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•At Halstead Academy the UDL framework was implemented in several different ways. One way that it was implemented was by giving the option to choose alternative seating. This was done in one class where students could choose to set on bar stools, couches, desks, or on regular stools at a table where they could work. The other class that this happened in was where the students had to read and listen to a story on a computer, so they chose to sit on the floor, at desks, on counters, wherever they felt comfortable and able to get their work done. This represented checkpoint 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy.  Another checkpoint that I saw at Halstead Academy was checkpoint 8.3 foster collaboration and communication. This was done by grouping students together at tables to get work done. This allowed students to talk and work together, helping each other out whenever another student needed the extra assistance. A third checkpoint that I saw at Halstead academy was Checkpoint 4.2 Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies. This was done when the teacher got laptops and headphones in order to enhance the lesson that day. By bringing out that technology in order change up the style of teaching so that the students do not get bored of the instruction. At St. Elizabeth School one checkpoint that was shown in the classroom was checkpoint 5.1 Use multiple media for communication. This was done through the use of PowerPoint presentations. Each class that we went to observe in used a PowerPoint to deliver information in ways that the students will not get bored with. Another checkpoint that was apparent was checkpoint 6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress. This was done by having students answer questions on a smart board with the teacher telling them the question verbally. This allows for the teacher to see where the students are in relation to the instruction that they have given them. This can be used as a formative assessment to test the students knowledge on the subject.

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What specific strategies did the teacher(s) use during instruction

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What specific strategies did the teacher(s) use during instruction

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•At Halstead Academy a strategy that I saw used in the classrooms that we visited was modeling. The teacher would tell the class the instruction for how to do an activity during the lesson, then show them how to do it so they could see what it is they were supposed to be doing. This strategy was useful because the teacher had introduced the topics of the lesson beforehand, so the students already had some grasp of the subject. This allowed the teacher to limit instruction that class and focus mainly on  showing them the activity and helping them to complete the activity through a demonstration that the teacher had prepared for them. Another strategy that appeared while we were there observing was the teacher created a learner centered environment. By allowing the students to take control of the activity that day you create a student-centered learning environment where the students are the ones facilitating their own learning. At St. Elizabeth School a strategy that the teacher used during instruction was differentiated instruction. This was done by using multiple learning styles in order to incorporate every student into the lesson. By using physical actions like running up to the board to touch the answer to a question and using PowerPoints for those who are better with words on a board or visual learners. Another strategy that was used was using technology in the classroom. Incorporating the smart board and projectors into the class allowed for more representation of the materials to be shown. It also gave way to different assessments that the teacher could use as well as multiple means of representation that learners might need in order to comprehend the information.

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How did the teacher(s) enhance instruction with technology?

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How did the teacher(s) enhance instruction with technology?

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•At Halstead Academy the teachers enhanced instruction through the use of PowerPoints, projectors, and laptops. The teacher would have the class come in and sit in their seats, then the teacher would use a PowerPoint to deliver information that the students needed. All of this was shown on the board through the use of a projector as well as done verbally. The teacher would then have the students get laptops out, so that they could complete the lesson that they had that day. Using the modeling method, the teacher would show the students how to get to the activity on the screen and then let them go to complete it before the class was finished. Another teacher that we also observed used a timer on the board to tell the students how much time they had left to complete the assignment that class. These pieces of technology helped to enhance instruction because they allowed for alternative routes in teaching. The assignment on the computer was done using headphones. This was because they would listen to an audio recording of a story and follow along with it on a page. This technique helps readers to follow along with the text at in an easier way, while at the same time increasing their reading speed depending on how fast the recording was going. By providing alternative routes to a lesson a student has more choice in how they want to learn, while at the same time it gives every type of learner a chance to learn in a way that works for them. At St. Elizabeth School the biggest piece of technology that the teacher used in order to enhance instruction was a smart board. The smart board allowed the students to come up and give their responses in a physical way, instead of verbally that most teachers would do. This also helped for students to see what the questions are, hear them said allowed, and choose an answer that was represented with a picture next to it. This also gave the teacher a way to test for understanding during the class from everyone because the students would come up to the board and answer the questions with her. This gave her the data she needed in order to adapt, change, or review information to make it more understandable for the students.

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How did students acquire, develop, use, and/or produce knowledge, information, and/or skills during instruction?

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How did students acquire, develop, use, and/or produce knowledge, information, and/or skills during instruction?

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•At Halstead Academy the teacher would first model any sort of activity that the students did not know first, so that they would know what they needed to do first rather than just through it at them and say do it. The teachers also used PowerPoints to help deliver the information. These helped because it gave the students a visual to follow along with while the teacher was talking and explaining material. With the assignments the teacher would tell them to turn it in whether it be online because they had the laptops to do so or by paper once it was done and completed. This gave the teacher ways to assess if the students were understanding what was being taught and give them a way to adjust the material, so they can produce another piece that was better than the last. Because the students were also sat in groups they could help each other when need be as well as assist fellow classmate in using knowledge that they acquired from the teacher. This would show who was getting the information as well ad apply it in a setting that directly benefited the other students. At St. Elizabeth School students created projects that were similar to what they were learning about at that time. In one of the classes they were learning about mummies, so they used materials that the teacher bought in order to make homemade mummies. This hands on experience gave them a deeper understanding on how the process was done and showed the teacher how closely some of the students may have been paying attention. In another class though students would show their understanding by going up to the board and answering question on the smartboard. The teacher would have the answers up on the board, so the students could touch the image that was either false or correct while the teacher repeated the question over and over again. This motion as well as the repetition of the teacher repeating the question would lock the information into the brains of the students. This also went for skills that the teacher may have given to the students. They would show the skill first before having the students repeat it, so they knew relatively what they were doing and not flying in blind.

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What teacher behaviors contribute to a learner-centered environment?

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What teacher behaviors contribute to a learner-centered environment?

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•At Halstead Academy students would be told what they were supposed to do that class by the teacher and would get all of the necessary materials out. Once that happened they would begin the lesson while the teacher walked around making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be. Once that happened the students would work through the lesson at their own pace and the teacher would call a group up to the front of the classroom to work with them on another part of the lesson. She would continuously do this until time was up and she got to work with every student in a group. The teacher letting the students go and do their work at their own pace contributed to a learner-centered environment because they took control of their own learning at that point. The teacher was not telling them step by step what to do they were learning on their own in a space that they felt worked best for them. At St. Elizabeth School the learner-centered environment was a little bit different. Due to the fact that a lot of the students had disabilities and para educators to help them through lessons the student’s part was a little more limited. Students would be given instruction on what to do, but the questions that the teacher asked were phrased so the students could answer them without help. The students would listen to the teacher give a lesson on a topic then have question that were both associated with the lesson as well as connected to their daily lives. They also had pictures attached with the label of what they were so the students could see what the word meant and reinforce it into them. This helps because if the lesson pertains to the students in a way then they are more likely to pay attention and keep wanting to learn. This showed up in the class where several of the students were eager to get up to the smart board and answer the question that the teacher had waiting for them. The pictures also help because it helps the students to actually see what the answer is rather than just a word on a screen.

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How did the teacher(s) manage student behavior and implement effective classroom procedures?

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How did the teacher(s) manage student behavior and implement effective classroom procedures?

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•At Halstead Academy the teacher managed behavior by repeating instruction multiple times to the students. When a student would not listen to the teacher, they would call the student out by name and ask them what they were supposed to be doing. They would tell the teacher the instruction and then correctly do it. This happened in one of the classrooms, and the student that followed the direction after being called out about it was then told to come and sit closer to the teacher. That way the teacher would be closer to them and be able to correct anymore behaviors that would arise from the student. In one of the rooms the teacher also had a sort of reward chart. It looked like it had stars on it for when students correctly followed instruction or were exemplary in behavior. It was not used while we were in class though, so we were not able to understand the exact use of the chart. Halstead Academy had both a teacher centered approach to teaching, but also a student centered approach. The teacher would give instruction to the class and then have smaller groups come up and work with her on a lesson that was going to be taught that day. While this happened she could work with students that needed the extra help and also make sure that others stayed on task throughout the class. While we were there observing the class the students did not act out at all except for one thing here and there. The teacher quickly corrected this behavior though by making sure the student understood that it was not appropriate at the time and getting them to tell her what they needed to be doing. At St. Elizabeth School teachers managed behavior by asking what the student wanted. Due to the fact that this school primarily contained students with special needs, sometimes finding out what they wanted was the best way to help control and manage behavior. In one of the classes one of the students started acting out and being loud, so the para educator asked if he wanted to take a five minute break to which he did. Once he got back from his break he was more on task and less disruptive to the rest of the class. Another thing that happened was a student was asked to come up to the smart board and choose an answer for a question. He continuously picked the wrong one, so the teacher directed him to the correct answer and would reward him for his effort once he picked the right answer. Another student was having a bad day when we went, so the para educator would ask if she was ok and offer her some food for a snack if she stopped acting out and did some of the work the teacher had given the class to do. A lot of the managing the teachers conducted in the classrooms at St. Elizabeth School were based off of, what does the student want? and how can I get them to do their work while at the same time getting them what they want? The reward system here became vital to instruction.

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How did the physical space reflect student input and facilitate a learner-centered environment in the classroom(s) you visited?

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How did the physical space reflect student input and facilitate a learner-centered environment in the classroom(s) you visited?

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•At Halstead academy, one of the classrooms that we visited contained one or two modern school desks while the rest of the room contained many different types of seating. The teacher had a table where she taught lessons at to smaller groups of students, while the rest of the class did other class work until it was their turn. This setup allowed for the students to pick the spot that best allowed them to work whether it be on the floor or on a couch, It gave them autonomy in regards to where they wanted to sit. The setup also fostered group work in a sense. This is because with the students being able to choose their own seating, they could get together and work in groups to complete the assigned material that the teacher has given them. These groups also allow for any tutoring or mentoring between the students if one of them does not seem to understand the material, but the other does. The classroom at St. Elizabeth school was a little different though. Due to the fact that there were only a few students in the class at a time, there was a lot less furniture in the room. The teacher had the room setup though so each student had their own table to work at with their para educators. These tables were setup in a square with an area in the middle for the teacher to walk around in and visit the students. She also had a smartboard in the front of the room where she would bring up questions and have the students come up and tap on the answer that they think is correct. She also had an area in the back where if students need to take a break, they can go there and take a break with one of the pillows there. The rooms were setup to accommodate both the number of students and their individual needs. When it came to classroom setup both schools had a setup catered to their student population. Halstead Academy had more students, so they had more furniture throughout the room spaced in a way that allowed the students to work together to accomplish the tasks. They were grouped in a way that also allowed for individual work at the same time, and when the time came students were able to choose their own seats throughout the room to do their work. St. Elizabeth on the other hand was a little bit different. They had a lot less students per class, so they could have less furniture in the room, but have it arranged in a way that suited the teacher's style of teaching. It also allowed for the students and their para educators to work together without having to worry about disrupting another student. With more room came the ability to have a break time area as well which could help alleviate some of the tension a student might be feeling.

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•In class we went to two different private schools, to see how they implemented UDL into their classrooms. The first school that we visited was the St. Elizabeth school. It was a very interesting school because it catered towards children with special needs. The classes were small with a lot of either one on one instruction, or in some cases two on one instruction with para-educators. The different guidelines and checkpoints that make up UDL were implemented in every classroom, and were in plain sight wherever we went. The best part about the school for me was how the teachers interacted with the students. This is because at St. Elizabeth school the teachers there felt warm, welcoming, and ready to help every child that walked in through their doors. The other school that we visited besides St. Elizabeth school was Halstead Academy. It differed from St. Elizabeth quite a bit in several different ways. One way that it differed was that the class size was a lot bigger than that at St. Elizabeth school. At Halstead Academy the class size was significantly larger. It contained upwards of 25 students per class, and the teacher did not have any para-educators to help them throughout the class. Another difference was that the language used by the teachers at Halstead academy was not as warm and welcoming the entire time. There were times when it seemed like the teachers were annoyed with the students the entire time, so they talked in a condescending tone. The students may not have noticed,but that is how it came off when we observed.