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As a future teacher I can customize curricular goals and teaching strategies to address individuals’ strengths and challenges, determine the range of assessments by using the backward design, and provide support to all of my students.

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Literacy: Reading                                                                  Grade Level: 1-6

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Literacy: Reading                                                                  Grade Level: 1-6

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Strategy One- Literature Response Journals (page 385)

Objective- Students will be able to practice their reading skills at home and provide 5 facts they have learned in their literature response journals.

Description:

This is a reading strategy that can be used to help all students remember which details to include when retelling a story (Lynch, 2015, para 9). Students will be able to practice their retelling skills by writing 5 important details from a fiction or nonfiction book they have read. This strategy encourages students to remember which details to include in a retell by telling it across their fingers (1 detail or fact per finger). Literature Response Journals allows all students to practice their reading and retelling skills outside of the classroom and allows for extended learning with purpose and feedback from the teacher (RBIS: Homework and Practice: Marzano 2012).

Application:

Literature Response Journals can be used as a follow-up to sustained silent reading periods inside or outside the classroom. In these journals, students describe their reactions to and thoughts about the material they have been reading and practice their retelling skills. Students also are encouraged to write about their opinions and emotional responses to the book, relate the book to their own experiences, and make predictions about the book and its characters (Salend, 2016, p. 385). We use a variation of this strategy by asking the students to read a provided leveled book at home. They are then to give 5 facts (we are in our non-fiction unit) they can retell across 5 fingers. We read their responses or added comments from the parents and assess accordingly. This strategy encourages all students to continue the learning process outside of school.

UDL Checkpoint 8.2- Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge

Learners vary not only in their skills and abilities, but also in the kinds of challenges that motivate them to do their best work (CAST, 2019). Some learners need that extra challenge of reteaching the information at home. Providing all learners with appropriately varied levels and resources necessary for successful completion of the task. Balancing the resources available to meet the challenge is vital.

Lynch, Erin. (5 October, 2015). Give me five! Reading strategies for grades K-2. Sadlier english language arts blog. Retrieved from https://www.sadlier.com/school/ela-blog/give-me-five-reading-strategy-for-grades-k-2

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Literacy: Reading                                                                  Grade Level: 1-6

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Literacy: Reading                                                                  Grade Level: 1-6

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Strategy Two- Peer-based instruction: Turn/Talk (p. 334)

Objective- Students will be able to compare their thoughts and ideas by collaborating with their peers in readers’ workshop through turning and talking.

Description

Students will be able to engage with one another during readers’ workshop and discuss their thoughts and ideas about the books they have read. Turning and talking allows all students to discuss the posed question from the teacher. This strategy can be used during the readers’ workshop mini lesson. The teacher is able to listen to the discussions and assess what the students know, or do not know. Students can turn and talk to discuss the strategies they know and use during readers’ workshop to help peers become stronger readers. This strategy allows all students to participate in discussion and are able to process new learning while engaging in meaningful conversation (Lynette, 2013, para. 3). According to Marzano (2012), cooperative learning has a positive impact on overall learning by sharing common interest or experiences and promoting social skills (RBIS: Cooperative Learning: Marzano 2012).

Application

Turn and Talk, or Think-Pair-Share is a cooperative learning strategy that can help students reflect on and master content. During reader’s workshop, the teacher poses a question to all students. The students then turn to the partner next to them and discuss their responses (Salend, 2016, pg. 334). The teacher may call on a couple of partners to share their ideas to the rest of their classmates. When using peer-based instruction, partners can help each other improve their reading fluency, word identification, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. We use the strategy Turn and Talk during all subjects. This allows the students to engage in active conversation and listen to the ideas their friends might have. Additionally, teachers can listen to their point of view.

UDL checkpoint 8.3- Foster collaboration and community

All learners must be able to communicate and collaborate effectively within a community of learners (CAST, 2019).Opportunity for one-on-one support is increased when mentoring peers are administered (CAST, 2019). When students work together the gain the support from one another. Teachers can group all students accordingly to differentiate instruction, as well as providing opportunities for students to learn how to work most effectively with others. Options should be provided in how learners build and utilize these important skills.

Lynette, Rachel. (4 February, 2013). Keep your students engaged with “turn and talk”. Minds in bloom. Retrieved from https://minds-in-bloom.com/keep-your-students-engaged-with-turn/

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Literacy: Writing                                                                              Grades 1-6

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Literacy: Writing                                                                              Grades 1-6

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Strategy Three- Writers’ Workshop (398)

Objective- Students will be able to write fluently and gain writing stamina through writers’ workshop.

Description

Writers workshop allows students to build upon their writing fluency through continuous and repeated practice (TeacherFirst, 2019, para. 4). Writers’ workshop should be incorporated into the classes daily routine. Teachers can provide positive feedback during the mini lesson, in a small group or conferring one on one. The goal is to build students confidence and fluency in the writing skills that will be necessary for future education. Writers workshop is a strategy that enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing students’ attitudes and beliefs about learning (RBIS: Reinforce Efforts and Provide Recognition: Marzano 2012).

Application

Writers’ workshop is where students write and receive feedback from peers and teachers on topics they select. The workshop is divided into four parts: status of the class, minilessons, workshop proper, and sharing. Our first grade class is working on non-fiction writing.

We start writers’ workshop by gathering the students up front, making a connection from the previous lesson and state the objective of the minilesson. Our minilessons are approximately 10-15 minutes long and offer our students direct and explicit instruction on specific skills, such as process skills (e.g., idea generation), grammar and spelling skills, writing skills (e.g., paragraph development), and classroom routines (Salend, 2016, p. 398). The majority of the writers’ workshop consists of students working on their writing. While the students are writing, teachers are monitoring the room with proximity and gage students progress. We pull small groups to confer and give feedback. During our conferring time, we show students mentor texts to give examples to learn from. In the final component, students share their work with others, receive feedback, and publish their work.

UDL Checkpoint 3.2- Highlight patterns critical features, big ideas and relationships

During the minilessons in writers workshop, the students are taught to focus on the important information and determining whether it is relevant or not. They are taught to recognize the most important features in information, they allocate their time efficiently, quickly identifying what is valuable and finding the right “hooks” with which to assimilate the most valuable information into existing knowledge (CAST, 2019). Using resources like mentor texts can highlight or emphasizes key elements in text, graphics, or diagrams.

TeachersFirst. (2019). Write and confer. Retrieved from https://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/writers/

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Literacy: Writing                                                                              Grades 1-6

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Literacy: Writing                                                                              Grades 1-6

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Strategy four- Publishing (p. 398)

Objective- Students will be able practice their writing skills by writing a response to the Chronicle.

Description

The Chronicle is the leading newspaper in the greater Glens Falls/ Lake George region. They feature news, the arts, business, health, sports, humor and opinion and education. Students are able to submit their writing responses to the Chronicle and may be lucky enough to be published. Encouraging students to write responses to the Chronicle allows for teachers to praise those for being brave. Publishing a students written article reinforces effort and provides recognition. Recognizing the students’ efforts is considered one of the most effective teaching strategy. Teachers who recognize their students give positive praise and encourage them to keep trying (RBIS: Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition)

Application

Publishing students’ written products presents an excellent opportunity for sharing their work with others and for receiving feedback (Salend, 2016, p. 398). Students can publish their writing for peers to see in the reading corner. Our class is working on writing non-fiction pieces. We plan on publishing one of their writings and inviting their parents to come in and learn all about their topic. Students can also publish their writing in response to questions posed by the Chronicle. The students and teachers feel a sense of pride when their student gets chosen to be published in a newspaper. This is encouraging to all students to practice their writing skills.

UDL Checkpoint 5.3- Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance.
Learners need multiple scaffolds to assist them as they practice and develop independence (CAST, 2019). Curricula should offer the students alternatives to practice their writing with some freedom. Allowing the student to explore the idea of getting their writing published provides opportunities to them. Performance helps learners because it allows them to synthesize their learning in personally relevant ways.

Read the chronicle. (2019). Lone oaks publishing company. Retrieved from http://www.glensfallschronicle.com/

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Literacy: Spelling                                                                            Grades 1-6

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Literacy: Spelling                                                                            Grades 1-6

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Strategy Five- Spelling Games (p. 408)
Objective- Students will be able to recognize challenging words and break them down through practice in a spelling game.

Description

During phonics students can learn different strategies to help them remember the proper spelling of words. A strategy that can be used during phonics is a spelling game. Sparkle is a game used by teachers to  have their students correctly spell the vocabulary words. The teacher will have a list of words that are to be covered. All students stand in a circle. Each student gets a chance to spell the word letter by letter. The first student will state the word, the second student will say the words first letter and each individual student will give a letter. At the end of the word, the last student will say “sparkle” and the student following them will have to sit down. Research shows that Nonlinguistic Representations are able to stimulate and increase brain activity. The students are hearing the letters that are used to spell the word and they are interacting with the spelling. The physical movement represents information (RSIB: Nonlinguistic Representation: Marzano 2012).

Application

You can use spelling games like ‘sparkle’ during review. Spelling games can motivate students to participate during the lesson. Additionally, spelling games can give students the opportunity to practice spelling skills in a non-threatening environment. If the game ‘sparkle’ does not work for your class, as it may be difficult for some, you can incorporate different spelling games like boggle, scrabble, hangman or roll and write. It is important to use different strategies to differentiate instruction. Allowing all students the opportunity to practice their phonics with their peers in a game-like, structured setting can help reinforce their learning.

UDL checkpoint 5.3- build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance

Learners must develop a variety of fluencies (e.g., visual, audio, mathematical, reading, etc.) (CAST, 2019). This means that they often need multiple scaffolds to assist them as they practice and develop independence. Curricula should offer alternatives in the degrees of freedom available, with highly scaffolded and supported opportunities provided for some and wide degrees of freedom for others who are ready for independence. Fluency is also built through many opportunities for performance, be it in a variety of forms like a game. Performance helps learners because it allows them to synthesize their learning in personally relevant ways. Overall, it is important to provide options that build learners’ fluencies (CAST, 2019).

Morning meeting activities. (25 August 2010). Responsive classroom. [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzDq0IlMJTg

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Social Studies                                                                                 Grades 1-6

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Social Studies                                                                                 Grades 1-6

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Strategy Six: Jigsaw (p. 359)
Objective- Students will be able to identify important information in an assigned task by working collaboratively in a small group.

Description

The jigsaw format divides students into groups, with each student assigned a task that is essential in reaching the group’s goal. Using the strategy “jigsaw” helps students create their own style of learning. Teachers arrange students in groups. Each group member is assigned a task. Once everyone has completed their task, all students come together to try to "piece together" a clear picture of the topic at hand. According to research, using cooperative learning to complete a task has been proven to have a positive impact on overall learning. Students contribute their knowledge with their peers and have share the same goal in completing the task.

Application

Assigning every student to make a contribution integrates working with others to produce one group project. When teams work on the same task, expert groups can be formed by having a member of each group meet with peers from other groups who have been assigned the same subtask (Salend, 2016, p. 359). The expert group members work together to complete their assignment and then share the results with their original jigsaw groups (Salend, 2016, p. 359). You can structure the students’ assignment so that each group member can succeed. Our class can use jigsaw during our social studies lessons. The common core standards can be challenging for some of our students. If we were to break an assignment into pieces, each student has only one task to focus on. Then, each individual student can teach their classmates about a given topic. When peers teach peers, alternative language is used and students might have a better chance of understanding the information given.

UDL checkpoint 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy

Offering students a variety of choices in how an objective can be reached increases the connection students feel to their learning, develop self-determination and pride in accomplishment (CAST, 2019).  The right kind of choice and level of independence must be optimized to ensure engagement. Using the ‘jigsaw’ strategy allows the students to choose what they want to research or how they can complete a task. Learners are also involved in setting their own personal academic and behavioral goals as they complete the assignment.

The jigsaw technique. (2016). Education world. Retrieved from https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy036.shtml

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Social Studies                                                                                 Grades 1-6

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Social Studies                                                                                 Grades 1-6

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Strategy Seven- Semantic map/ Mind map (p. 439)

Objective- Students will be able to create a mind map to help organize main ideas and supporting details.

Description Research

Mind mapping is a creative and logical means of note-taking that maps out your ideas. Mind maps have a natural organizational structure that radiates from the center and use lines, symbols, words, color and images according to simple, brain-friendly concepts. Mind mapping helps students convert information they have learned into a colorful, memorable and highly organized diagram. Mind mapping enhances students’ ability to synthesis information and organize students thought and ideas in in a way that captures the main ideas and supporting details (RBIS Summarizing and Note Taking: Marzano 2012).

Application

“Ideas generated by students can be organized by helping students develop an outline or graphic organizer that includes the main topics and supporting ideas grouped together as well as the order in which the ideas will be presented” (Salend, 2016, p. 392). Focus on identifying the main point first when introducing mind maps to students. The stems that go off of the main idea will be the supporting details. In introducing semantic maps, you can ask questions that help students understand their own decision-making processes and learn from others (Salend, 2016, p. 392). Teachers can use mind maps to introduce, review, and clarify new and previously learned material.

UDL Checkpoint 3.3- Guide information processing and visualization

Providing students with organizational methods like mind maps can help transform information into usable knowledge. These cognitive, or meta-cognitive, strategies involve the selection and manipulation of information so that it can be better summarized, categorized, prioritized, contextualized and remembered (CAST, 2019). Mind maps can provide all students with feedback to assist learners who have very diverse abilities in using those strategies effectively.

What is mind mapping? (2019). Mind mapping. Retrieved from https://www.mindmapping.com/

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Math                                                                                                  Grades 1-6

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Math                                                                                                  Grades 1-6

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Strategy Eight- Manipulatives (p. 418)

Objective- Students will be able to practice math facts by using manipulatives.

Description

Manipulatives are physical objects that are used to help teach concepts in math. They can be used to introduce, practice, or remediate a concept. Manipulatives are items that students can use with their hands to help them get a better understanding at the objective. They can be store-bought, brought from home, or teacher- or student-made. They can be used in all areas of math instruction-teaching number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, across all grade levels. Manipulatives enhances the students ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge. The student can get a better understanding of a math concept through the use of manipulating objects (RBIS: Nonlinguistic Representations: Marzano 2012).

Application

We use manipulatives and concrete teaching aids to promote students’ number sense and understanding of basic, abstract, and symbolic concepts by introducing these concepts in a way that makes the connection between mathematics and students’ lives. We first introduce manipulatives in the beginning of the year by letting the students explore them. Once they have been introduced to the cubes or counters we discuss how they can be used to help solve math problems. Additionally we use chromebooks for added assistance. The websites we use, like Moby Max, allow students to manipulate the virtual objects to support all students’ mathematical understanding (Salend, 2016, p. 418).

UDL Checkpoint 4.2 Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies

Providing students’ the support of using tools to help solve problems reinforces learning.  All learners should be given the opportunity to use tools that might help them meet the goal of full participation in the classroom (CAST, 2019). Keeping the lessons challenging, yet successful promote all student learning.

Using manipulatives. (2018). TeacherVision. Retrieved from https://www.teachervision.com/professional-development/using-manipulatives

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Math                                                                                                  Grades 1-6

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Math                                                                                                  Grades 1-6

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Strategy Nine: SeeSaw (p. 419)

Objective - Students will be able to practice their mathematical skills through technology and multimedia to enhance and support mathematics instruction.

Description

SeeSaw is a website designed to empower students to take ownership of their learning and to reflect on their progress over time. Students are able to use creative tools on the website to show what they know in the way that works best for them. SeeSaw allows parents and other educators to examine the work their students have been learning. It creates a meaningful home-school connection so that families can support their child's work in the classroom. According to Marzano (2012), using an advanced organizer, like SeeSaw, enhances all students’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize their knowledge of math concepts (RBIS: Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers, Marzano 2012).

Application

The use of technology provides students with multiple intelligences the opportunity to interact with activities that can make math come alive. Students are able explore different solutions to problems. All students develop number sense, math facts, and mathematical language and solve math problems. We use SeeSaw during our math time. Students are split into 4 groups of 4 and they will take turn rotating to the “SeeSaw Center”. SeeSaw provides our students with numerous opportunities to practice math skills. They submit their solution to a problem and we assess their answers. We praise our students by showing their work to the class during math discussion. The students give positive feedback to their peers.

UDL 5.1 Use multiple media for communication

Using multiple media for communication allows students to explore the different strategies that may help them learn. If we provide only one strategy then our students will not get the concept. All students learn uniquely. Students need to be provided alternative media for expression (CAST, 2019). Students are able to solve problems using a variety of strategies. Our students learning increases when the opportunity to develop a wider range of expression in a media-rich world is provided.

About SeeSaw. (2019). SeeSaw. Retrieved from https://web.seesaw.me/about/

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Science                                                                                             Grades 1-6

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Science                                                                                             Grades 1-6

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Strategy Ten- Field Trips (p. 447)
Objective- Students will be able to compare knowledge learned in the classroom to real-life experiences through virtual or outside of the classroom field trips.

Description

Virtual field trips or field trips outside of the classroom are a great way for students to apply and expand upon what they have learned in a classroom. Field trips are a positive strategy that enables learners to experience learning outside of the classroom. Some students may not be exposed to the world and may not have an understanding of the content taught. To help students get a better understanding, educators can teach the students to look for similarities or differences from the content taught to the real life experience. We are currently learning about animals in our classroom. Some students have never seen rainforest animals. Taking the students on a virtual tour allows them to compare the books they have read to real-life experiences. Comparing virtual field trips or field trips outside of the classroom engage all students’ mental processes that involve identifying ways in which items, in this case animals, are alike and different in books and in real-life.

Application

Field trips, including virtual ones, also can make learning more meaningful and real for students and connect learning to community-based situations. When students travel beyond their classroom, their studies come to live. All students are able to experience and learn more about what they have heard or read. Many museums and sites offer students hands-on experiences that promote learning and provide additional information (Salend, 2016, p. 447). Experiencing a virtual field trip encourages all student to explore more of a given topic. Some schools have “virtual reality headsets” that students can use. The teacher controls what they are looking at. The students are able to look around their screen and see what it is like to visit the ocean, desert, or similar. The pictures in the goggles are realistic which can add to the excitement of learning.

UDL Checkpoint 1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information

Visual information can provide multiple complex meanings to an individual, depending on the contextual factors and the individuals background knowledge (CAST, 2019). That is why it is important to incorporate learning strategies for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Virtual field trips provide visual learners an alternative way of learning required information. They are an optimal way to present additional information to all students. Students who are not visual learner get benefits from virtual field trips or trips outside of the classroom. They are able to experience a different way of learning through the virtual reality goggles.

Field trip resources. (2018). TeacherVision. Retrieved from https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-strategies/field-trips

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Textbook
Salend, Spencer J.. Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Effective, Differentiated and Reflective Practices (Page 398). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.

Websites
About SeeSaw. (2019). SeeSaw. Retrieved from https://web.seesaw.me/about/

CAST. (2019). UDL guidelines. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=cast-about-udl

Field trip resources. (2018). TeacherVision. Retrieved from https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-strategies/field-trips

Lynch, Erin. (5 October, 2015). Give me five! Reading strategies for grades K-2. Sadlier english language arts blog. Retrieved from https://www.sadlier.com/school/ela-blog/give-me-five-reading-strategy-for-grades-k-2

Lynette, Rachel. (4 February, 2013). Keep your students engaged with “turn and talk”. Minds in bloom. Retrieved from https://minds-in-bloom.com/keep-your-students-engaged-with-turn/

Morning meeting activities. (25 August 2010). Responsive classroom. [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzDq0IlMJTg

Read the chronicle. (2019). Lone oaks publishing company. Retrieved from http://www.glensfallschronicle.com/

TeachersFirst. (2019). Write and confer. Retrieved from https://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/writers/

The jigsaw technique. (2016). Education world. Retrieved from https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy036.shtml

Using manipulatives. (2018). TeacherVision. Retrieved from https://www.teachervision.com/professional-development/using-manipulatives

What is mind mapping? (2019). Mind mapping. Retrieved from https://www.mindmapping.com/