UDL is a curriculum design process focusing on the skills and needs of diverse learners. Instructional goals are developed to improve the education of everyone by adjusting for individual needs that allow equal opportunities for success.  Designing for learning motivates the students by encouraging different interests and focusing on goals that may be unique to the learner.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a method of learning by being embedding in the process and determining the path for reaching goals.  Students are given the opportunity to brainstorm ideas on guiding questions and explore the options for approaching answers and solutions. One of the most critical elements of creating an engaging and meaningful PBL project is creating tasks meaningful to the students while still fulfilling the educational goals.  Students take ownership for the learning because they see the significance of learning, rather than just preparing for a test.  They are fully engaged at all levels of the learning process and use self-evaluations to advance their own education.

Students being actively engaged in their own learning requires a sense of safety.  In my classroom, we do not use the word “wrong.”  We can either agree or disagree with a student’s response and are then given the opportunity to justify our thinking.  I want students to feel comfortable sharing their mistakes as a learning experience, instead of a failure, and then exhibiting diligence in changing paths and continuing to move forward. When one method fails to exceed the goals of a lesson, perseverance is necessary to truly learn. 

Students are working in collaboration to actively engage in the content.  Not only are they working as a group of learners in the classroom, but are also given as much ownership and say in what is being taught based on what is and is not important to the stakeholders.  Students are no longer listening and taking notes, rather working side by side with a facilitator to mutually decide the outcomes of the lessons and how to approach the learning goals.  Students are given the opportunity to make mistakes, ask questions, and adjust when needed.

One of the hardest parts of teaching Geometry is getting students to visualize the lessons. Tinkercad is an online application where people can design 3 dimensional objects.  It is a basic version of 3 dimensional CAD anyone can use without prior training. Simple shape templates, including letters and numbers, are available for building.  You can change the dimensions of objects to fit your design seeing how size and volume is affected.  This application gives students a chance to build in 3 dimensional space and not just pictures on a paper.

It can be challenging to reach students who struggle in an academic setting.  Encouraging active participation from students of all levels is imperative in ensuring the success of all learners.  Providing opportunities for a variety of achievers is one way of exhibiting the strengths of all students.  For this, I have created “expert for the day.”  A student excelling in calculating the area of circle may struggle when constructing a hexagon using geometric tools.  A student gaining confidence in today’s lesson will gain the confidence necessary to persevere in tomorrow’s task. 

Khan Academy is on online forum aiming to provide a free education to everyone.  Users have access to tutorial videos and practice exercises in multiple content areas and languages.  Learning is personalized by tracking what users have learned and what content they can move on to.  

Edline is a classroom website used by Montgomery County Public Schools to support educators in reaching students and their families.  The teacher can upload news, upcoming assessments, homework assignments, nearing deadlines, and class content.  Families can monitor grades and email teachers when questions arise or if they need help supporting their child.  

English learners often struggle unnecessarily in a classroom due to a language barrier.  When a student is provided an opportunity to engage in content written in their native language, they are more confident and able to think more critically.  Google Translate is a free service available on the web and mobile devices translating text, speech, or video from one language into another.  The website supports 103 languages helping language learners from all areas of the world.

Mathway provides students, parents, and teachers support in solving and understanding math problems. Users type problems with the help of a toolbar and pick a process from a pull down menu matching the method the student is trying to achieve.  The webpage will provide answers, as well as, step by step instructions.

GeoGebra is an application incorporated in the geometry and algebra lessons to provide an interactive component to teaching mathematics.  The effect of changing dimensions for parts of a circle can be demonstrated by allowing students to move parts and see the differences.  In an algebra setting, the sinusoidal waves created by circular rotations can be presented with immediate justification.    a

Manipulatives are an essential tool in the math classroom.  Exploragons provide hands on activities for students to explore their own learning in a geometric setting.  Students work with flexible sticks of differing lengths to observe the properties of multiple types of angles and triangles.  Students are able to engage in active learning beyond just being provided lecture notes. 

One of the luxuries of being a Geometry teacher is the chance to celebrate Pi Day.  On this day, the class focuses on understanding the number pi, where it came from, and how to calculate its value.  Students use the measurement of cookies, or any circular shaped food, to calculate circumference and are then write the equation of a circle on a coordinate plane.  Students are actively engaged in the learning and understanding of circles and their parts. After the activity is completed everyone gets to indulge in eating their Pi Day treats.