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This article explains how grouping can greatly affect student learning. Students with different performance rates should be grouped together to encourage productive struggle. This article is relevant because classrooms have students with a wide range of learning abilities.

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Differentiated Instruction

When students with diverse performance levels are grouped together, they can all benefit.

Allison Shelley / American Education

It's just two months into the school year, and students in my class are working in their student-led, heterogeneous learning communities. Students know these as just "learning communities." In distress, "Leilani" stormed out of her learning community and walked up to me to ask, "Mr. Manfre, can I switch groups?" When I asked why, she proclaim​​ed, "Well, they just don't get it!" At that moment, I realized Leilani was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Leilani had always been a high-performing student in mathematics. In previous years, she would correctly complete her assigned work, and then the teacher would "differentiate" by providing new material to accelerate her learning and avoid "holding her back."

That approach fed into the misconception that high performance correlates to greater mathematical ability, when in fact, it's actually just quick processing. Quick processors like Leilani thrive in an inequitable educational system bounded by tight time constraints of a class period, school day, and school year.

Providing Leilani with this sort of accelerated differentiation feeds into the fixed (and incorrect) mindset that she is smarter than her peers. In fact, the more I accelerate her learning, the more isolated her learning experiences become, narrowing her perspectives of mathematics and decreasing opportunities for her to develop conceptual understanding through discourse.

For every Leilani, there's a "Keala," a "low-performing" student who is only perceived this way because she's not a quick processor. Keala needs to understand the intricacies of the whys and hows of mathematics in order to fully process it. She may also need more visuals, as it is harder for her to grasp abstract concepts. Keala's needs would be seen as an inconvenience in a classroom that valued fluency above all.

Typical Differentiation

In many math classrooms, teachers work hard trying to meet the different needs of their students. You may see typical differentiated classrooms working with three isolated stations: (1) the Leilanis working by themselves or collaboratively on accelerated material, (2) the Kealas receiving small group differentiated instruction, and (3) the rest of the class working individually, in pairs, or in small groups on grade-level content.

The problem is, when high-performing students are placed in these homogeneous groupings, nobody has to ask (or answer) the depth questions of "why" and "how" for multiple reasons:

Mistakes are at a minimum, so even when there is discourse, there is much agreement over the most likely correct answer.

Since there are fewer mistakes, students develop math anxiety, or fear of being wrong, and are less likely to ask questions that would show they don't know.

The teacher is often spending most of their time with the struggling low performers and not able to ask questions to challenge and extend the conceptual understanding of the high performers. This also leads to lower-performing students being conditioned as passive recipients of learning instead of active contributors to their learning environment.

What if isolated differentiation was not the solution? What if there was a way to have "differentiation through inclusivity" where students at different mathematical performance levels got their individual needs met, not through isolation, but by working together? There is.

In order to receive differentiation through inclusivity, there is an overarching core belief and three key components that must be addressed.

Core belief: All students are capable of learning mathematics through different processing times and mechanisms. Some need more time, others need alternative approaches or additional scaffolds, but all can learn math.

If we embrace this core belief, then we truly understand that people aren't good or bad at math, just unique in how they bridge surface to deep to transfer learning. Archaic math classrooms honor and reward the quick processors and their speed in fluency over the rest; whereas contemporary math classrooms are grounded in research that values and prioritizes deep conceptual understanding, which comes from embracing the knowledge that mathematics can be learned and executed in multiple ways through many different representations.

3 Components of Differentiation Through Inclusivity

1. Heterogeneous grouping. Intentionally created heterogeneous learning environments allow students to serve as a part of the curriculum for their peers. These heterogeneous environments shift the focus from typical differentiation by product to differentiation by process with students at the center.

Productive struggle comes from the wide range of levels of learners working together on a common task and learning with and from one another. Students in heterogeneous grouping ensure diversity of ideas and opportunities for discourse around such ideas, leading to greater conceptual understanding.

2. Communicated value of heterogeneous grouping. Students need to see value in engaging in such higher-order discourse around diversity of understanding. I use " tiers of understanding " to create the personalized value for the mixed levels of learners to work together.

Students of different levels seek to work with each other for their mutual and individual benefit. It also creates a mathematics classroom culture that invites mistakes as an essential contributor to the learning experience, minimizing math anxiety.

3. Equitable scaffolds, roles, or protocols to support students in achieving excellence in heterogeneous groupings. In this case, my students were supplied with scribe protocol, learning community responsibilities, and a protocol for empathetic explanation, which helped them with the productive discourse required to navigate diversity of understanding.

Students in my class are intentionally placed in heterogeneous learning communities to provide the productive struggle that Leilani experienced when she approached me asking to switch groups.

Through months of working with her learning community, Leilani improved her communication ability to not only provide meticulous explanations but also ask inquisitive questions for her peers to articulate their thought processes, allowing her peers to serve as elements of the curriculum. As a result, conversations contained higher-order discourse, leading to a greater depth of conceptual understanding for all members of her learning community.

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The Advantages of Heterogeneous Student Groups in Math

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Differentiated Instruction When students with diverse performance levels are grouped together, they can all benefit. Allison Shelley / American Education It's just two months into the school year, and students in my class are working in their student-led, heterogeneous learning communities. Students know these as just "learning communities."

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This article explains 4 principles to help create successful learning experiences for all students. These principles are:
* Believing all students can reach high expectations
* Barriers exist in the system (lesson delivery/practice), not in the student
* "one size fits all" doesn't work
* practice self reflection

This article is relevant to understanding UDL because it explains how a teacher can have a positive outlook on implementing UDL. UDL starts with a positive and open mindset.

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Differentiated Instruction

Teachers can encourage high school students' success by focusing on learner variability and creating customizable learning experiences.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that guides educators in designing learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners. It helps teachers move from a one-size-fits-all approach toward one that adapts to learner variability. UDL embraces the idea that we should have firm goals for students-using flexible means to reach those goals. The result is more equitable and engaging classrooms.

How do I know Ted would embrace UDL?

At its core, UDL is a mindset, or set of beliefs, that guides educators in everything they do. And Ted has that mindset. It's all about believing-in students and their potential; in the importance of the process as much as the result; and in the power of continual growth, reflection, and lifelong learning.

Begin by Embracing Four Beliefs

While we become teachers to positively impact students, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with day-to-day challenges, especially in these past few years. Still, ask any teacher, and they'll say that the goal of education is more than just helping students acquire and regurgitate knowledge. Instead, we want to equip children with tools for success-show them how to reach their goals and prepare them for ever-changing jobs and a world we can't quite imagine. So how can we do this?

I won't pretend it's easy, but it's crucial to commit to the UDL mindset in order to have success. Embracing the following four beliefs is the first step in designing learning experiences that serve all students.

1. All students can reach the high expectations we set. When we set firm goals for all students, we're sending the message that we believe they're capable. We start by clearly identifying the goals we're focusing on. Then, reflect honestly: Do we truly believe that every student can reach these goals?

As a teacher, I involved students in tracking and monitoring their goals by creating digital Data Notebooks where we tracked academic, behavioral, and other goals. We had frequent one-on-one check-ins and monitored these together. These opportunities to conference around goals made them more manageable and helped us all stay committed to them.

2. Barriers to success exist in the system, not in the students. After firm goals are set, we need to recognize that external barriers can prevent students from being successful. Therefore, we need to be flexible by providing multiple pathways for students to reach their goals. When planning, we can ask ourselves, "What barriers might arise within each of these factors: curriculum, teaching methods, resources, materials, and assessments?"

Multiple means of engagement: Learners vary in how they are motivated and want to engage in learning, so we can provide multiple options for engagement.

Multiple means of representation: Learners perceive and comprehend information differently, so we can provide multiple options for acquiring knowledge.

Multiple means of action and expression: Learners vary in how they navigate learning and express what they know, so we can provide multiple options for them to demonstrate learning.

When teaching, I aimed to address many barriers before we began a unit. Sometimes students didn't have background knowledge, so we'd cover relevant topics and skills at the start. Other times, content wasn't academically interesting or culturally relevant, so we found ways to tie it to their lives. I realized that many students needed clearer directions, checklists, and check-ins, so I created systems within our classroom to address this.

3. Learner variability is the norm, so a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. We can empower students with choices and autonomy so that they can overcome those barriers and reach their goals. This belief allows us to embrace the three UDL principles that help us design more accessible, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences:

We can put these principles into practice in many ways. Are there opportunities for students to have choice in what topic they study and how they take in information (reading, listening, watching)? Can we create scaffolds for students? Or offer choices in how they demonstrate their learning?

When I created units, I started by looking at our goals and brainstorming ways in which I could offer students autonomy that would still lead them to those goals. Sometimes, they chose their own text or topic. Other times, I offered materials in multiple modalities for them to choose from: reading, watching, and/or listening. Lastly, I saw so much creativity and engagement when students had a choice over how they demonstrated their learning-for example, choosing between a written response, a slide presentation, or a video.

4. Continual self-reflection leads to lifelong, expert learners. There's a lot of uncertainty around the future of work and our world. We know that the ability to learn is crucial. The ultimate goal of UDL is to develop "expert learners" who are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed. Even though this approach may make us nervous, when we show trust by giving students choices, when we teach them how to reflect on those choices and their work, and when we value growth as much as results, we are developing expert learners.

In my teaching, I focused on creating an environment where students felt safe and valued. To emphasize growth, I offered opportunities for revisions rather than only grading final work. I built reflection questions into both our end-of-unit review and our everyday work, mainly through exit tickets. Students practiced reflecting on their work and their choices: If they could do the assignment over again, would they have made the same choices? Why or why not?

Start Small

Of course there's more to great teaching, preparing our students for the future, and applying UDL than these four beliefs, but it's only if we hold these beliefs that the other pieces then fall into place.

With so much on their plates, many teachers are feeling overwhelmed right now. It's OK to start small: Commit every day to having high expectations for allstudents. Believe in them. You can print out this 4 Beliefs poster and put it on your desk. Encourage your colleagues to do the same. While it may not seem like you're doing much, you'll be able to feela difference. And better yet, so will your students. Over time, believing in your students can lead to their believing in themselves, which is a gift that'll last a lifetime.

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4 Principles of a Universal Design for Learning Approach

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Teachers can encourage high school students' success by focusing on learner variability and creating customizable learning experiences.

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This graphic is relevant to understanding UDL because it mentions all the aspects of UDL that make students more successful.

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This video explains what UDL is, benefits of implementing UDL, UDL Principles, strategies for incorporating UDL, teacher and student collaboration, lesson planning to include UDL, and what UDL might look like in a classroom. This video is relevant because it explains all aspects of UDL from what it is to how to plan and implement it in the classroom.

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This article explains strategies to implement for students who struggle reading print materials. This article is extremely relevant because more and more students are struggling with reading at grade level. Students are falling even more behind because they are not getting the supports that they need.

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Accessible Materials for Students with Print Disabilities

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Many struggling and special needs students have a print disability. Teachers can meet these students' needs by translating the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into practice. Learn about the seven features of "born accessible materials" and how to select these materials for your school and classroom.

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This article explains 5 things teachers can do/provide for students that follow UDL. The article suggests posting lesson goals, providing a range of assignment options, allowing different work spaces, providing regular feedback, and providing a range of digital and audio resources. This article is relevant because it provides real examples on how to successfully implement UDL in the classroom.

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Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

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5 Examples of Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching aimed at meeting the needs of every student in a classroom. It can be helpful for all kids, including kids with learning and attention issues. But UDL takes careful planning by teachers. Here are just a few examples of how UDL can work in a classroom.

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A teacher that had ADHD in school explains what UDL means to him and how important it is in his learning and teaching process. This video is relevant because it is told by someone that actually has a learning disability. He uses his challenges to guide his teaching and the way he plans his lessons.

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This article is a Teacher's Guide to successfully understanding and implementing UDL in the classroom. I think this article is relevant because it explains all aspects of UDL. It explains what UDL is, why to use it, what it looks like in a classroom, and how to use the 3 principles.

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By Allison Posey, MEd, CAST, Inc.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework developed by CAST, an Understood founding partner. UDL guides the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. When you use UDL, you assume that barriers to learning are in the design of the environment, not in the student. UDL is based on brain science and evidence-based educational practices. It also leverages the power of digital technology.

Imagine this: Your students are going to write an essay on the stages of butterfly metamorphosis.

Some students have seen butterflies grow through the different stages at a local science museum. These students are excited to share what they know. Other students don't know anything about butterflies and are nervous about writing on this topic. And some students don't like to write - they dread this activity from the moment you say "essay."

In any class, you know there's a wide range of enthusiasm, background, and skills among your students. When you plan with this range in mind, you can approach the lesson in several ways.

You could share a mini-lesson on butterfly metamorphosis and have students use a guided worksheet as they write. Or you could set up stations where students are grouped using flexible grouping around understanding of the topic, language ability, or reading level.

But take a step back. In any lesson or task, you can anticipate this range of variability among your students. There's another approach you can take to plan for this variability in all your lessons: Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Why use Universal Design for Learning?

The ultimate goal of UDL is for all learners to become "expert learners." Expert learners are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed about learning.

UDL is a powerful approach because from the very start of your lesson, it helps you anticipate and plan for all your learners. It can help you make sure that the greatest range of students can access and engage in learning - not just certain students.

You don't need specific tools or technologies to follow UDL's principles either. Instead, your students choose from the tools and resources you already have. They might use them in different ways.

Also, UDL may change how you think about what prevents students from learning. Instead of thinking that something needs to change about the students, UDL looks at the learning environment. The learning environment can include barriers to learning, like the design of the curricular goals, assessments, methods, and materials. In this way, the learning environment itself can be "abled" or "dis-abled."

UDL gives you a framework to follow so you can reduce the barriers to learning. The main way to do this is to prepare a learning environment where students have what they need to flexibly meet learning goals.

What does UDL look like in the classroom?

Universal design can be found just about anywhere you look - both inside and outside your school. Curb cuts change sidewalks so that they're accessible to the greatest range of users, including people who use wheelchairs and those pushing strollers. Closed captions make television accessible to people who are deaf or who have hearing loss, as well as people at the gym or spouses who can't agree whether or not to keep the TV on at night. No two forms of universal design are the same.

Universal Design for Learning looks different in every classroom. But there are commonalities. To start with, there's always a focus on building expert learning for all. Other common elements of a UDL experience include:

All learners knowing the goal

Intentional, flexible options for all students to use

Student access to resources from the start of a lesson

Students building and internalizing their own learning

In a UDL environment, students rarely do the same task in the same way at the same time. The flexible options will differ across developmental ages. But the framework for having clear goals and flexible options is consistent no matter the grade level or content areas.

How can I use the three principles of UDL?

UDL describes human variability based on parts of the brain that manage the "why" (affective network), the "what" (recognition network), and the "how" (strategic network) of learning. Watch as CAST co-founder David Rose explains why UDL emphasizes variability instead of disability.

CAST developed UDL guidelines that are based on three main principles that align with these learning networks. The three UDL principles are engagement, representation, and action and expression.

The chart below includes the three UDL principles adapted from CAST. It also gives you some questions to consider and lists some examples of the principles in action. You can print a one-page version of this chart to have on hand while planning a lesson, activity, or routine for your students.

Provide multiple means of engagement

Provide multiple means of representation

Provide multiple means of action and expression

How can families support this at home?

Families may not be familiar with the concept of students being active participants in setting their learning goals. They may have questions about letting students make their own learning choices.

Explain at back-to-school night or in a class email that you'll be using Universal Design for Learning. You can even share a family-friendly article about the UDL approach to teaching.

Assure families that you have high expectations for all students to become expert learners in your classroom. And explain that you'll keep working with the students and their families to build the skills and interest to make that happen.

How do I use UDL during distance learning?

Read these articles to learn how to use UDL with distance learning.

Additional CAST resources to explore

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework developed by CAST, an Understood founding partner. UDL guides the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. When you use UDL, you assume that barriers to learning are in the design of the environment, not in the student.

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This video explains in a very understandable way what UDL is. The video briefly explains the 3 principles of UDL. I think this video is relevant to my understanding of UDL because it explains it in a way that I can easily understand and provides many examples that go along with the definition.

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

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This video explains the 3 principles of UDL in great detail. The video provides many examples on how to successfully model each principle in the classroom. I find this video important to UDL because it explains how UDL can actually be represented in the classroom. It doesn't just give a description of what it is.

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning