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using SymbolStix

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Hola, my friends! Here are the instructions for Pico de Gallo, a delicious, traditional Mexican salsa made with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime, and salt. First, dice the tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos and place them in bowl. Next, chop the cilantro and add it to the bowl, too. Juice the lime over the bowl. Then add salt. Mix the ingredients. Check to make sure there is enough salt and lime juice and add more if necessary. Serve immediately or allow to sit for a half an hour to allow the flavors to meld together. Pico de Gallo is a simple preparation using easy to find ingredients. It’s been my pleasure sharing this recipe with you. Thank you for the resources.

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By DB

To make salsa, there are three major steps to follow. First you need to gather cooking utensils. You'll need a knife, a cutting board, a mixing bowl and a spoon. Next, you need to get your ingredients. You'll need a jalapeno pepper, olive oil, salt and a clove of garlic. You'll also need one bunch of cilantro, two tomatoes, one stalk of green onion, one small yellow onion and one lime. Now create your salsa. Chop the vegetables and place them the bowl. Slice the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Mince the garlic and add to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil and mix all together. Now you are ready to eat your salsa!

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Making salsa is as easy as mixing ingredients in a bowl! First, add chopped cilantro leaves, chopped green onion, diced tomatoes, minced garlic minced and seeded jalapeño pepper into a bowl. Next, stir the ingredients together and season it with salt. Finally, squeeze lime juice into the bowl mix it altogether. You are now ready to eat your salsa with your friends!

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By Derek

I learned to make salsa from my friend Sirama. I asked her to teach me after she brought the most amazing salsa to a party I was having in Oakland. She invited me to make some with her the next week. We went to the grocery store and bought different kinds of peppers (jalapeño & habanero), lots of tomatoes, some limes, garlic, and some spices (garlic, cumin, & cayenne). When we got to my house, she helped me to roast all of the peppers and tomatoes in the oven until they were darkened. She told me that this is important to add a wonderful smoky flavor. She then took out a food processor that we put the roasted peppers and tomatoes in along with all of the spices and the juice from a few limes. She said to go light on the spices and lime because we can always adjust those if more is needed after processing. We blended the salsa up until it had a consistent texture. Now was the fun part. We tasted the salsa and made adjustments until it was perfect for our palettes. I commented that I thought salsa was always chopped and that this was so much easier to do.  She said that salsa comes in many shapes and textures, often distinguished by regional tastes and traditions. This was how her grandmother taught her to make salsa.  I was grateful that she shared this important and intimate family tradition with me and I am always sure to tell people about her when they compliment me on my salsa.

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Making a delicious salsa is a fairly simple process.  First you gather all the necessary ingredients in the correct proportions.  The next step is to start adding the ingredients to a larger bowl. After you combine all the ingredients mix them and taste the mixture to see if the salsa agrees with your palate.  Respond according to your preferences.  That simple process is it folks; time to eat!  kj

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Disclaimer: we watched the wrong salsa video. It was HILARIOUS, and our summary is based on it. The link for our video is in the comments.

Making salsa is simple and magical. It only requires a few fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, jalapeño, garlic, lime, salt, and cilantro. First, push the guts out six tomatoes, and add them to your blender. Next, roll a seedless, non-key lime grafted from a mother tree on the counter to make it soft and wet. (Shimmy for added sauciness.) Squeeze the lime juice and add it, not losing a drop, into the blender. Add a lone clove of garlic and about 1/3 cups of onion to the blender. Chop the cilantro but keep it to the side for added green confetti fun later. Cut the jalapeño in half and take out most, but not all, of the membrane and seeds, as that’s where the HEAT comes from. Try to blend and become irate at your blender. Find a jabbing stick and jab. Jabbing stick, jabbing stick, jabbing stick, jab, jab, jab. Blend. Add more salt and more lime juice to make it tart and tangy. Pour the salsa into your bowl, as a jamba juice barista would poor into a 20 oz cup.  Add your cilantro confetti rainbow of happiness to the brown ugliness that is now your salsa. Do another dance. Serve with magic chips. Look bored. For my conclusion, I would like to say that salsa is a hippie, shimmy-shaken’ good time in a bowl. A watery bowl.

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Did you know that salsa can be tailored to your individual style and still be considered salsa? The first step is to gather the standard ingredients of chopped scallion, cilantro, tomato, garlic, pinch of salt and lime juice and any other creative additions you want to make. From fruity add-ins like blueberries or mangoes, to turning up the heat with jalapeños, the final recipe is up to you! Cut tomatoes to about the size of your smallest fingernail and the other ingredients even smaller. Once you've selected your custom ingredients, mix, stir, taste, adjust and enjoy!

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Would you believe that you may never want to buy store-bought salsa again? Once you try this recipe,  you may be on your way to only making your salsa from scratch. First, gather all of your ingredients and kitchen supplies.  The ingredients and supplies are listed below this recipe. After getting your food and equipment together, cut the tomatoes into ½ inch cubes. Next you will chop the remaining food items. Then mix in 1/2 of your lime juice.  Add salt if you would like and then drizzle with olive oil. Finally, stir everything and serve with tortilla chips. Once you share with others, you may be asked to always bring your homemade salsa!

Supplies:

Chef knife

Butter knife

Non-reactive mixing bowl (such as ceramic, glass and stainless steel)

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes

onion

jalapeno pepper

green onions

cilantros

garlic

lime juice

olive oil

salt

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Making salsa (ok, not really salsa, it's more like Pico de Gallo) is as easy as dumping vegetables found in small bowls into a larger bowl and then mixing them together.  

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Making salsa (ok, not really salsa, it's more like Pico de Gallo) is as easy as dumping vegetables found in small bowls into a larger bowl and then mixing them together.  

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Detail #1: First you find small bowls pre-filled with the following  vegetables, herbs, and seasonings which are already cut into the correctly-sized pieces: green onions, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, lime, cilantro, garlic, onions, and salt.
Detail #2: Dump each small bowl of vegetables, herbs, and seasoning into a larger bowl.
Detail #3: Mix them together using a utensil.
Detail #4: In conclusion, you too can "make" "salsa"!

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Making salsa looks easier then I thought it would be. First you decided on the ingredients that you want to put into the salsa. These ingredients can include onions cilantro, tomato and lots of garlic. Once you have the ingredients in the salsa then you can add lime juice or even vinegar. Finally, you would mix the ingredients all together. Once you follow these steps for making salsa you can now add it to your favorite tacos.

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Salsa making is an easy way to add a pop of flavor to any dish.  Salsa is made from a handful of ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime.  All you need in terms of tools is a knife, cutting board, mixing bowl and a spoon.  With just a little cutting and mixing, anyone can add a little fresh Mexican flavor to any dish.  Salsa making is truly easy “cooking” when you look at the ingredient list, needed tools and the ability to cut and stir that packs a punch of flavor.

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     Salsa is a delicious sauce that is easy and fun to make.  First, bring together the utensils to prepare your salsa including a sharp knife, a mixing bowl, a cutting board, and a spoon.  Next, you need two tomatoes, one small onion, one jalapeno pepper, garlic, lime juice from one lime, fresh cilantro, garlic and salt.  Then, mix together and add salt to taste.  Feel free to add more peppers to add heat.  Some people call salsa pico de gallo. Salsa is easy to make with a few basic kitchen tools and  simple ingredients.

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     Salsa is a delicious sauce that is easy and fun to make.  First, bring together the utensils to prepare your salsa including a sharp knife, a mixing bowl, a cutting board, and a spoon.  Next, you need two tomatoes, one small onion, one jalapeno pepper, garlic, lime juice from one lime, fresh cilantro, garlic and salt.  Then, mix together and add salt to taste.  Feel free to add more peppers to add heat.  Some people call salsa pico de gallo. Salsa is easy to make with a few basic kitchen tools and  simple ingredients.

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SuperSassySalsa is simple to make. With only 6 ingredients from the grocery store, some chopping and stirring, you will soon be enjoying this healthy snack! First, you chop green onions, cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic, tomatoes, and jalepeño. Toss into bowl and stir, splashing in the juice of one lime and 2 TB salt. That's it! Now you are ready to enjoy this fast, fresh, and delicious snack on chips, quesadillas, and much more.

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#UDL ON TWITTER

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an expert teacher

multi dimensionally

meeting students needs

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PREPARATION
1) Make sure that you have a clean work environment, your apron and closed toed-shoes (minimize distractions).
2) Ensure that you and your sous-chefs have washed your hands and have agreed upon your dish ( foster collaboration and community).
3) Ensure that you have completed your mise-en-place, and that all ingredients and tools are laid out ahead of time (support planning and strategy development).

RECIPE
1 cup (128 grams) of all-purpose rigor
1 cup of flour of choice, including gluten-free options for those with special needs (convert to grams or ounces depending on type--options for mathematical expression, construction and composition)
1/2 cup of nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, or bacon (choice)
1/4 cup of warm water (knowledge)
1 dash of yeast (curiosity/interest)

Mix all ingredients except rigor. Knead the dough until elastic (physical action and sustained effort/persistence). Use a stand mixer if necessary (for chefs with special kneads). Allow to rise (increasing engagement). Fold-in rigor, avoiding overmixing otherwise the dough may become too dense and the bread inedible for some students. Bake. Avoid opening the oven too much (self-regulation) otherwise the bread may not bake to full potential.

If you need assistance during the process all your grandparent or look up a youtube video if you get stuck (assistive technology).

Remove UDL bread from oven (baking container which has high expectations and beliefs that all students can succeed). Slice to ensure smaller chunks for comprehension, leave entire loaf on table, or distribute on small plates to all guests. Serve with butter of background knowledge and honey--the sweet taste of goal-setting (customizing display of information).

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        Videos to help Look for Universal Design for Learning

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        Videos to help Look for Universal Design for Learning

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https://padlet.com/CASTUDL/LookingForUDL

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An Environment of Expert Learning breakout group slides 

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An Environment of Expert Learning breakout group slides 

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Debriefing our UDL First Steps Organizer

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Debriefing our UDL First Steps Organizer

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UDL Practitioner Knowledge Beliefs Practices Graphic Organizer.docx

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Read from the bottom up!!

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Is UDL primarily used to support students with IEPs?

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Our Awesome Elevator Speech about how UDL is Different from What We Already Do!

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Our Awesome Elevator Speech about how UDL is Different from What We Already Do!

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UDL is the recognition that a standardized learning environment is no longer productive.

Students are not the root cause of the problem; curriculum, instruction and materials are more of the core issue.

The belief that the students have the potential to access and progress toward any goal significantly changes the way the teacher approaches planning, instruction, and assessment.

Providing options and choice we can reach all learners! The UDL Framework is the currency converter for a learning environment where every student's talent and potential is accepted!

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6) Do I have time to incorporate UDL into my lesson-planning / class time

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6) Do I have time to incorporate UDL into my lesson-planning / class time

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If you value making your curriculum accessible to all, yes you have time.

Taking small steps & documenting successes is great starting point.

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FAQ 7 ("Will my students be prepared for standardized assessments?")

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FAQ 7 ("Will my students be prepared for standardized assessments?")

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"The best way to raise scores over the long haul is through rich, authentic learning experiences that feel relevant to students," and are aligned to the California Content Standards.

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Please do! Just hit the plus button at the top of the column! Or flag down Ari/Jen. :)

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Collaborative Slide Deck

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Share your next step here at the end of Day 2: 

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Share your next step here at the end of Day 2: 

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http://bit.ly/2xsMjlr

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Guideline 2.0 organizer with examples of each checkpoint

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Guideline 2.0 organizer with examples of each checkpoint

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Access Google Sites with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Participate virtually today at https://todaysmeet.com/AlamedaUDL

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Resources to answer our top 7 FAQ's: https://padlet.com/CASTUDL/FAQs

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Explore topics about ADHD, dyslexia, and learning disabilities. Learn about focus, hyperactivity, executive function skills, and trouble with reading, writing, and math.

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How to Supercharge 5 Traditional Teaching Strategies with UDL

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How to Supercharge 5 Traditional Teaching Strategies with UDL

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If you're an educator who swears by traditional, tried-and-true teaching strategies, the idea of embracing universal design for learning (UDL) might be a little overwhelming. But UDL doesn't have to equal a top-to-bottom overhaul of everything you're doing now. With a little planning, it can also fit right in with traditional teaching strategies-and infuse your lesson plans with new life and energy.

Today's post shows how five teachers weave UDL into commonly used teaching methods: lectures, Q&As, drill and practice, class discussions, and problem solving. You'll learn about practical ways to:

foster collaboration and community

recruit learners' interest

optimize choice and autonomy

display information in multiple ways

help students monitor their own progress

guide students' information processing

and more

(These examples were adapted from by Patti Kelly Ralabate, a guidebook that walks K-12 educators through the entire UDL lesson planning process, from developing learning goals to monitoring student progress.)

Lectures are a great way to share a large amount of information with a big group in a short amount of time. But they can also be unengaging for learners and are less likely to lead to deep understanding of the material. Here's how Kelly punches up her lectures with UDL strategies (she's a college professor, but middle and high school teachers can try these approaches, too):

Kelly starts her lectures with a provocative question or quote to recruit her learners' interest.

She begins with a KWL exercise (what do you know, want to know, what did you learn?) to activate background knowledge.

She keeps her lectures to 15 to 20 minutes and builds in opportunities for short peer-to-peer discussions or pause-and-reflect events every 5 to 10 minutes. This gives learners a chance to act on the new information and move it from short-term memory to working memory and to long-term memory.

During pauses, she asks learners to respond to questions by a show of hands or another classroom assessment technique.

Kelly provides a lecture guide that organizes content into chunks to guide information processing.

To clarify novel vocabulary, an important strategy for English language learners, Kelly includes a glossary.

Slides help Kelly display information in an alternative way. She uses bullets, graphics, and bold font on slides to highlight critical features and big ideas. Her slides are uncluttered and contain no more than four to six lines of text. That way, she can set the text in 24-point font, large enough to be visible from the back row.

Kelly makes her slides available before or during her lectures so students can follow along and individuals with visual impairments can use a screen reader to translate the information.

Kelly is careful not to use color (particularly red and orange) to convey information, because this makes it less accessible to learners who are colorblind.

Q&As are an ancient and effective teaching technique. They help teachers assess student comprehension and help students with information processing and the transfer and generalization of content. Here's how Luis, a high school social studies teacher, infuses UDL into his Q&A sessions with students.

Luis uses multiple ways to display models of the types of questions that students can ask him or each other. He communicates these models on the whiteboard, an easy-to-read wall chart, and placards at each group's table.

After he provides students with content in a variety of ways (e.g., text, readings, video, narrated slides, topical blogs), Luis holds an "interrogation" session, when students can ask him questions on the topic.

To foster collaboration and community, groups of students develop the interrogation questions.

To optimize challenge, Luis uses "call sticks"-which he refers to as the Question Lottery-to determine when each group will ask questions. Students enjoy the unpredictable aspect of the Question Lottery.

Luis promotes high expectations to optimize motivation by assigning a question type to a group. Sometimes he optimizes choice and autonomy by letting students choose their own question types.

Learner groups are encouraged to use multiple tools to display their questions-prompt cards, slides, or online tools.

To build comprehension and maximize transfer, each student in Luis's class takes a turn at notetaking for the rest of the class. The notes are shared via a class wiki or through printed copies.

Drill and practice may not be every student's favorite way to learn, but it's still used widely to help students move novel content from working memory into long-term memory. Here's how Kathleen, a speech-language pathologist, works UDL strategies into her drill-and-practice methods to reinforce what general education teachers have taught.

To develop self-assessment and reflection, each learner has a speech-language binder for his or her work products. In the front of the binder is a chart with each student's personal learning goals (written in student-friendly language).

To enhance their capacity to monitor their own progress, Kathleen has learners routinely check their progress charts and report the goals they're working on as their session begins.

Kathleen carefully sets up the learning environment to minimize distractions so students can be successful.

Kathleen offers timely, meaningful, mastery-oriented feedback to guide students in charting their own progress.

To reinforce lesson content and optimize relevance, Kathleen uses multiple materials, including authentic demonstrations, short videos, digital tools, and apps designed to reinforce new information.

Kathleen plans sessions that gradually decrease the scaffolds and supports necessary for learners to communicate effectively.

Discussions are a time-honored learning technique; they help build comprehension of the material as they foster collaboration and community. Here's how James, a career-technology educator specializing in automobile technology, infuses UDL strategies into class discussions:

First, the students divide into pairs with one student (who plays the role of the technician) explaining the problem to the other (who plays the role of the uninformed client).

Learners share their experiences and observations with the entire class, highlighting patterns, critical features, and big ideas of their paired discussions.

James draws this information out with discussion probes that he posts for all the students to view.

As the students share with the class, James provides an alternative for the auditory information, guides information processing, and promotes understanding across languages by using a whiteboard to display specific points.

Problem solving and mental modeling-teaching learners how to visualize and solve puzzles you pose for them-helps learners move information from working memory to long-term memory. Here's how Nick, a middle school science teacher, pairs problem-solving with UDL strategies in his lesson on kinetic and potential energy:

Nick offers a variety of media resources to illustrate energy transformation and build or activate background knowledge. Students can choose to view a video about the transfer of energy, operate an interactive app demonstrating how energy transforms during a roller coaster ride, or read a short article about the kinetic and potential energy of a golf ball.

To guide information processing, Nick distributes a detailed guide and discusses the steps in developing a mental model using multiple media, including the whiteboard and passages from the science text.

Nick asks students to construct and illustrate mental models of the energy transformation involved as objects of various sizes are dropped onto a chute. He encourages students to use multiple tools to draw their mental models.

To foster collaboration and optimize challenge, students share their ideas in small, diverse groups.

On their way out, Nick's students complete exit tickets to monitor their learning

Do you have your own experience with weaving UDL into traditional teaching strategies? Tell us your best tips in the comments below!

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How to Supercharge 5 Traditional Teaching Strategies with UDL - Brookes Blog

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If you're an educator who swears by traditional, tried-and-true teaching strategies, the idea of embracing universal design for learning (UDL) might be a little overwhelming. But UDL doesn't have to equal a top-to-bottom overhaul of everything you're doing now. With a little planning, it can also fit right in with traditional teaching strategies-and infuse your [...]

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I really struggle when someone asks me, "What does UDL look like?" It is not because I don't know the answer. It's because I don't know what it looks like for YOU. As the brilliant Dr. Liz Berquist explains in UDL: Moving from Exploration to Integration ,

"Because the implementation of UDL is variable and unique - in this sense it is a model of UDL itself. UDL looks different in every learning environment, just as it looks different in every school, district, and state. Although there are patterns to be found in this variability, there is no right way to implement the UDL framework."

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is not just a framework for curriculum design. It is a belief that all students are capable of learning and that instructional methods, when implemented intentionally, can help all students succeed.

So, maybe the better question to ask is, "What are the patterns of UDL?"

To put it simply, when teachers implement UDL, students have choices. And those choices allow all students to access rigorous, standards-based curriculum. What kind of choices? There are four interrelated components of a UDL curriculum and when implemented well, students have choice in all four areas. First, let's unpack those four areas.

Four Components of a UDL Curriculum

Goals

As CAST notes, "within the UDL framework, goals themselves are articulated in a way that acknowledges learner variability and differentiates goals from means." Oftentimes, teachers create goals that include embedded methods. For example, "All students will learn how to write arguments by giving a persuasive speech about which new club belongs in our school." When teachers can step back and see the goal, "Write arguments," they could provide numerous choices for students to achieve that goal that doesn't require all students to stand up in class and read a speech about a club. Ask yourself this: Is the standard actually requiring that students all do the exact same thing in the same way? (The answer is always no!)

Methods

Methods are the instructional decisions, approaches, procedures, or routines that expert teachers use to accelerate or enhance learning. Oftentimes, however, all students are expected to follow the same procedures in how they learn or express their knowledge (read a short blog on UDL and the Death of Lecturing ).

Materials

Materials are usually seen as the media used to present learning content and what the learner uses to demonstrate knowledge, but oftentimes, the same materials are provided to all students. I call this "packet syndrome." CAST calls it, "one-size-fits-all," teaching and learning.

Assessments

Assessments are an expression of student learning. When designing assessments, it's critical that teachers consider exactly what students need to know and do and then strip away any specific methods that have been tied to the goal. Essentially, when reviewing your standards, you will ask yourself, "How will students provide evidence that they met the goal? Can they have choices?"

Translating the UDL Principles into Choice

Now that you have a better sense of the types of choices you're looking for, you may still be wondering how each of the principles of UDL translates into choices for students. The following may be helpful.

Engagement

Students are engaged in authentic, relevant learning opportunities.

What does this look like?

There is a clear culture that values creativity, risk-taking, growth mindset and the fact that there are many ways to arrive at the same destination but that the journey is different for everyone.

A daily agenda or checklist is provided to help students monitor their progress.

Classroom arrangement is set up for minimal distractions.

Students are allowed to work collaboratively. Teachers may facilitate Paideia seminars, Socratic circles, etc...

Engaging choices for assignments: simulations, mock interviews, poetry slams, blogs, debates, etc... are offered regularly if not daily.

Students have an opportunity to personalize their goals. For example, if students are writing arguments, they are all writing about topics of interest to them, exploring the resources that work for them, and express what they know with an authentic product.

Rich, mastery-oriented feedback is provided from teachers and peers consistently - including feedback from students to teachers so they can become an integral part of the design and delivery of their own instruction.

There are many opportunities for students to self-assess their progress, make changes if necessary, and get feedback on how to continue to work toward their goals so they can make better decisions about methods and materials in the future.

Teachers are monitoring the classroom to keep students on task, helping them stay organized and prevent frustration, but students also collaborate to push each other to continue to apply effort and persistence.

Representation

Content and skills are presented in multiple ways and students have a choice about which methods and materials to use to reach the goal.

What does this look like?

Learning objectives or standards are posted and visible to students so they know what the ultimate goal is. Teacher explains the standard to students and its rationale. All students could tell an observer the goal of the lesson.

More than one presentation method is apparent and students are accessing different experiences: lecture, reading text, audio, video, reciprocal teaching. If there is one predominant presentation method, there are additional representations embedded (i.e, teachers read directions while projecting them with a document camera, or students watch a video with closed captioning.)

Teachers pre-teach vocabulary and activate prior knowledge. May use Frayer models, vocabulary tables, images etc...

Teachers provide opportunities or stations where students can learn information on their own (i.e, read a text, view a video, listen to audio, work in a collaborative group, etc...)

Teachers use Powerpoint, Prezi, Glogster, the online textbook, Youtube, or other presentation software to present content. This integrates visuals, audio, and text.

Teacher uses diagrams, charts, and images throughout the lesson. Does not only rely on text.

Allows students to access technology (IPads, Nooks, etc...) so they can customize the display of information.

As students read or do research, teachers remind them to highlight patterns, critical features, and/or big ideas. Not just reading text without scaffolds.

Model note-taking while presenting information (i.e, Cornell notes or slotted notes).

Teachers use some sort of a system like Google Classroom or a Learning Management System (LMS) like Canvas to display and deliver classroom content and activities so that it is available both in class and out of class so that students are able to access the information whenever they need or want it. This access will be available to parents as well.

Expression

Students are provided with choice and/or scaffolding when expressing their knowledge in formative and summative assessments.

What does this look like?

Not all students are completing the same assessments in the same way (but it's because they made the decision - not just the teacher). For example, if all students are asked to solve an equation, students may have the choice of using math reference sheets, manipulatives, calculators, scratch paper, in small groups, with a partner, etc....If students are working toward a written task, they may have the choice of writing on paper, using a device, accessing a graphic organizer, exemplar, rubric, etc...

When teaching specific methods, such as solving an algebraic equation or writing an essay, teacher provides the following: work exemplars, rubrics, frequent mastery-oriented feedback, and all necessary resources and materials necessary to complete assignment (i.e, textbooks, pencils, paper.) but not all students have to use the same methods or materials. It's up to them to self-reflect and create strategies that will allow them to meet the goal.

Teachers may offer engaging choices for assessments, so students can express their knowledge or skills in many different ways: simulations, mock interviews, poetry slams, blogs, debates, essays, multimedia presentations, etc...

Teachers use think-pair-share, private think time, partner tasks, exit tickets or other dipsticking methods so all students are assessed daily.

Teachers have multiple methods of assessing student knowledge when working toward content standards. May be a combination of the following: debates, Socratic circles, essays, objective tests, projects, skits, lab reports, journals, etc...

UDL in Action

Check out the following videos and consider how these teachers provide students with choices by using the UDL Guidelines. Remember, you don't have to do what these teachers do to implement UDL, but you will see that there are patterns between them.

In UDL-topia, students have choices in goals, methods, materials and assessments, and these choices are both engaging and accessible. But early UDL implementation may be only focused on providing choices in one or more areas, so when you're looking for the UDL principles in action, you may see glimpses in a class that is not yet universally designed for all learners to be able to personalize their learning experience in meaningful ways. So, how do you move from point A to point B? As with all things UDL, you need to personalize that process for you and your students, and that starts with asking them for their feedback.

In UDL, student voice is optimized. Strong UDL practice starts with collaborating with students to ask students what they need to be successful. David Rose once said,
"Teaching, at its core, is emotional work."
I truly believe that students know what they need to be successful and that everything that they need to follow their passion and achieve their dreams is inside of them. We as educators have a tremendous opportunity to learn more about our teaching from our students if we are open and ask the right questions and listen to their answers.

So, here is my official answer, if all students are working toward the same rigorous standards but making choices that allow them to honor their strengths, challenge themselves and follow their passions, then that's what UDL looks like.

Dive deeper into UDL. Explore our range of online courses, all universally designed.
Editor's Note: This post has been updated from its original publication.

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Million Dollar Question: What Does UDL Look Like?

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What is UDL and What does it look like in a classroom? An overview of examples and real-life applications of Universal Design for Learning in the classroom

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need

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Your First Step Toward a UDL-designed Classroom: Change How You Think About Barriers

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Your First Step Toward a UDL-designed Classroom: Change How You Think About Barriers

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles while planning instruction for students with special needs.

After you read this, tell us your experience: Does instructional planning in your school sound more like the first or second example? What are your barriers, if any, to adopting the planning approach Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris took? What resources can we develop to help you? Read on, and then share your thoughts in the comments below!

***

There are often two questions about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that I hear when training:

1. Why would I do this? It is no different from differentiated instruction, and

2. How in the world would I do this? It is huge!

Two quick vignettes of teachers planning for instruction illustrate the answer to both questions.

Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Snyder are planning instruction for Dawn, a student with complex instructional needs who is included in Ms. Jacobs' English class.

Ms. Jacobs: We are reading The Giver for the next couple of weeks. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Snyder: Dawn can't read, so I don't think The Giver is going to be possible for her. And the subject matter doesn't really connect to her daily life so maybe I'll give her an adapted copy of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge instead. It also deals with the importance of memories and forgetting and it is written at a second grade reading level so it should be easier to understand than The Giver.

Ms. Jacobs: Oh, that is a great idea. And maybe her timeline could be sequencing from her daily schedule instead of from history?

Now compare these teachers to Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris, who are also planning for a student with complex instructional needs included in Mrs. Summers' English class.

Mrs. Summers: We are working on the themes and ideas in The Giver. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Harris: I love that book-but it can be a bit of a barrier for some of our students unless we pair it with some accessibility supports. We can easily get some adapted versions of The Giver and maybe offer students the opportunity to partner read or use their online text readers.

Mrs. Summers: Yes, that makes sense. We may want to highlight key words or pictures to summarize the main points for some of our students who will still need additional help. And while we are at it, let's think about how to make it a bit more engaging for some of our students...maybe we can start with timelines related to their own lives and then move from there to historical events that shaped their world instead of from a historical event to themselves. It can go both ways.

Mr. Harris: Plus we could use some online timeline creation tools, pictures, or text-based timelines to provide students with lots of ways to engage with the timeline and get interested in the task.

The difference between these two conversations is subtle, but it illustrates one of the key ways differentiated instruction and UDL differ-as well as one of the biggest leaps teachers need to make if they are going to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The biggest difference (and the most vital change teachers need to make to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment) is moving from the idea that the student is what creates barriers to learning to the idea that the curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment create the barriers. And, while the conversations above may seem only minutely different, the belief that the student has the potential to access and make progress toward any goal significantly changes the way teachers approach planning, instruction, and assessment.

Consider the classic study by Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) that examined how student performance and teacher expectations were tied together. They found that "when we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur" (Rosenthal and Babad, 1985). Our instructional decisions are based on our expectations, even if we are not necessarily consciously aware of them.

When we work from the premise that the barrier is within the student, then our job as educators is to fix the student so he can access instruction and materials. This belief sets up limits for all the things a school system can't change about a student: missing limbs, intellectual disabilities, an impoverished home, language and cultural differences, etc. When we work from the premise that barriers are within the instruction and materials, then our job as educators is to change instruction and materials to remove and reduce those barriers. We, as educators and school systems have control over those things.

This doesn't mean it isn't difficult. Looking at creating a UDL classroom may seem absolutely overwhelming. Consider the CAST website for their curriculum self-check: it is HUGE. There are so many things to think about. And then, on top of that, for students with complex learning needs you are still probably going to need to add some individualized supports on top of the universally designed curriculum, like Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris did when they added summarized text or pictures to represent key concepts and ideas from the full text. Conceptualizing the barrier as being within the curriculum, instruction and materials rather than the student may seem overwhelming for what initially seems like a tiny difference in how these two sets of teachers plan and teach. In my experience though, it is that single key difference that helps create a UDL classroom. It is that single key difference that improves students' opportunities to learn and sets up systems that improve student performance. In addition, it is that key difference that sets the stage for inclusive practices. So, if you want to build an inclusive classroom, the biggest step you can take is to change how you think about barriers.

Want to hear more from Deborah Taub? Be sure to check out this podcast she did on alternate assessment over at Think Inclusive, and this post on leaving behind the notion of inclusion as a place.

More on presuming the competence of all learners: "Presuming Competence: What It Is, What It Looks Like"

Deborah Taub is Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment, where she provides research and professional development assistance for states, territories, and other entities working to develop and sustain best practice. She has assisted states in building and evaluating systemic programs, especially around issues of inclusive practice for students with complex instructional needs, such as those with low incidence disabilities or who are dually identified as having a disability and ELL. Dr. Taub has designed, implemented, and evaluated alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, developed UDL and standards-based curricula and instruction, and conducted validity and alignment evaluations. She's an advisory member of National Center for Universal Design for Learning's UDL Taskforce, and a member of the TASH Inclusive Education Committee and the Council for Exceptional Children's CCSS Advisory Group.

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Your first step toward a UDL-designed classroom: Change how you think about barriers (Guest post) - Brookes Blog

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles [...]

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When the Barriers Aren’t Just Physical (Published 2016)

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The first school we tried was wheelchair-accessible, but there were still barriers. Luckily, the second one found other ways to let my son in.

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