provide targeted, differentiated instruction to students through small groups or individual conferences. Students were able to grow from their current level of success to the next.

Students appreciated having clarity on expectations through a rubric. They felt affirmed in areas where they met success. Knowing that they had already met some level of success made new learning less daunting, especially because the new learning was often broken down into smaller steps. I know this because all students were always open to and welcomed individualized instruction, some even seeking us out for help. Students felt more confident and relieved after small group work or conferences. The work they produced later on consistently showed growth.

How might you modify the strategy to make it even more impactful?

Having a co-teacher means we are able to reach a greater number of students. My co-teachers also take great anecdotal notes on their instructional time with students. However, it is time consuming to copy their notes into my notes. I'm not sure I have a solution to this, since I much prefer using paper than going digital.

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What impact did your strategy have on students? How do you know?

students engaged in small group conversation more often. Conversation lulls are much less common. We've broken down each main assessment to its most basic parts and individually taught those. Lower level students were provided extra guidance or teammate support whereas higher performing students were challenged to take their thought/inquiry deeper or they willingly offer help to their teammates who don't quite get it.

How might you modify the strategy to make it even more impactful?

I've been modifying differentiation throughout the last few months. One of the biggest impact changes was requiring students to "irritate" with questions. They thought it was fun to ask so many questions that their teammate got flustered. But, everyone dove deeper, both the questioned and the questioners.