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Student engagement is one of the most important building blocks of learning-and probably one of the most difficult to achieve and maintain. Different students are engaged and motivated by very different things, which means teachers have to be on their toes all the time, looking for new ways to hook and keep their kids' interest.

In a diverse, inclusive classroom, you can never have too many ideas in your student-engagement toolbox. Here are 7 great suggestions adapted from Whitney Rapp's book, Universal Design for Learning in Action. (You don't have to use these in the context of a UDL approach-though if you're looking to explore the benefits of UDL, Whitney's book is a perfect place to start.)

Give these ideas a try in your classroom to keep students with and without disabilities engaged. (And let us know how it goes!)

Encourage constructive fidgeting. For some students, it's easier to listen and process information if they have a small toy to keep their hands busy. Collect inexpensive fidget toys to keep in a bag or basket, and let your students choose a favorite to handle during class time. Your students might like hard or squishy rubber balls, hacky sacks, toy cars, small stuffed animals, beaded bracelets, or slippery water tubes. Stock up on many different kinds of safe, sturdy fidget toys (be sure to choose options that don't light up brightly or make distracting noises), and encourage your students to try different toys during different activities.

Get professional. Learning is more fun when kids feel like real professionals. Fancy gear like lab coats might be out of the question, but a few inexpensive professional supplies can add extra realism to classroom activities and increase your students' interest and motivation. Kids can put on nonprescription "scientist" or "detective" glasses, record data in folders and notebooks stickered with a "company logo" (they can even help design it!), and use ledgers and forms in triplicate the way real-life professionals do. Not only will students feel like they're doing important work, they'll also see how their new knowledge and skills connect with actual careers.

Go retro. Students love novelty, and everything old is new again! Breathe fresh life into familiar tasks-spelling words, practicing math equations-by bringing in "retro" equipment students don't work with every day. Spelling practice can be fun and engaging if a student is punching in the letters on a cool old label maker. And a retired overheard projector can have a second life in one of your learning centers-supply students with transparencies and markers, and they'll have a fun new way to display their work to peers in small groups.

Break out the finger paint. Studies show that when one or more of the senses are engaged during the learning process, it increases neural pathways in the brain, making it easier for kids to retain and use new information. You probably have lots of auditory and visual methods for teaching new information, but tactile activities are also a great way to get kids engrossed in the lesson. Safe, nontoxic tactile materials-finger paint, glue, sand, modeling clay-can inject excitement and interest into tasks like tracing letters, spelling words, or solving math problems.

Fill a bag with writing prompts. Do your students balk at writing assignments? If you hear "I don't know what to write about!" more often than you'd like, here's a simple idea that'll help. At the beginning of your school year, pass out paper lunch bags and have students fill them up with small items that have personal significance to them-a shell from a beach vacation, a stone from the backyard garden, a plastic elephant from that special zoo trip. Let them keep the bags in their desks or in your classroom's writing center. Whenever they're struggling with a topic to write about, they can take out their "writing prompt" bags and look through them for inspiration.

Roll the dice. Dice lend themselves to lots of creative group learning activities. By harvesting dice from old board games and customizing them with your own stickers, you can develop fun review activities for multiplication facts, vocabulary or spelling words, historic dates, or scientific symbols. Students in small groups can take turns rolling the dice to prompt review questions for the rest of the group to answer. (You can even buy blank dice that students can write on themselves.)

Rethink seating and lighting. Gone are the days of fluorescent overheads and pretty desks all in a row. Now we know much more about engaging students through dynamic classroom setups, and you might already have things like small-group seating options and learning centers. If you're looking to take your classroom setup to the next level, try varied seating and lighting options to supercharge student engagement.

Some students are more engaged while moving or standing, while others find it easier to concentrate with dimmer or softer lighting. Student desks and chairs still have their place (as long as they're adjustable!), but consider adding more creative seating options based on your students' learning styles. Options like yoga mats, seat cushions, stools, beanbag chairs, and tall café-style tables can help you create a classroom environment that helps students retain focus and work more efficiently. To change up your classroom lighting, consider using classroom light filters that come in assorted colors-or switch off your overheads and bring in a variety of lamps with soft or bright light bulbs to meet the needs of different students. (Teacher blogger Nicholas Provenzano dedicated the 2014-2015 school year to rethinking his classroom setup-check out his tips and photos here. )
FREE PRINTABLE! Learn more about the research behind these 7 ideas-and get tips for putting them into practice-with this excerpt from Universal Design for Learning in Action.
"UDL Myths vs. Facts" "Your First Step Toward a UDL-Designed Classroom"
Your turn: Have another idea for boosting student engagement? Add a suggestion below!

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7 Budget-Friendly Ways to Promote Student Engagement: A UDL Post

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Student engagement is one of the most important building blocks of learning-and probably one of the most difficult to achieve and maintain. Different students are engaged and motivated by very different things, which means teachers have to be on their toes all the time, looking for new ways to hook and keep their kids' interest.

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If you read the latest books and blogs on inclusive education, you've probably heard a lot about the potential benefits of universal design for learning (UDL). Stronger student engagement. Sharper executive function skills. Increased access to the general curriculum for all students.

The UDL framework holds such great promise-but with so many myths and misconceptions floating around, those three letters can seem a little mysterious. What is UDL, really? Is it just differentiation in disguise?

To answer these questions, let's check in with UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson, whose book is making a big splash in the world of inclusive education. In Design and Deliver , Nelson takes on 6 stubborn myths about UDL and debunks them one by one. Whether you're a newbie weighing the benefits of implementing UDL in your own classroom or a UDL devotee hoping the change the minds of skeptics, this post gives you the fast facts you need to move forward.

[INFOGRAPHIC: Grab and share the infographic version of these 6 mythbusters below this post!]

MYTH #1: UDL has no research behind it.

FACT: The UDL framework is solidly grounded in brain research and other empirical data. (To see the research behind UDL principles, guidelines, and checkpoints, explore the National UDL Center's archive of articles .)

Quantifying the positive effects of UDL is a little challenging: though UDL guidelines stay the same, implementation will look different from school to school based on each teacher's knowledge and available resources. But early UDL research has been promising. In two recent studies, Nelson points out, students performed better on standardized measures when they used resources designed with the UDL framework-and had teachers who used UDL guidelines to craft their lessons and design the classroom environment.

MYTH #2: UDL is another word for differentiation.

FACT: Differentiation is just one component of UDL. Nelson describes the difference this way: Differentiation is a strategy that helps you address each student's individual levels of readiness, interest, and learning profiles. UDL is an overarching approach that addresses the environment first, including the physical location and the lesson, unit, and/or curriculum. When you address the whole environment up front, you make sure all students have full access to everything in the classroom, regardless of their needs and abilities.

MYTH #3: UDL is only good to use when you have students with IEPs.

FACT: It's true that UDL grew out of accommodating the individual needs of students with disabilities. But because every student is a variable learner, UDL is a helpful framework to use in any classroom, especially one that includes students of all ability levels. When you design your lessons based on the UDL framework, you create an accessible learning environment where all of your students have the best chance to learn.

MYTH #4: If you purchase a UDL product, then you're doing UDL.

FACT: UDL isn't something you buy or "do"; it's a set of principles and guidelines to use as a decision-making framework. True UDL implementation begins with the learning environment first-creating a classroom and lesson plans that meet all students' needs. UDL-aligned products and strategies can be valuable tools, but they're just a part of your journey toward UDL implementation, not a one-stop solution.

MYTH #5: UDL is just good teaching.

FACT: A person implementing UDL might be described as a good teacher-that part is definitely true! But simplifying UDL as "good teaching" is misleading. Good teaching has no single, agreed-on definition, whereas UDL is a framework with clear principles, guidelines, and checkpoints. Teachers who work hard to include all children in their classrooms and remove barriers to learning are doing a lot of things right, but unless they're referencing the UDL framework to make decisions, they aren't implementing UDL.

MYTH #6: To make UDL work, you have to use technology.

FACT: Tech can be a great way to enhance lessons and engage students. But if your school doesn't have the funds for fancy technology, that doesn't mean UDL is out of your reach. "For centuries teachers have used the resources available to communicate ideas to students," Nelson says. "UDL helps teachers look at available resources and potentially identify new ways to use them."

Nelson suggests that teachers collaborate with peers to identify no-tech or low-tech options that support students' learning outcomes. (A good place to start is #udlchat on Twitter, a hashtag for sharing UDL tips and tricks. UDL experts also use the hashtag for a regularly scheduled professional development chat-check #udlchat for the date and time of the next one!)

What do you think? Have you heard any other stubborn UDL myths? What's the #1 misconception most people have about UDL? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

is an amazing UDL primer. Check out the reviews and sample a chapter .

Here's a neat infographic that sums up the key points in this post. Share it around and help spread the word about UDL (click twice to view at full size):

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6 UDL Myths (and the Facts Behind Them!) - Brookes Blog

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If you read the latest books and blogs on inclusive education, you've probably heard a lot about the potential benefits of universal design for learning (UDL). Stronger student engagement. Sharper executive function skills. Increased access to the general curriculum for all students. The UDL framework holds such great promise-but with so many myths and misconceptions [...]

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two-hour udl workshop udl-universe: a comprehensive universal design for learning faculty development guide libguides

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Two-hour UDL Workshop - UDL-Universe: A Comprehensive Universal Design for Learning Faculty Development Guide - LibGuides at Ensuring Access through Collaboration & Technology

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This page provides the guidance and resources to deliver a 2 hour workshop on Universal Design for Learning.

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ohio center for autism and low incidence

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Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence