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Find out about the specialist membrane keyboard

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My Pictures Talk helps you catalog, share, remember, and teach skills to those with autism or developmental delays. We allow you to bring your photos to life with text and audio. You can create talking photo albums, or use as a teaching tool to help promote wanted behaviors. Take videos on the fly with an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, or load videos onto your device thru iTunes. It can now serve as a way to make your own social stories utilizing video modeling. No videos are included, but make it personal and create your own. Video modeling has been proven to be a useful tool to help children with autism learn social skills. My Pictures Talk is the first app that allows you to create your own social stories using your own personal videos.

► Recording video on the fly supported on iPhone 3GS and 4, and the iPod Touch 4th generation.
► Only the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4th generation(the one with cameras), and the iPad can load videos thru iTunes syncing. This is a limitation of the iOS SDK. Our apologies.

► Be sure you have an iPhone or the 32/64 GB versions of the late 2009 model iPod Touch or later to record audio. If you have the iPod Touch 2G or 8GB late 2009 model you will need to purchase a 3rd party microphone(available from Apple or Amazon.com, etc.)

$2.99

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My Pictures Talk - Grembe Apps ~ Building Apps That Make a Difference

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My Pictures Talk helps you catalog, share, remember, and teach skills to those with autism or developmental delays. We allow you to bring your photos to life with text and audio. You can create talking photo albums, or use as a teaching tool to help promote wanted behaviors.

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About:

We developed ModMath because our son has both dyslexia and dysgraphia. So writing legibly is nearly impossible. And that makes acquiring new math skills difficult. If a student can't read his own writing, or if the number columns don't line up, how is he supposed to master math concepts like regrouping, long division, or multiplication with multiple digits, not to mention more complex concepts like algebra?

Our goal in creating an assistive technology was to make things easier not just for our son, but for any child that struggles with a learning disability or a physical disability.

With this new version, you'll now have the option of buying several additional symbols like pi, infinity, sigma and therefore. We hope to raise additional funds so we can continue to add new features.

Our next project would be an option where students can upload their worksheets directly into the ModMath grid. And we still hope to create a ModMath version for desktop and Android users. So, even if you don't need these additional symbols, please know that buying them is an investment in your child's future math needs. Or, click the donate button to send a gift of any amount.

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We developed ModMath because our son has both dyslexia and dysgraphia. So writing legibly is nearly impossible. And that makes acquiring new math skills difficult. If a student can't read his own writing, or if the number columns don't line up, how is he supposed to master math concepts like regrouping, long division, or multiplication with multiple digits, not to mention more complex concepts like algebra?

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Dyslexics students (and adults) use Omoguru to make the text more readable and decode words with ease. What's the secret? Visually comfortable font family designed to improve letter detection and recognition of word shapes. Research proves it reduces reading time, mistakes and mental effort. And it is free.

Select a book from the preloaded library. The key benefit the app provides is the ability to adjust the text and apply it to the whole e-book.

Customize reading to find your match:

Font Type - From A to E respectively longer letter "necks" and "tails" help to decode the words.

Syllables marking (with different colors) to improve reading rhythm

Spacing between the lines

Spacing between the letters

Weight of the font

Font size

The background color (canvas text contrast)

Marking mirror letters to avoid mental rotation

It usually takes under a minute to make these adjustments.

Select between two reading styles each with a tool that helps with focus and following lines.

---------------------

We do offer Omoguru Premium:

Add an e-book or convert PDF, DocX, Mobi, Txt

Convert a photo of the print to digital text and save it as a note

The current Omoguru Premium subscription is 4.49 USD/month or 42 USD/year. With a single account, Omoguru works on both smartphones and tablets.

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Omoguru: Dyslexia Friendly Reader Review | Educational App Store

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Dyslexics students (and adults) use Omoguru to make the text more readable and decode words with ease. What's the secret? Visually comfortable font family designed to improve letter detection and recognition of word shapes. Research proves it reduces reading time, mistakes and mental effort. And it is free.

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2021 Apple Design Award Winner!

Voice Dream Reader is a text-to-speech reader that turns any document and ebook into audio. Featured by Apple as Best New App and App of the Day in 81 countries including the United States and part of App Store Permanent Collections in Education.

"This app is one of the best educational finds of my entire career." - Forbes

"As a user myself and as a mother of a child with dyslexia, I am blown away by the features of Voice Dream." - Quartz

"Voice Dream Reader is hailed by many as the best mobile text-to-speech (TTS) app." - Examiner

Text-to-Speech
- One premium Acapela voice of your choice free with the purchase of the app.
- 36 built-in iOS voices in 27 languages are also available for free.
- 200+ additional premium voices in 30 languages from Acapela, NeoSpeech and Ivona available through in-app purchases.
- Correct pronunciation with your own pronunciation dictionary.
- All voices work offline and play in the background even with the screen locked.

Supported Document Formats
- PDF, Plain text, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, RTF, and Google Docs.
- Web articles.
- Bookshare Books.
- EPUB eBooks. (DRM-free books only. Kindle, iBooks and most commercial eBook platforms are not supported.)
- DAISY text-based books and audiobook.
- Audiobooks in MP3, MP4 or zipped MP3 format.
- Rich text and image support for all documents.

Built-in Scanner
- Scan paper documents with the camera for text-to-speech.
- State-of-the-art A.I. is fast and accurate, even in poor lighting conditions.
- Works entirely on device: No need for internet and your data stays private.
- Only languages using Latin alphabets are currently supported.

Reading Styles
- Tee-up a list of articles and play while you drive, walk or run.
- Spoken word is highlighted to improve comprehension and retention.
- Auto-scrolling and full screen, distraction-free mode to help reader focus.
- Finger reading. For beginners to read by at running a finger under each word.
- Pac-Man. Harvard and MIT developed speed-reading method for everyone to read at 2x speed with no loss of comprehension.
- High contrast and large font size for low vision readers.
- Optimized for VoiceOver, Braille and switch control.

Tools
- Recognize text for scanned PDF documents.
- Bookmarking, text highlighting and annotation. Highlights and notes can be exported.
- Full-text search.
- Built-in dictionary.
- Automicatically skip text in PDF header and footer.

Content Sources
- Native support for Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Pocket, Instapaper and Evernote.
- Native access to Bookshare.
- Safari extension to save Web pages and Web addresses.
- Support for Box and OneDrive via iOS Document Picker.

Library Synchronization
- Your entire library, including folders, reading locations, bookmarks and annotations are synchronized across all your devices using iCloud Drive

Version 4.13.7

- Bug fixes and minor enhancements.

Long overdue review

I purchased this app several years ago. Since I purchased it I have used it to "read" hundreds of books and articles. Most of the material I have "read" with this app is not available as a professionally narrated audio and never will be. This includes many obscure religious and medical texts and manuscripts - more than I can count. I am constantly on the go and almost never have time to sit down and read a printed or digital book. Yet, with this app I have been able to get through many thousands of pages of material that never would have been possible otherwise. I listen nearly every day while I drive, walk, jog and sometimes while I work. Although the app is not perfect (pronunciation is sometimes incorrect) it is good enough for me to understand. I appreciate that the developer has continued to improve the product. For example, in the last year I discovered I can use it to listen to podcasts and even videos that I download for offline use. I would be ungrateful not to leave a 5 star review, because without exaggerating I can say that this has changed my life. I now have a steady stream of valuable information flowing to my mind. This is information that was simply out of reach to me before - mainly due to constraints on my time. This has helped me immensely with preparing to teach classes and in my medical career.

Valuable Time Saver

I will type up my notes and save them as a pdf file. Then transfer the file into voice dream. This application does really well with medical terminology, which I was surprised with; however, this application struggles with numbers and abbreviations. I have adapted to not using abbreviations in my notes or I will use the replace function in Microsoft Word to find and replace any abbreviations. For numbers, you are better off spelling them out. This will make any pdf into an audiobook essentially. Just rememberer, just because you hear it doesn't mean you learned it. you will still need to actively listen to gain something from this. I will have many pages of notes compiled to make a study guide for a test, and it would take me hours to read myself, where I can use voice dream to expedite my studies, allowing me to get more done in a short time. I really enjoy the tracker so that you can actively watch the dialogue be read.

I bought the package, and this is the only app that I use from it. I really wish that there was better tools such as highlighting and the ability to freely write on the document with the Apple Pencil. I say this because I have imported textbooks over to this application, and this would be helpful to me!

Great App, Minor Bug

The standard out of the box voice (Heather) is the most human-like I've ever heard. Also, the "pronunciation dictionary" feature is amazing - allows you to change how the voices pronounce certain words if you don't like the default pronunciation. This is great for the few instances where there's a word or acronym or name that occurs frequently in a text (reoccurring newsletter or book) that I want Voice Dream to say it differently from the default. I hope the App is taking this data that we users meticulously enter and is using it to guide future adjustments and improvements to the reading engine that the developers build.

While this app is nearly flawless in my eyes now, one annoying bug has keeps in recently: when switching into the app to a reading that has been paused, it frequently jumps to a random point in the text on the screen. If I hit play, it resumes playing at the point where I left off and a quick 2-finger tap will take me back so the right part of the text shows on the screen, but it's annoying to have to do this when I am regularly switching between Voice Dream and another app I use to take notes on the books I read (Microsoft Word, in case that helps catch the bug!). I hope the team can hunt this one down as they have caught all the others in the past. Keep it up! :)

The developer, Voice Dream LLC, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 12.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 12.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 12.0 or later.

Languages

English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

In-App Purchases

1. James (NeoSpeech US English Voice) $4.99

2. Paul (NeoSpeech US English Voice) $4.99

3. Salli (Ivona US English Voice) $4.99
more

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

Siri

Get things done within this app using just your voice.

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‎Voice Dream Reader is a text-to-speech reader that turns any document and ebook into audio. Featured by Apple as Best New App and App of the Day in 81 countries including the United States and part of App Store Permanent Collections in Education. "This app is one of the best educational finds of my...

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National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disable 

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National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disable 

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Apply for the Service!
NLS is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books the way you want them: in braille or audio, mailed to your door for free or instantly downloadable.

NLS works to ensure that all may read by providing eligible patrons access to reading material regardless of age, economic circumstances, or technical expertise. Share the gift of reading, and spread the word about NLS so that all may read.

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That All May Read | National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress

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Apply for the Service! NLS is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page.

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Teach your kids about the many beautiful cultures of the world with the Kids World Cultures app for IOS. Kids World Cultures for iPhone and iPad is filled with fun and engaging games and adventures that let kids explore how others around the world live, work, and stay entertained.

Download the Kids World Cultures app for your IOS device and discover fun facts, epic histories, rare foods, and incredible animals from all over the world.

Kids World Cultures actually features 6 apps in 1. It contains loads of exciting HD images, videos, and games that keep your children entertained for hours while teaching them about cultures from around the globe.

Why Kids World Cultures?

Kids World Cultures sends children off on amazing adventures to learn about people and places all over the planet. It helps them see how people do things in different parts of the world, and what their lives are like in terms of housing, dress, education, entertainment, and more.

Kids World Cultures fosters an appreciation for the differences of people around the world. It also brings kids together as they learn that, sometimes, other cultures are similar to our own in many ways.

With the Kids World Cultures app, you can:

* Instill a love of the world's people and places in your child
* Offer your child exciting educational games and activities
* Give kids access to quiet entertainment on road trips
* Access FREE content that best suits your kids' interests and needs

What's in Kids World Cultures?

Kids World Cultures contains hundreds of interesting pictures, dozens of videos, and tons of games that teach kids how other people on the planet live. Kids learn what entertains, sustains, and challenges people all over our planet Earth.

Additionally, kids enjoy hours of fun learning about the world around them when playing Kids World Cultures games and activities. They can research places they want to go, as well as those they have already been, just for fun! And, they can use the Kids World Cultures app for help with school projects and assignments.

The Kids World Cultures app features:

* Hundreds of HD images
* Dozens of videos
* Multiple games
* Content for kids age 4 and up
* Games, activities, and videos to learn about cultures, music, geography, animals, dress, and more!

Family Fun, School Research, Road Trips, and More!

Kids World Cultures is a great app to have with you on road trips, as it helps kids to see and understand where they're traveling along with the people who live in different places. It's a fun educational tool that can be used to pass the time in the car as well as on an airplane, bus, or train trip.

Kids love enjoying virtual trips around the world with Kids World Cultures while they're at home. And, they enjoy taking the Kids World Cultures app with them on real-life adventures. With the Kids World Cultures app, children play games and engage in activities that let them discover the exciting cultures of the world no matter where they are.

Features

* FREE content
* Demos and paid content for FREE
* Available in 6 languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Catalan
* On and offline play

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Kids World Cultures - Educational Games for Travel Review | Educational App Store

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Teach your kids about the many beautiful cultures of the world with the Kids World Cultures app for IOS. Kids World Cultures for iPhone and iPad is filled with fun and engaging games and adventures that let kids explore how others around the world live, work, and stay entertained.

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Hey teachers,
Many of these sheets can be worked on in class, but the majority of them were created and intended for you to send home for parents to fill out with or about their students. Parents will appreciate being included in these conversations and will take joy in discovering their student has a teacher that cares about what happens beyond the walls of their classroom. You can choose to staple them together in a packet or you can send one home every other day or so. Another idea of how to use these sheets is to have a few out during a Back to School or Meet the Teacher night. Parents can fill them out in the classroom with their students. Consider adding décor or changing your layout after you learn more about your students and their families. It will make them feel more connected to their classroom.
Have fun teaching,
Naomi

Included
-An understanding of what Culturally Responsive Teaching is and isn't
-Why you should shift your mindset
-Strategies
-Learning styles to consider and to ask for parent input
-Questions to build a culturally responsive classroom with student input
-All about my name
-My family on the map
-The flag that represents my family
-This is how we do it
-Different, not weird
-Getting to know your student
-Getting to know more about you (parents)
-Story reflection questions
-The best part about me is...
-The best way for me to learn
-The best way for me to learn interview
-Parent and caregiver connection

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Hey teachers, Many of these sheets can be worked on in class, but the majority of them were created and intended for you to send home for parents to fill out with or about their students. Parents will appreciate being included in these conversations and will take joy in discovering their student ha...

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Teaching and Learning about Abolitionist| The Abolitionist

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Teaching and Learning about Abolitionist| The Abolitionist

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Teaching and Learning About Abolitionists | The Abolitionists | PBS LearningMedia

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Students complete a lesson on abolitionism that is structured around film clips from American Experience: The Abolitionists. Consistent with Common Core standards, students analyze the film as text, reflect on the meaning of abolitionism, patriotism, and civil rights, and write down their thoughts.

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Kids learn about cultures around the world, seeing what homes look like, inside and out, and what the people eat. They can make inferences about the people based on what they see in the homes -- how the residents spend their free time, how they do chores, and the conveniences they enjoy. The handbook offers more detail about the homes, the culture, and the architecture as well as thought-provoking questions. Using the tags in different languages, kids can also practice learning another language or simply developing their vocabulary.

The message -- there are many ways to make a home -- is lovely. The cultural education kids get is important. The fun and surprising interactive features are engaging. But it's the attention to detail that amazes! Subtle background noises hint to what's going on around each home -- for example, sirens and honking cars in the Brooklyn brownstone, chirping crickets and singing birds in the Guatemalan adobe home. Interactive features seem almost endless -- wash dishes, read books, play with toys, sew clothes, prepare food, play records, use the bathroom, and more. It's not perfect, though. Controls are a bit tricky, especially for little hands, so kids may miss some of the fun and learning trying to figure them out.

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Homes by Tinybop Review for Teachers | Common Sense Education

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Kids learn about cultures around the world, seeing what homes look like, inside and out, and what the people eat. They can make inferences about the people based on what they see in the homes -- how the residents spend their free time, how they do chores, and the conveniences they enjoy.

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https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/files/original/8456fc85034c9130448be99324fb23da.pdf

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Activity Cards

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Activity Cards

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Do you need some ideas for your cultural responsive teaching? Here are 25 culturally responsive teaching activity cards that will help you engage and involve all students in your classroom.

Each card contains the name of the activity, a description, and an example of how to use it in your classroom.
Culturally Responsive Teaching Activities Included:

Call and Response

Think-Pair-Share

Jigsaw

Choral Read

Shout Out

Pass the Card

Circle the Sage

Elbow Partners

Echo Read

Knowledge Parade

Cloze the Gap

Jump in Reading

Carousel

Paper Pass

Music Movers

Four Corners

Graffiti

Pass a Problem

Circle Time

Talking Chips

Pose a Problem

Rally Coach

Gallery Walk

Give One, Get One

Whip Around

**PLEASE NOTE: There is a Promo Page at the end of the resource. Just note that before printing.

Watch engagement and student involvement soar with these interactive activities!
Visit Our Wise Guys Store
Copyright ©Wise Guys. All rights reserved by author. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clip art and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted and used outside of this file without permission or license. Intended for classroom or personal use ONLY.

culturally responsive, culturally relevant, PBIS, RtI, culture, culturally responsive teaching

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Activity Cards

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Do you need some ideas for your cultural responsive teaching? Here are 25 culturally responsive teaching activity cards that will help you engage and involve all students in your classroom. Each card contains the name of the activity, a description, and an example of how to use it in your classroom.

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Top 10 Evidence- based teaching resources

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Top 10 Evidence- based teaching resources

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Top 10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for Those Who Care About Student Results
By Shaun Killian

Most teachers care about their students' results, and if you are reading this article, you are undoubtedly one of them.

There is no doubt that teachers make a difference to how well their kids do at school. However, when you explore the thousands of research studies1 on the topic, it is apparent that some teaching strategies have far more impact than other teaching strategies do.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies
Research shows that evidence-based teaching strategies are likely to have the largest impact on student results. I wrote this article because you (and other teachers) have far too many demands on your time to sift through decades worth of research. At the same time, I wanted to help you step outside your personal philosophies about teaching and the fancy jargon being peddled by authorities, to discover the science of what works.

For teaching strategies to be included on this list, they had to:
* Be supported by hard research, instead of anecdotal case studies or untested theories
* Have a substantially higher effect on student results than other teaching strategies
* Be able to be used on a wide range of subjects and in every year level

What evidence-based teaching strategies made it onto the list? Here is the top 10 strategies - the results may surprise you.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 1: Clear Lesson Goals

It is crucial that you are clear about what you want your students to learn during each lesson. The effect that such clarity has on student results is 32% greater than the effect of holding high expectations for every student (and holding high expectations has a sizeable effect). If you cannot quickly and easily state what you want your students to know and be able to do at the end of a given lesson, the goal of your lesson will be unclear. Clear lesson goals help you (and your students) to focus every other aspect of your lesson on what matters most.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 2: Show & Tell

You should normally start your lessons with show and tell. Put simply, telling involves sharing information or knowledge with your students while showing involves modeling how to do something. Once you are clear about what you want your students to know and be able to do by the end of the lesson, you need to tell them what they need to know and show them how to do the tasks you want them to be able to do. You don't' want to spend your entire lesson having the kids listening to you, so focus your show and tell on what matters most. To do this, have another look at your lesson goal.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 3: Questioning to Check for Understanding

Research suggests that teachers typically spend a large amount of teaching time asking questions. However, few teachers use questions to check for understanding within a lesson. However, you should always check for understanding before moving onto the next part of their lesson. Techniques such as randomized sampling, student answer-boards and tell-a-friend help you to check for understanding before moving on from the show and tell part of your lesson while you can use other questioning techniques at different stages of your lesson.

Evidence-Based Teaching 4: Summarize New Learning In A Graphical Way

Graphic outlines include things such as mind maps, flow-charts and Venn diagrams. You can use them to help students to summarize what they have learned and to understand the interrelationships between the aspects of what you have taught them. Studies show that it doesn't seem to matter who makes the summary graphic, be it you or your students, provided the graphic is accurate. Discussing a graphical summary is a fantastic way to finish off your show and tell. You can then refer to it one more time at the end of your lesson.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 5: Plenty of Practice

As saying says, practice makes perfect. Practice helps students to retain the knowledge and skills that they have learned while also allowing you another opportunity to check for understanding. If you want to harness the potent power of practice, you must ensure that your students are practicing the right things. Your students should be practicing what they learned during your show and tell, which in turn should reflect your lesson goal. Practice is not about mindless busy work. Nor does it involve assigning independent tasks that you haven't previously modeled and taught. Finally, research shows that students do better when their teacher has them practice the same things over a spaced-out period of time.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 6: Provide Your Students With Feedback

Feedback is the breakfast of champions, and it is the breakfast served by extraordinary teachers around the world. Put simply, giving feedback involves letting your students know how they have performed on a particular task along with ways that they can improve. Unlike praise, which focuses on the student rather than the task, feedback provides your students with a tangible understanding of what they did well, of where they are at, and of how they can improve. In John Hattie's view, any teachers who seriously want to boost their children's results should start by giving them dollops and dollops of feedback.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 7: Be Flexible About How Long It Takes to Learn

The idea that given enough time, every student can learn is not as revolutionary as it sounds. It underpins the way we teach martial arts, swimming and dancing. It is also the central premise behind mastery learning, a technique that has the same effect on student results as socio-economic status and other aspects of home life. When you adopt mastery learning, you differentiate in a different way. You keep your learning goals the same, but vary the time you give each child to succeed. Within the constraints of a crowded curriculum, this may be easier said than done; however, we can all do it to some degree.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 8: Get Students Working Together (in productive ways)

Group work is not new, and you can see it in every classroom. However, productive group work is rare. When working in groups, students tend to rely on the person who seems most willing and able to the task at hand. Psychologists call this phenomenon social loafing. To increase the productivity of your groups, you need to be selective about the tasks you assign to them and the individual role that each group member plays. You should only ask groups to do tasks that all group members can do successfully. You should also ensure each group member personally responsible for one step in the task.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 9: Teach Strategies Not Just Content

Earlier, I highlighted the importance of show and tell. You can increase how well your students do in any subject by explicitly teaching them how to use relevant strategies. When teaching children to read you need to teach them how to attack unknown words, as well as strategies that will deepen their comprehension. When teaching them mathematics, you need to teach them problem-solving strategies. From assignments and studying, to characterization, there are strategies underpinning the effective execution of many tasks that you ask students to perform in school. And, just as with content, you need to tell students about these strategies, to show them how to use them and to give them guided practice before asking them to use them independently.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 10: Nurture Meta-Cognition

Many teachers believe they are encouraging students to use meta-cognition when they are just asking students to use strategies - strategies such as making connections when reading or self-verbalising when solving problems. Don't get me wrong, as I stated in the above point, encouraging students to adopt strategies is important, but it is not meta-cognition. Meta-cognition involves thinking about your options, your choices and your results - and it has an even larger effect on student results than teaching strategies. When using meta-cognition your students may think about what strategies they could use before choosing one, and they may think about how effective their choice was (after reflecting on their success or lack thereof) before continuing with or changing their chosen strategy.

What Teaching Strategies Didn't Make the Top 10?

Some evidence-based teaching strategies that didn't make the top 10are still worth adopting. Research shows that a few of these teaching strategies, such as holding high expectations of students, have a significant positive impact on student results. They just have less of an effect than those that made the top 10list. Other evidence based teaching strategies, such as reciprocal teaching, didn't make the list purely because they can only be used within a single subject. Don't assume that a teaching strategy is no good just because it isn't in the top 10.

That said, there are some popular teaching strategies that do not have a large effect on student results. These include whole language, teaching test taking and inquiry learning.

http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/evidence-based-teaching-strategies/

Information about the author is given at the end of the article at the website.

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Top 10 evidence-based teaching strategies

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Top 10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for Those Who Care About Student Results By Shaun Killian Most teachers care about their students' results, and if you are reading this article, you are undoubtedly one of them. There is no doubt that teachers make a difference to how well their kids do at school.

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The Role of evidence in teaching and learning 

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The Role of evidence in teaching and learning 

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Research Conference 2018, hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, took place in Sydney this month. In his keynote, ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters AO explored the role of evidence in teaching and learning.
Evidence-based teaching involves the use of evidence to: (1) establish where students are in their learning; (2) decide on appropriate teaching strategies and interventions; and (3) monitor student progress and evaluate teaching effectiveness.

The term 'evidence-based' is now firmly entrenched in the education lexicon. And with good reason; improvements in student learning and educational outcomes depend on the wider use of reliable evidence in classroom practice. However, much discussion of evidence-based teaching is based on a narrow definition that would benefit from a broader recognition of the role of evidence in teaching and learning.

The concept of evidence-based practice has its origins in medicine. The essential idea is that decisions made by medical practitioners should be based on the best available evidence collected through rigorous research - ideally, through randomised controlled trials. Research studies in the form of carefully controlled experiments are seen as providing the strongest and most dependable forms of evidence to guide practice.

However, everyday medical practice uses multiple forms of evidence. In addition to evidence from external research studies, medical practitioners gather and use evidence relating to patients' presenting conditions and symptoms - for example, by taking patient histories and ordering diagnostic tests. Evidence of this kind is essential to informed decision making. So, too, is evidence about the subsequent effectiveness of a practitioner's decisions. Such evidence plays a crucial role in monitoring a patient's progress and evaluating the impact of treatments and interventions.

Most definitions of evidence-based medicine recognise the role and importance of these different forms of evidence. One of the earliest and most cited definitions (Sacket et al, 1996) describes evidence-based practice as 'integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external evidence from systematic research.'

Evidence-based teaching similarly involves more than the implementation of practices that have been shown to be effective in controlled research studies. As in medicine, evidence-based practice depends on the integration of reliable, local, practitioner-collected evidence with evidence from systematic, external research. Policies and discussions of 'evidence-based teaching' sometimes overlook the importance of this broader, more integrated understanding of the role of evidence in teaching and learning.

Evidence to identify starting points for teaching and learning

A first, essential form of evidence for teaching is information about the points individual learners have reached in their learning. This usually means establishing what they know, understand and can do as starting points for teaching and to ensure that individuals are provided with well-targeted learning opportunities and appropriately challenging learning goals. The parallel in medical practice is diagnosing the state of a patient's health to guide appropriate treatment. Understanding where learners are in their learning is as essential to clinical teaching practice as understanding a patient's symptoms and health is to effective medical practice.

The process of establishing where students are in their learning may involve the review of available historical evidence - for example, evidence from a previous teacher or evidence from past assessments. It also may involve administering tests or other assessments to identify appropriate starting points.

One view of teaching - now largely outmoded - sees it merely as the delivery of the appropriate year-level curriculum to all students. Under this view, the role of teachers is to deliver the relevant curriculum; the job of students is to learn what teachers teach; and the role of assessment is to establish how well students have learnt what teachers have taught and to grade them accordingly. In contrast, 'evidence-based' teaching uses evidence about where students are in their learning to guide and personalise teaching. The objective is to develop a good understanding of where each student is in their learning so that they can be provided with appropriately targeted teaching and learning opportunities.

Evidence-based teaching of this kind depends on a frame of reference against which learning can be monitored - a 'roadmap' that describes and illustrates what it means to grow and become more proficient in a learning area. Learning is depicted as an ongoing process through which students develop progressively higher levels of knowledge, understanding and skill over extended periods of time.

In evidence-based teaching, assessments are undertaken to gather evidence and draw conclusions about where students are in their learning. The objective is to use observations of students' performances and work to draw inferences about their current levels of attainment. A thorough understanding of where a student is in their learning may require a detailed diagnostic investigation of the errors they are making or the misunderstandings they have developed - often essential evidence for addressing obstacles to further progress and a key element of clinical teaching practice. Reports of student attainment are then expressed not as percentages or grades, but as the points individuals have reached, interpreted by reference to what they know, understand and can do.

Evidence to inform teaching strategies and interventions

A second, powerful form of evidence for promoting student learning is evidence from research into effective teaching strategies and interventions. Knowing where students are in their learning provides a starting point; however, the crucial next question is how to promote further learning. Which interventions are likely to improve students' levels of understanding and skill? What teaching strategies have been shown to work in practice? For which learners? Under what conditions? Answers to questions of this kind are derived from rigorous, systematic research and professional teaching experience.

As a general principle, effective teaching builds on and extends learners' existing knowledge, skills and understandings. Teachers need to know how to do this, which in turn depends on a deep understanding of the learning domain itself and, in particular, typical paths and sequences of student learning. How does learning build on prior learning and lay the foundations for further learning? How does prerequisite knowledge influence future learning success? What are the foundational, enabling skills that students must develop before they can progress to higher levels of attainment? Learning research has a crucial role to play in answering these questions, elucidating the nature of learning, in particular learning domains, and generating research evidence to inform teaching practice.

Research also has an important role to play in uncovering the kinds of misunderstandings and alternative conceptions that students commonly develop. Such research adds to an understanding of how learning occurs within a particular learning domain. As well as recognising typical and logical sequences of development, teachers require an appreciation of the side-tracks that some students go down and how these impede learning progress. Research that provides evidence in the form of insights into common errors and misconceptions assists teachers in diagnosing and addressing the difficulties that individuals experience.

Importantly, research evidence of these kinds is domain specific. Because teachers teach subjects, they generally benefit from research into how students learn those subjects. For example, the evidence likely to be most useful to teachers of reading is evidence about how students learn to read, including the role of pre-reading and early reading skills in establishing the foundations for subsequent reading development. The evidence likely to be most useful to teachers of science is evidence about how students progressively learn science, including evidence relating to the development of deeper understandings of scientific concepts and principles, and the kinds of misunderstandings that students commonly develop.

'Evidence-based' educational practices sometimes take the form of general solutions such as 'individualised learning', 'early years intervention', 'metacognition', 'homework', 'peer tutoring' and 'feedback'. However, general solutions of these kinds must be interpreted and implemented in the contexts of the subjects teachers teach. What kind of homework? For whom? Feedback of what kind? When? In general, teachers require evidence about the best ways to implement effective teaching strategies and interventions in subject-specific contexts.

Evidence to evaluate student progress and teaching effectiveness

A third form of evidence for teaching is information about the progress students make in their learning over time. This is important information for evaluating learning success and for making judgements about the effectiveness of teaching strategies and interventions.

A traditional approach to evaluating learning is to compare students' performances with expectations based on their age or year level. For example, a Year 5 student's learning success is commonly assessed and graded against Year 5 performance expectations. However, this approach takes no account of where students are in their long-term learning at the beginning of a school year and so does not reflect the progress (or growth) they have made. Under this approach, two students may achieve the same grade, one having made significant progress during the year, the other having made very little.

An alternative is to define learning success in terms of the progress individuals make. This approach assumes that learning is reflected in, and can be evaluated in terms of, improvements in students' levels of knowledge, understanding and skill - for example, over the course of a school year.

Evidence about the progress students make is crucial information for teaching. It provides a basis for establishing whether, and how effectively, individuals are learning. Low levels of progress may indicate lack of student effort and/or ineffective teaching, and so warrant closer investigation. Information about progress provides the most direct indicator of teaching effectiveness, as well as being key to the evaluation of educational policies, programs and teaching methods.
References
Sackett, D.L., Rosenberg, W.M., Gray, J.A., Haynes, R.B., & Richardson, W.S. (1996). Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ. 13;312(7023):71-2.
'The role of evidence in teaching and learning' was first published in the Research Conference 2018 Proceedings and is available to download from the ACER Research Repository.

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The role of evidence in teaching and learning

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Research Conference 2018, hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, took place in Sydney this month. In his keynote, ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters AO explored the role of evidence in teaching and learning.

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10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for 2023

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Some teaching strategies have more impact on your students’ results than others. Discover this core list of 10 evidence-based teaching strat…

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Sensory Ring and Fidget Toy 3 Pack | Soft, Flexible Ring and Rubber Spikes | Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety| Promotes Focus and Clarity | Children, Youth, Adults Sensory Toys

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Watch Me Learn educational products provide teaching and learning that is fun, quick and easy to use.

Through live action video, Watch Me Learn captivates learners and engages them in FUN videos designed to teach skills through modeling. Watch Me Learn is designed to teach children with autism and other developmental delays. Skills modeled incorporate all areas of function.

Video Modeling is a Highly Effective and Enticing
Teaching Method For All

Video teaching or more commonly called video modeling is a visual teaching method that occurs by watching a video of someone modeling a targeted behavior or skill and then imitating the behavior/skill watched.

Video modeling is effective because:

Children love video and are engaged

Learning from video is less distracting than learning from people

Concentration on video only reduces interference

Repetition of watching increases learning

Teaches the visual learner

Very wide array of skills can be taught

WML Teaches Skills Across All Fields

Types of skill taught by WML videos:

Watch Me Learn videos depict real life scenarios and therefore model many types of skills within each scenario. This type of teaching allows the learner to quickly learn and generalize skills. Learned skills are generalized best through practice and use. To support generalization, we provide additional materials designed to promote and accelerate generalization of skills learned from video.

Watch Me Learn is Successful Because It Relates
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Watch Me Learn is a unique product because it is the only video modeling series available that teaches within real life settings. All of our videos capitalize on the opportunity to teach multiple skills at the same time in a natural setting. Our viewers can immediately relate to the children models and what they are doing, making the attraction very strong.

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Autism Learning Tools - Video Modeling Autism - Watch Me Learn

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Watch Me Learn educational products provide teaching and learning that is fun, quick and easy to use. Through live action video, Watch Me Learn captivates learners and engages them in FUN videos designed to teach skills through modeling. Watch Me Learn is designed to teach children with autism and other developmental delays.

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"Simple and so comprehensive! I highly recommend this data collection system!"
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"Simple and so comprehensive! I highly recommend this data collection system!"- Janice, EC Director___ "EC-AID's accommodation tracking with signature verification saved me in a parent conference when I could prove that the student had been rejecting their accommodations."- Sarah, HS Math Teacher___ "The reports in EC-AID are wonderful.

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Etiquette at School is a 28 card set that shows ways to act at school and be respectful of others. Cards are great for starting up conversations about classroom rooms and how to treat others.

Given a rule to follow in the classroom or school setting, STUDENT will read the rule as a reminder to comply, in 4 out of 5 trials by MONTH, YEAR.

This item is recommended for the following grade levels:

PreK, Kindergarten, 1st Grade

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Etiquette at School is a 28 card set that shows ways to act at school and be respectful of others. Cards are great for starting up conversations about classroom rooms and how to treat others. Given a rule to follow in the classroom or school setting, STUDENT will read the rule as a reminder to comply, in 4 out of 5 trials by MONTH, YEAR.

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPS): Tips for Teachers 

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPS): Tips for Teachers 

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Students who require extra help and support might be eligible for special services that provide individualized education programs (IEPs) in public schools, free of charge to families. Understanding your role in educating a student with an IEP will benefit both you and the student.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) makes teachers of students with special needs responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring educational plans to help the students succeed in school. The IEP describes the goals set for a student for the school year, and any special support needed to help reach those goals.

The IDEA requires states to provide free appropriate public education to students who are eligible for special education from ages 3 to 21, in the "least restrictive" environment. This means that kids with disabilities should learn alongside their classmates who don't have disabilities as much as possible.

Who Needs an IEP?

Students who are eligible for special education services require an IEP. Students could be eligible for many reasons, such as if they have:

Students might have a learning disability if they are consistently unable to meet standards that are normal for their age range. Some common signs of a learning disability can include:

trouble mastering tasks or applying academic skills to other tasks

trouble with communication and language processing, as well as expressive and receptive language

a lot of frustration with school and homework

having strong general knowledge, but not being able to read (dyslexia), write (dysgraphia), or do math (dyscalculia) at that level

needing ongoing, step-by-step guidance for tasks

poor grades despite a lot of effort

poor memory of spoken or written material

not being able to remember problem-solving steps if they don't understand the tasks or the logic behind them

not being able to remember skills and facts over time

How Are Services Delivered?

Usually, the services outlined in an IEP can be provided in regular education classrooms. In other cases, they might be given in separate classrooms or even separate schools, depending on the students' needs. Some students may have an IEP for one subject area only, while others may have one for all academic subjects and for social skills instruction.

Students with IEPs can participate in all subject areas, especially classes like science, social studies, art, music, library, gym, and health. It is critical for regular classroom teachers to read students' IEPs and be familiar with the services and monitoring required by the plan.

Services can also be provided in a separate supported environment within the school. In this setting, groups of students with similar needs are together for small-group instruction. A certified special education teacher is the instructor and other school personnel (aides or support teachers) help with teaching.

Students who need intense intervention, though, may be taught in a special school environment. These schools have fewer students per teacher, allowing for more individualized attention. Teachers in these schools usually have specific training in helping students with special educational needs.

How Are Students Evaluated?

The referral process generally begins when a teacher, parent, or doctor is concerned that a child may be having trouble in the classroom.

The first step is to gather specific data regarding the student's progress or academic problems. This may be done through:

a conference with parents

a conference with the student

observations of the student

analysis of the student's performance (attention, behavior, work completion, tests, classwork, homework, etc.)

This information helps teachers and school personnel decide on the next step. Strategies specific to the student could be used to help them be more successful in school prior to any formal testing. If this doesn't work, the child can receive an educational assessment, which could identify a specific learning disability or other health problem.

Note: The presence of a disability doesn't automatically guarantee a child will get services. To be eligible, the disability must affect how the child does at school.

To decide on eligibility, a team of professionals will consider their observations, as well as how the child does on standardized tests and daily work such as tests, quizzes, classwork, and homework.

Who's on the Team?

The professionals on the evaluation team can include:

classroom teachers

occupational therapist

physical therapist

psychologist

special educator

speech therapist

vision or hearing specialist

others, depending on the child's specific needs

If more testing is needed, parents will be asked to sign a permission form that details who is involved in the process and the types of tests they use. These tests might include measures of specific school skills, such as reading or math, as well as more general developmental skills, such as speech and language.

After the team members finish their assessments, a comprehensive evaluation report is developed. It includes an educational classification and outlines the skills and support the child will need.

The parents can review the report before the IEP is developed. If they disagree with it, they will have the chance to work with the school to come up with a plan that best meets the child's needs.

How Is the IEP Developed?

The next step is an IEP meeting, during which the team and parents decide what will go into the plan. Also, a regular classroom teacher should attend to offer suggestions about how the plan can help the child's progress in the standard education curriculum and how it can be used in a regular classroom setting, if that's appropriate.

At the meeting, the team will discuss a student's educational needs - as described in the evaluation report - and develop specific, measurable short-term and annual goals for each of those needs.

What Does the IEP Include?

The cover page of the IEP outlines the related services and supports students will get and how often they will be provided. These can include many different things; for example, transportation; speech-language pathology and audiology services; psychological services; physical therapy and occupational therapy; recreation, including therapeutic recreation; social work services; and medical services (for diagnostic and evaluation purposes only).

If the team recommends several services, the amount of time they take in the child's school schedule can seem overwhelming. To ease that load, a professional may talk with a child's teacher to come up with ways to help but won't offer hands-on instruction. For example, an occupational therapist may suggest accommodations for a child with fine-motor problems that affect handwriting, and the classroom teacher would incorporate these into the handwriting lessons taught to the entire class.

Other services can be delivered right in the classroom, so the child's day isn't interrupted by therapy. The child who has trouble with handwriting might work one-on-one with an occupational therapist while everyone else practices their handwriting skills. When deciding how and where services are offered, the child's comfort and dignity should be a top priority.

If a child has academic needs and is working below grade level, services may be offered outside the regular education classroom. Students might get small-group instruction in a particular subject area (usually language arts or math) by a special education teacher along with other students who have similar needs.

How Often Should the IEP Be Updated?

The IEP should be reviewed annually to update the goals and ensure the levels of service meet the student's needs. During the school year, progress monitoring is done often to make sure the student is achieving goals set in the IEP. IEPs can be changed at any time on an as-needed basis.

Specific timelines ensure that the development of an IEP moves from referral to providing services as quickly as possible. Be sure to ask about this timeframe and stay informed.

If parents disagree with any part of the evaluation report or the IEP, mediation and hearings are options.

It is important for teachers to understand the IEP process and their role in delivering instruction to students who have an IEP. Any questions related to an IEP can be directed to the team or the case manager assigned to a student.

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): Tips for Teachers

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IEPs make teachers of students with special needs responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring educational plans to help the students succeed in school. This article is for educators.

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Graphic Organizers & Choice Boards

This collection of ready-to-use graphic organizers will help children classify ideas and communicate more effectively. All of our printable graphic organizers are designed to facilitate understanding of key concepts by allowing students to visually identify key points and ideas. By using graphic organizers across all subject areas, you will be empowering your students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently. We have graphic organizers for reading, science, writing, math, and for general classroom use. You'll also find blank printable templates like graph paper, dot arrays, and other useful tools.

Popular Graphic Organizer Collections

Self-assessment Graphic Organizers

Growth Mindset Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers (PreK-2)

Help students, grades pre-K-2, with their reading comprehension, main idea organization, and more using our graphic organizers.

Graphic Organizers (Grades 3-5)

Help your grade 3-5 students with their organization by using our graphic organizers and reading webs.

Graphic Organizers (Grades 9-12)

These graphic organizers for grades 9-12 will aid students in reading comprehension, writing abilities, and sequencing.

Writing Graphic Organizers

Help students organize their writing with these sequence charts, reading organizers, outlines, webs, and more!

Research Graphic Organizers

Support students to practice and develop essential research skills.

Science Graphic Organizers

Use our venn diagrams, graphic organizer worksheets, and instructions to help your students organize their scientific thought.

Timelines and Sequence Charts

Sequence stories and picture orders with these timeline and sequence charts.

Reading Comprehension

Enhance your student's reading comprehension with these webs, main idea charts, plot summaries and more with our reading comprehension graphic organizers!

Concept Maps and Idea Webs

These concept maps and idea webs will help students organize their thoughts, whether they are history, science, or language arts related.

Math Graphic Organizers

Help your students enhance their math skills and stay on track with these homework checklists, KWL charts, column charts and more.

Galleries

These galleries provide you the best graphic organizers for every occasion. Whether it be writing, science, literature, or animal related, we have a slideshow for it all!

Customizable Graphic Organizers

Use our customizable graphic organizers to tailor each one to the specific lesson of the day.

KWL Charts

Help students organize what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned with these KWL charts relating to all subjects.

Venn Diagrams

Venn Diagrams are a great way for students to compare and contrast two (or three) concepts. Use our venn diagrams to accompany your lesson for any subject.

Cause and Effect

Each effect has a cause. Help students identify the two in their readings, writing, and more with our cause and effect printable worksheets.

Main Idea and Supporting Details

It is important for students to distinguish main ideas and supporting details in order to comprehend their readings. We have provided printable graphic organizers, such as a stair step organizer, to help students organize the main idea from the supporting details.

Choice Boards

Choice Boards are similar to graphic organizers because they can be downloaded, printed, and given to students. What sets Choice Boards apart is that they provide students with the opportunity for choice. Rather than a graphic organizer that has one assignment, a choice board provides multiple ways that students can explore a topic or skill and demonstrate their learning. Choice boards also help you differentiate your instruction, as you can support students to make a choice that best aligns with their learning needs and learning preferences. Access our library of choice boards below.

Holiday Choice Boards

Math Choice Boards

English Language Arts Choice Boards

Social Studies Choice Boards

Science Choice Boards

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Graphic organizers for teachers grades K-12.

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Welcome to Corbettmaths! Home to 1000's of maths resources: Videos, Worksheets, 5-a-day, Revision Cards and much more.

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"CueThink brought a sense of community to my classroom through seeing and responding to each other's work. My students had a lot more accountability, pride and confidence as math thinkers. I had them thinking deeply, and by partnering them up, it enabled my students to develop their team-building skills.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Help your students classify ideas and communicate more effectively with these free graphic organizer templates, available for download. They can be used to structure writing projects and help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming.

Printable Graphic Organizers

Select a blank graphic organizer from the following categories depending on your curriculum needs.

Sequence of Events

Main Topic and Key Details

Compare/Contrast

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Free Downloadable Graphic Organizer Templates

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Use these graphic organizer templates to help your students classify ideas and communicate more effectively, structure writing projects, and more.

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Khana Academy 	https://www.khanacademy.org/ 

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Khana Academy 	https://www.khanacademy.org/ 

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Welcome to FindLaw's Teacher's Rights section, where you can find information and resources on the rights of teachers in public schools. Teachers have the same basic rights as others -- such as the right to be free from discrimination based on race, sex, and national origin -- as well as the right to academic freedom to teach without undue restrictions on content or subject matter. Educators, like other employees, also have the right to collectively bargain through teachers' unions. This section includes articles on the process of joining a teacher's union and resolving union conflicts. Also included are articles on contracts, tenure, dismissal, and much more.

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Welcome to FindLaw's Teacher's Rights section, where you can find information and resources on the rights of teachers in public schools. Teachers have the same basic rights as others -- such as the right to be free from discrimination based on race, sex, and national origin -- as well as the right to academic freedom to teach without undue restrictions on content or subject matter.

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Join Now

Become part of the movement improving public education and advocating for better salaries. Together we are the biggest and loudest advocates for our schools, our students, and ourselves.

Member Voices: "Why do I support NCAE?"

I support NCAE because our students and educators need a strong cohesive voice to create sustainable change. The union work we do also creates a better life for all of us. Together WE make things happen!"

Amanda Thompson
Educator
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

I believe that educators are agents of social change who shape the minds, hearts, and actions of student-citizens. As educators, we need NCAE as a communal source of support and encouragement."

Dr. Oliver M. Thomas
Adjunct Instructor
North Carolina A&T State University

The key to getting all students what they need is getting the adults to organize. I feel empowered and supported as an NCAE member."

Dr. Chelsea Bartel
School Psychologist

What Are You Waiting For?

No other professional organization does more for North Carolina's educators. With your support, we can protect our profession today, and for our next generation of educators.

How to Join

Need help joining the North Carolina Association of Educators? Use the links below.

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Join the North Carolina Association of Educators

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Join Now Become part of the movement improving public education and advocating for better salaries. Together we are the biggest and loudest advocates for our schools, our students, and ourselves. Member Voices: "Why do I support NCAE?" I support NCAE because our students and educators need a strong cohesive voice to create sustainable change.

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The Teacher's Portal is designed to help teacher's educate their students about the law. These resources were developed by the ABA Division for Public Education. They include lessons plans, programs, publications and information on professional development.

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By CAST, Understood Founding Partner

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 thinking differences. But UDL takes careful planning by teachers. Here are just a few examples of how UDL can work in a classroom.

Having goals helps students know what they're working to achieve. That's why goals are always made apparent in a UDL classroom. One example of this is posting goals for specific lessons in the classroom. Students might also write down or insert lesson goals in their notebooks. The teacher refers to lesson goals during the lesson itself.

In a traditional classroom, there may be only one way for a student to complete an assignment. This might be an essay or a worksheet. With UDL, there are multiple options. For instance, students may be able to create a podcast or a video to show what they know. They may even be allowed to draw a comic strip. There are tons of possibilities for completing assignments, as long as students meet the lesson goals.

UDL promotes flexibility in the learning environment. That's why in a UDL classroom, there are flexible work spaces for students. This includes spaces for quiet individual work, small and large group work, and group instruction. If students need to tune out noise, they can choose to wear earbuds or headphones during independent work.

With UDL, students get feedback - often every day - on how they're doing. At the end of a lesson, teachers may talk with individual students about lesson goals. Students are encouraged to reflect on the choices they made in class and whether they met the goals. If they didn't meet the goals, they're encouraged to think about what might have helped them do so.

5. Digital and audio text

UDL recognizes that if students can't access information, they can't learn it. So in a UDL classroom, materials are accessible for all types of learners. Students have many options for reading, including print, digital, text-to-speech and audiobooks. For digital text, there are also options for text enlargement, along with choices for screen color and contrast. Videos have captions, and there are transcripts for audio.

Tell us what interests you

About the author

About the author

CAST, Understood Founding Partner develops innovative approaches to education based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

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UDL Examples: 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 thinking differences. 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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Sora, by OverDrive - The student reading app from OverDrive Education.

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Whether you're reading for class or for fun, Sora's ebook reader makes it easy. Add bookmarks, make notes and highlights, define words, and more. Comic books, graphic novels, picture books, and textbooks as they're meant to be read. Select titles have professional narration so you can follow along with the text.

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About Universal Design for Learning - CAST

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Learn more about the UDL framework and the UDL Guidelines, developed and maintained by CAST.

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Teachers Pay Teachers- Universal Design For Learning 

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Teachers Pay Teachers- Universal Design For Learning 

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This valuable resource provides universal design for learning guidelines and examples. It provides a quick glance at the goals, methods, materials, and assessments that comprise a UDL curriculum. Providing multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement ensure that all individuals equal opportunities to learn.

I really enjoy using this resource as I lesson plan because I can check to make sure all of my students will become resourceful, knowledgeable, strategic, goal-directed, purposeful, and motivated learners. Hope you enjoy it as well!

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Universal Design for Learning Guidelines and Examples (UDL)

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This valuable resource provides universal design for learning guidelines and examples. It provides a quick glance at the goals, methods, materials, and assessments that comprise a UDL curriculum. Providing multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement ensure that all indivi...

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A Checklist for Inclusive Teaching

The universal design of instruction (UDI) framework is gaining increased attention and application by educational researchers and practitioners at K-12 and postsecondary levels. UDI means that, rather than designing for the average student, you design instruction for potential students who have broad ranges with respect to ability, disability, age, reading level, learning style, native language, race, and ethnicity. Regarding students with disabilities, UDI challenges the instructor to go beyond legal compliance to proactively make all aspects of instruction, including class climate, interaction, physical environments and products, delivery methods, information resources and technology, feedback, and assessment.

Components of the UDI Framework include scope, definition, process, principles, guidelines, and practices. You can flesh out this framework to build a toolkit for applying UDI. The scope of UDI comprises all facilities, curricula, pedagogies, activities, and technologies used to help students learn.

A definition that can be used for the application of the UDI, modified from the basic definition of UD, is the design of teaching and learning products and environments "to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design."

UDI Process

To apply UDI, instructors should consider the potential variation in individual skills, learning styles and preferences, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, abilities, and disabilities as they select appropriate content and strategies for the delivery of instruction and then apply universal design to all course activities and resources. Specifically, an instructor needs to

1. Identify the course and evidence-based teaching practices. Describe the course, learning objectives, and content. Adopt overall teaching and learning philosophies (e.g., constructivism) and evidence- based practices (e.g., active learning).

2. Consider the diverse characteristics of potential students. Describe the population of students eligible to enroll in the course and then consider their potential diverse characteristics-with respect to gender; age; ethnicity; race; native language; learning preferences; size; abilities to see, hear, walk, manipulate objects, read, speak-and the challenges they might encounter in your course.

3. Integrate UDI with evidence-based teaching practices. Apply UDI strategies (underpinned by relevant UDHE principles) in concert with evidence- based instructional practices in the choice of teaching methods, curricula, and assessments as well as to all teaching practices and materials to maximize the learning of students with diverse characteristics.

4. Plan for accommodations. Learn campus procedures for addressing accommodation requests (e.g., arranging for sign language interpreters) from specific students for whom the course design does not already provide full access. Include information about how students can request accommodations in the syllabus.

5. Evaluate. Monitor the effectiveness of instruction through observation and assessments of learning and collect formative feedback from students. Make modifications based on the results. Return to step 3 if your evaluation suggests further improvements to your course should be made.

The following checklist provides examples of UDI practices. Numbers in brackets at the end of items in the checklist refer to UD, UDL, and WCAG principles to which the practice is most relevant.

Class Climate

Adopt practices that reflect high values with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Welcome everyone. Create a welcoming environment for all students. Learn students' names. Build rapport. Encourage the sharing of multiple perspectives. Demonstrate and demand mutual respect. Include a civility statement with behavioral expectations in the syllabus. [UD 1; UDL 3]

Avoid stereotyping. Offer instruction and support based on student performance and requests, not simply on assumptions that members of certain groups (e.g., students with certain types of disabilities or from specific racial or ethnic groups) will automatically do well or poorly or require certain types of assistance. [UD 1]

Be approachable and available. Welcome questions, seek out a student's point of view, and respond patiently. Encourage students to meet with you, maintain regular office hours, and suggest alternatives when student schedules conflict with those hours. [UD 1, 5; UDL 3]

Motivate all students. Use teaching methods and materials that are motivating and relevant to students with diverse characteristics, such as age, gender, cultures, and interests. [UD 1; UDL 3]

Address individual needs in an inclusive manner. Both on the syllabus and in class, invite students to meet with you to discuss disability-related accommodations and other learning needs.

On the syllabus, list URLs and other contact information for tutoring and writing centers, disability services, and other campus services that may be helpful. [UD 1, 2; UDL 1]

Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any student. Do not draw undue attention to a difference (e.g., disability) or share private information (e.g., a specific student's accommodation). [UD 1; UDL 2, 3]

Encourage regular and effective interactions between students and the instructor, employ multiple communication methods, and ensure that communication methods are accessible to all participants.

Offer multiple options for communication and collaboration. Employ interactive teaching techniques. Use in-person, phone, and multiple electronic communication methods when possible. Make interactions accessible to all participants, including those with disabilities. When meeting on site, face the class, speak clearly, consider using a microphone, and make eye contact with students. [UD 1, 2, 4, 5; UDL 2, 3; WCAG]

Require inclusive cooperative learning. Assign group work for which learners must engage using a variety of skills and roles. Encourage different ways for group members to interact with each other, insist that all students participate, and facilitate their engagement as needed to ensure that participants communicate in ways that are accessible to and inclusive of all group members. [UD 1, 2, 4, 5; UDL 3; WCAG]

For on-site instruction ensure that facilities, activities, materials, and equipment are physically accessible to and usable by all students and that diverse student characteristics are addressed in safety considerations.

Ensure physical access to facilities. Use classrooms, labs, workspaces, and fieldwork sites that are accessible to individuals with a wide range of physical abilities. [UD 6, 7; UDL 1, 3]

Arrange instructional spaces to maximize inclusion and comfort. Position chairs to encourage participation and give each student a clear line of sight to the instructor and visual aids. Allow room for wheelchairs, personal assistants, sign language interpreters, and captionists. Minimize distractions (e.g., put small groups in quiet work areas). Encourage administrators to routinely apply UD principles in the design of facilities and renovations. [UD 2, 6, 7; UDL 1, 3]

Ensure that everyone can use equipment and materials. Minimize nonessential physical effort. Provide options for operation of equipment, handles, locks, cabinets, and drawers from different heights, with different physical abilities, and by using a right or left hand. Use large print to label controls on lab equipment and other educational aids, using symbols as well as words. Provide straightforward spoken and printed directions for operation. [UD 3-7; UDL 2; WCAG]

Ensure safety. Consider potential issues for people with specific disabilities in emergency situations. Develop procedures for all potential students, including those who are blind, deaf,
or wheelchair users. Label safety equipment in simple terms, in large print, and in a location viewable from a variety of angles. Provide spoken and printed safety instructions. [UD 3, 4, 6, 7]

Use multiple instructional methods that are accessible to all learners.

Make content relevant. Put learning in context. Incorporate multiple examples and perspectives to make specific concepts relevant to individuals with diverse characteristics such as age, ability, gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, and interests. [UD 1; UDL 1, 3]

Select flexible curriculum. Choose textbooks and other curriculum materials that address the needs of students with diverse abilities, interests, and learning preferences; are well organized; emphasize important points; provide references for gaining background knowledge; include indices and glossaries; and have chapter outlines, study questions, and practice exercises. Consider the use of digital materials that provide feedback, background information, vocabulary, and other supports based on student responses. [UD 2-5; UDL 1, 3; WCAG]

Provide cognitive supports. Summarize major points; give background and contextual information and deliver effective prompting. Offer outlines, summaries, graphic organizers, and other scaffolding tools to help students learn. Provide options for gaining background information, and vocabulary. At the beginning of a lesson, consider posing one or two questions and ask students to answer them at the end of the session. [UD 2-5; UDL 1-3; WCAG]

Provide multiple ways to learn. Use multiple modes to deliver content e.g., reading, lectures, collaborative learning, small group discussions, hands-on activities, internet simulations, and fieldwork). [UD 2-4; UDL 1, 2; WCAG]

Deliver instructions clearly and in multiple ways. Make instructions clear in the syllabus and follow up with a question and answer session. Ask students to summarize instructions to ensure understanding. [UD 3, 4; UDL 1; WCAG]

Use large visual and tactile aids. Use large manipulatives and images to demonstrate content; use a computer to enlarge microscope images. [UD 3, 4; UDL 1; WCAG]

Make each teaching method accessible to all students. Consider a wide range of abilities, interests, learning styles, and experiences when implementing each instructional method to ensure engagement of all students. Describe content presented visually. [UD 2, 4, 5; UDL 1, 2; WCAG]

Information Resources and Technology

Ensure that course materials, notes, and other information resources are engaging, flexible, and accessible for all students.

Select materials early. Choose materials and prepare a syllabus early to allow students the option of beginning to read materials and work on assignments before the course begins and time to arrange for alternative formats. [UD 4; UDL 1; WCAG]

Provide content in accessible, universally designed formats. Select or create materials (including textbooks, syllabi, lesson pages, presentation materials) that are universally designed. For example, use electronic materials that are text-based, have flexible features, use formatted headings and lists, describe content within images, have consistent layouts and organization schemes, whose link text describes its destination, use large sans serif fonts on uncluttered pages with plain backgrounds, and incorporate color combinations that are high contrast and can be distinguished by people with color blindness. Use captioned videos and provide transcriptions for audio presentations. Apply accessibility standards to websites. [UD 4; UDL 1; WCAG]

Accommodate a variety of reading and technology, skills. Present content in a logical, straightforward manner and in an order that reflects its importance. Avoid unnecessary jargon and complexity and define new terms when they are presented. Create materials in simple, intuitive formats. Provide options for gaining the technology skills needed for course participation. Share relevant campus resources with students. [UD 3, 4; UDL 1]

Ensure the availability of appropriate assistive technology. If computer or science labs are used, ensure that assistive technology for students with disabilities is available or can be readily acquired. [UD 2, 4, 6, 7; UDL 1, 2; WCAG]

Feedback and Assessment

Regularly assess students' progress, provide specific feedback on a regular basis using multiple accessible methods and tools, and adjust instruction accordingly.

Set clear expectations. Keep academic standards consistent for all students, including those who require accommodations. Provide clear statements of expectations for the course, individual assignments, deadlines, and assessment methods. Include straightforward grading rubrics for assignments. [UD 3; UDL 3]

Test in the same manner in which you teach. Ensure that a test measures what students have learned and not their ability to adapt to a new format or style of presentation. [UD 3; WCAG]

Minimize time constraints when appropriate. Plan for variety in the ability of students to complete work by describing assignments well in advance of due dates, ideally in the syllabus. Allow extended time on tests, unless speed is an essential course objective. [UD 2, 3]

Offer regular feedback and corrective opportunities. Allow students to turn in parts of large projects for feedback before the final project is due. Give students resubmission options to correct errors in assignments and exams. Arrange for peer feedback when appropriate. [UD 5; UDL 2, 3]

Provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate what they have learned. Assess group and cooperative performance, as well as individual achievement. Consider using traditional tests with a variety of item types (e.g., multiple choice, essay, short answer), group work, demonstrations, portfolios, term papers, and presentations as options for demonstrating knowledge. Provide students choices in assessment methods when appropriate. [UD 2, 4; UDL 3; WCAG]

Monitor and adjust. Regularly assess students' background knowledge and current learning informally (e.g., through class discussions) and formally (e.g., through frequent, short exams), and adjust instructional content and methods accordingly. [UD 5]

Provide sample test questions, exemplary work, and study guides. Consider sharing sample test questions with answers and exemplary work of previous students, discussing how to study for course exams, and providing study guides. [UD 3; UDL 3; WCAG]

Accommodations

Plan for accommodations for students whose needs are not fully met by the instructional content and practices.

Know how to arrange for accommodations. Learn campus protocols for getting materials in alternate formats, captioning videos, and arranging for other accommodations for students with disabilities. [UD 1, 2, 4, 6]

Share accommodation information. Tell how to arrange accommodations on the syllabus. Tell teaching and lab assistants about student accommodations. [UD 1; UDL 2, 3]

Checklist Updates and Resources

This checklist was field tested at more than twenty postsecondary institutions nationwide. To increase the usefulness of this working document, send suggestions to sherylb@uw.edu.

A video titled Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction is available online. For more information and resources regarding applications of UD to education, and checklists for making a tutoring and learning center or other services accessible to students with disabilities, consult The Center for Universal Design in Education website. The book Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice, Second Edition published by Harvard Education Press; offers perspectives from UD leaders nationwide. To learn more and order online visit the DO-IT website.

Communication Hints

Treat people with disabilities with the same respect and consideration with which you treat others. Here are some helpful hints when it comes to delivering a presentation, hosting an exhibit, and otherwise relating to people with disabilities.

General

Ask a person with a disability if that person needs help before providing assistance.

Talk directly to the person with a disability, not through their companion or interpreter.

Refer to a person's disability only if it is relevant to the conversation.

Avoid derogatory slang or negative descriptions of a person's disability. For example, "a person who uses a wheelchair" is more appropriate than "a person confined to a wheelchair." A wheelchair is not confining-it's liberating!

Provide information in alternate means (e.g., written, spoken, diagrams).

Do not interact with a person's guide dog or service dog unless you have received permission to do so.

Do not be afraid to use common terms and phrases, like "see you later" or "let's go for a walk" around people with disabilities.

Do not touch mobility devices or assistive technology without the owner's consent.

Do not assume physical contact-like handshakes, high-fives, or hugs-is okay.

Understand that not everyone uses eye contact.

Blind or Low Vision

Be descriptive. Say, "The computer is about three feet to your left," rather than "The computer is over there."

Speak all of the projected content when presenting and describe the content of charts, graphs, and pictures.

When guiding people with visual impairments, offer them your arm rather than grabbing or pushing them.

Learning Disabilities

Offer directions or instructions both orally and in writing. If asked, read instructions to individuals who have specific learning disabilities.

Mobility Impairments

Consider carrying on a long conversation with an individual who has a mobility impairment from a seated position.

Speech Impairments

Listen carefully. Repeat what you think you understand and then ask the person with a speech impairment to clarify or repeat the portion that you did not understand.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Face people with hearing impairments, and avoid covering your mouth, so they can see your lips. Avoid talking while chewing gum or eating.

Speak clearly at a normal volume. Speak louder only if requested.

Repeat questions from audience members.

Use paper and pencil, or type things out on your cell phone, if the person who is deaf does not read lips or if more accurate communication is needed.

When using an interpreter, speak directly to the person who is deaf; when an interpreter voices what a person who is deaf signs, look at the person who is deaf, not the interpreter.

Psychiatric Impairments

Provide information in clear, calm, respectful tones.

Allow opportunities for addressing specific questions.

About DO-IT

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education.

Acknowledgment

The Center for Universal Design in Education as well as this publication are based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Education (Grant #P33A020042, #P333A020044, #P333A050064). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume its endorsement.

For further information, to be placed on the DO-IT mailing list, or to request materials in an alternate format, contact:

DO-IT
University of Washington
Box 354842
Seattle, WA 98195-4842
doit@uw.edu
www.uw.edu/doit/
206-685-DOIT (3648) (voice/TTY)
888-972-DOIT (3648) (toll free voice/TTY)
509-328-9331 (voice/TTY) Spokane
206-221-4171 (FAX)
Founder and Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008, University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.

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Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction

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A Checklist for Inclusive Teaching The universal design of instruction (UDI) framework is gaining increased attention and application by educational researchers and practitioners at K-12 and postsecondary levels.

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Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation of specialized design. The concept was coined by Ron Mace, an architect and faculty member who realized that in many cases, retrofitting a building or environment to be accessible could be eliminated if the full range of human diversity was taken into account in the design stage. Things like curb cuts, large, color contrasting fonts, and sloped entrances are all examples of universal design.

Examples of Universal Design

- Information/materials provided in multiple forms (Standard, electronic, large print, Braille)

- Height-accessible service desk

- Accessible websites

- Captioned videos

- Door handles that do not require a grip

- Diverse individuals featured in publications

- Statement of accommodation process in publications

- Choose color and fonts carefully (High-contrast color)

- Large print

- Offer multiple ways to participate in programs

- Include Disability Services staff/students with disabilities on planning boards.

- Use multiple teaching methods

- Class outlines/notes are available for all students on accessible websites
Universal Design for Learning
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a set of guiding principles for course development that helps instructors to make their courses accessible for all students, regardless of learning differences. At the core of UDL is the provision of multiple means of representation action and expression, and engagement.

Click here to view a poster summarizing UDL's guidelines: https://slds.osu.edu/posts/documents/udl-guidelines-poster.pdf

Precollege and college students come from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds. For some, English is not their first language. Also represented in most classes are students with a diversity of ages and learning styles, including visual and auditory. In addition, increasing numbers of students with disabilities are included in regular precollege and postsecondary courses. Their disabilities include blindness, low vision, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, learning disabilities, and health impairments.

Students are in school to learn and instructors share this goal. How can educators design instruction to maximize the learning of all students? The field of universal design (UD) can provide a starting point for developing a framework for instruction. You can apply this body of knowledge to create courses that ensure lectures, discussions, visual aids, videos, printed materials, labs, and fieldwork are accessible to all students. Specifically, CAST defines Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as "a framework for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning. UDL provides rich supports for learning and reduces barriers to the curriculum while maintaining high achievement standards for all." UDL calls for multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement.

Why not just provide accommodations for students with disabilities?

Courses that are created or revamped with UDL in mind are customized for all learners by design, virtually eliminating the need for retrofitting that is common with less flexible, "onesize-fits-all" courses.

"The goal of UDI is to maximize the learning of students with a wide range of characteristics by applying UD principles to all aspects of instruction (e.g., delivery methods, physical spaces, information resources, technology, personal interactions, assessments)."
UDI Principles
At the Center for Universal Design (CUD) at North Carolina State University, a group of architects, product designers, engineers, and environmental design researchers established seven principles of UD to provide guidance in the design of products and environments (Connell, et al., 1997). The CUD's principles of UD are listed below. They are followed by an example of application in instruction.

1. Equitable use. The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. Example: A professor's website is designed so that it is accessible to everyone, including students who are blind and using text-to-speech software. LISTEN?

2. Flexibility in use. The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Example: A museum, visited as a field trip for a course, allows each student to choose to read or listen to a description of the contents of display cases.

3. Simple and intuitive use. Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Example: Control buttons on science equipment are labeled with text and symbols that are simple and intuitive to understand.

4. Perceptible information. The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities. Example: A video presentation projected in a course includes captions.

5. Tolerance for error. The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. Example: Educational software provides guidance and background information when the student makes an inappropriate response.

6. Low physical effort. The design can be used efficiently, comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue. Example: Doors to a lecture hall open automatically for people with a wide variety of physical characteristics.

7. Size and space for approach and use. Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility. Example: A flexible science lab work area has adequate workspace for students who are left- or righthanded and for those who need to work from a standing or seated position.
UDI Guidelines and Examples
Universal design principles can be applied to many products and environments. Using the CUD format, UDI can be defined as the design of instruction to be usable by all students, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Universal design principles can be applied to the overall design of instruction as well as to specific instructional materials, facilities, and strategies (such as lectures, classroom discussions, group work, web-based instruction, labs, field work, and demonstrations). Universally designed curriculum provides students with a wide range of abilities, disabilities, ethnic backgrounds, language skills, and learning styles multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. Listed below are examples of instruction that employ principles of UD. They are organized under eight performance indicator categories, with a goal statement for each (Burgstahler, 2007).

1. Class climate. Adopt practices that reflect high values with respect to both diversity and inclusiveness. Example: Put a statement on your syllabus inviting students to meet with you to discuss disability-related accommodations and other special learning needs.

2. Interaction. Encourage regular and effective interactions between students and the instructor and ensure that communication methods are accessible to all participants. Example: Assign group work for which learners must support each other and that places a high value on different skills and roles.

3. Physical environments and products. Ensure that facilities, activities, materials, and equipment are physically accessible to and usable by all students, and that all potential student characteristics are addressed in safety considerations. Example: Develop safety procedures for all students, including those who are blind, deaf, or wheelchair users.

4. Delivery methods. Use multiple, accessible instructional methods that are accessible to all learners. Example: Use multiple modes to deliver content; when possible allow students to choose from multiple options for learning; and motivate and engage students-consider lectures, collaborative learning options, hands-on activities, Internet-based communications, educational software, field work, and so forth.

5. Information resources and technology. Ensure that course materials, notes, and other information resources are engaging, flexible, and accessible for all students. Example: Choose printed materials and prepare a syllabus early to allow students the option of beginning to read materials and work on assignments before the course begins. Allow adequate time to arrange for alternate formats, such as books in audio format.

6. Feedback. Provide specific feedback on a regular basis. Example: Allow students to turn in parts of large projects for feedback before the final project is due.

7. Assessment. Regularly assess student progress using multiple accessible methods and tools, and adjust instruction accordingly. Example: Assess group and cooperative performance, as well as individual achievement.

8. Accommodation. Plan for accommodations for students whose needs are not met by the instructional design. Example: Know campus protocols for getting materials in alternate formats, rescheduling classroom locations, and arranging for other accommodations for students with disabilities.

Employing UDI principles does not eliminate the need for specific accommodations for students with disabilities. For example, you may need to provide a sign language interpreter for a student who is deaf. However, applying universal design concepts in course planning ensures full access to the content for most students and minimizes the need for special accommodations. For example, designing web resources in accessible formats as they are developed means that no redevelopment is necessary if a blind student enrolls in the class.

UD benefits students with disabilities but also benefits others. For example, captioning course videos, which provides access to deaf students, is also a benefit to students for whom English is a second language, to some students with learning disabilities, and to those watching the tape in a noisy environment. Delivering content in redundant ways can improve instruction for students with a variety of learning styles and cultural backgrounds. Letting all students have access to your class notes and assignments on a web site benefits students with disabilities and everyone else. Planning ahead saves time in the long run.

Of course, there will be situations in which individual accommodations are necessary. For example, a student who is D/deaf or Hard of Hearing may need interpreting or transcription services, and a student who is blind may need written materials converted to Braille. In any case, Student Life Disability Services is always available for consultation and collaboration.

Whether you're new to the concept of universal design or looking for new ways to implement UDL in your classroom, you can always email the Center for Access & Success access_success@umassd.edu for more resources.

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Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation of specialized design. The concept was coined by Ron Mace, an architect and faculty member who realized that in many cases, retrofitting a building or environment to be accessible could be eliminated if the full range of human diversity was taken into account in the design stage.

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educational tools > > words > > scramble

SuperKids Word Scrambler
Create your own printable scrambled word worksheets. Here's a fun tool to help with reading, vocabulary, and spelling. Simply enter the words you want scrambled, then click on the "Make My Worksheet" button!

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