Description:

Kidspiration provides younger students with a variety of mind maps, graphic organizers, and other activities to assist in the development and organization of their writing skills, foster the development of reading skills, and the development of critical thinking skills.  

UDL Guidelines: 

•       Checkpoint 2.2- Clarify Syntax and Structure: Kidspiration helps students visualize the structure of writing assignments as well as the structure of stories.

•       Checkpoint 3.2 – Highlight Patterns, Critical Features, Big Ideas, and Relationships: Kidspirations mind maps and graphic organizers can help students visualize how different parts of the writing process related to each other. 

•       Checkpoint 3.3- Guide Information Processing and Visualization: Kidspiration’s mind maps allow students to visualize their writing and components of a story.

•       Checkpoint 5.3 – Build Fluencies with Graduated Levels of Support for Practice and Performance

•       Checkpoint 1.1 – Offer ways of Customizing the Display of Information

•       Checkpoint 6.3 – Facilitate Managing Information and Resources

•       Checkpoint 6.2- Support Planning and Strategy Development

Learner Variability: 

This tool can be used to support students with information-processing disorders as well as simplify the writing process for students who struggle with the ambiguity of some writing assignments.

Snap and Read is a paid app or browser extension that provides students with support on various reading skills. Snap and Read can help students to read and annotate texts. Snap and Read provides text- to- speech, a screenshot reader, and simplify; this feature presents complex words and phrases in a simplified manner. Snap and Read also provides translation features, support in PDFs, and the ability to organize text into a outline for future reference.

UDL Guidelines: 

*Checkpoint 2.1 – Clarify Vocabulary and Symbols: Snap and Read’s simplify feature simplifies vocabulary and concepts making it easier for students to understand at any level. 

* Checkpoint 2.4 – Promote Understanding Across Languages: Snap and Read’s translation feature, which has over 100 different languages. The importance of having translation features is that it allows all students to access texts and ensure their understanding of them. 

Checkpoint 1.3 – Offer Alternatives for Visual Information: Snap and Read’s text to speech ensures accessibility for learners with visual impairments. Additionally, Snap and Read’s pdf supports allow for students to highlight texts and increase text size which can support learners with visual impairments.

Learner Variability: 

Snap and Read supports learners who struggle with information processing with its text to speech and simplify features. Additionally, it supports vocabulary development as well as accessibility for students with visual impairment’s. 

Toy theater is a virtual Math Manipulatives website. This website has virtual manipulatives ranging from counting bears, time, coins, to area squares. These virtual manipulatives can be utilized in online learning settings as well as during in person learning for students who may not be able to access physical manipulatives but can interact with alternative keyboards or switches. 

UDL Guidelines: 

Checkpoint 1.2- Offer Alternatives for Auditory Information: Virtual math manipulatives provide a visual replacement for auditory information. They can allow students to see a visual representation of lecture information. 

Checkpoint 2.1- Clarify Vocabulary and Symbols: Utilizing virtual math manipulatives can allow students to have a better understanding of math terminology when they can visualize it as well as allow them to explore and learn more about the representation of symbols such as coins in math lessons, so that future lessons can build upon this information. 

Checkpoint 7.3- Minimize Threats and Distractions: By utilizing virtual math manipulatives it can eliminate the distraction of students playing with the physical manipulatives. 

Checkpoint 4.1- Vary the methods for response and navigation. 

Learner Variability: 

Virtual math manipulatives provide students of varying abilities with a visual and interactive way to engage with mathematic principles. Additionally, it allows students who struggle with word problems or other information processing challenges to visualize information. 

phET simulations are virtual simulations of science labs. These simulations allow for students to trial multiple and various simulations of labs. These simulations are free and more accessible for students with physical disabilities who may not be able to access in person experiences of the labs. 

UDL Guidelines: 

Checkpoint 4.2- Optimize Access to Tools and Assistive Technology: The virtual nature of phET lab simulations allow for compatibility with specific assistive technologies such as switches. 

Checkpoint 2.5- Illustrate through Multiple Media: phET lab simulations provide keys and definitions as to various aspects of the labs. Additionally, most simulations present various visuals of the labs to support and guide learner understanding.

Checkpoint 8.2 – Vary Demands and Resources to Optimize Challenge: Because phET lab simulations are virtual and free educators can challenge their students by encouraging them to complete more challenging experiments through the simulations or by redoing the lab simulations until they get the desired result without the strain of depleting resources. 

Learner Variability: 

phET simulations are a great tool for all learners, but they severe especially to increase learner independence, allow for multiple trials and errors, and increase accessibility of science to learners who struggle to access physical labs. 

Padlet serves as a bulletin board for the sharing of ideas and information. With easy posting, commenting, and sharing features Padlet is a great resource for establishing a classroom community and a outlet for creativity and inspiration.

UDL Guidelines: 

Checkpoint 8.4- increase mastery-oriented feedback: Educators are easily able to comment and interact with student’s padlets and provide feedback that will assist students in working towards mastery in their goals. 

Checkpoint 8.3- Foster collaboration and community: Collaboration and community is easily fostered within padlet because students can easily comment on each other’s posts and respond to ideas that their classmates shared. Additionally, the instructor can provide prompts to guide student’s discussions.

Checkpoint 5.2- Use multiple tools for construction and composition: Padlet provides students with the opportunity to upload videos, images, articles, audio segments, and text as well as other forms of multimedia. This means that students can use a variety of tools and methods to construct their assignments and responses but still share them in a community setting with their peers. 

Checkpoint 7.2- Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity: Because students are sharing and interacting with their peers instead of just the teacher, they find more value in completing their work as they are sharing it with a more relevant audience. 

Learner Variability: 

Padlet caters towards all learners as it is supportive of a variety of response methods and is accessible with the support of assistive technology for students who require such support. Additionally, Padlet can create a classroom community and foster collaboration, which is an influential factor in learning.

UDL Checkpoints: 

Checkpoint 1.1- Offer ways of customizing the display of information: News2You allows educators to select stories at content levels that are appropriate for their readers. It also provides images, activities, and graphics that help to ensure that information is displayed in a way that is easily accessible and easily understood regardless of ability level. 

Checkpoint 2.1 - Clarify vocabulary and symbols: News2You allocates specific pages of each current event story to teach vocabulary as well as the symbols used to present that new vocabulary information. 

Checkpoint 5.3- Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance: News2You provides students and educators with stories and activities that are at graduated and differentiated content levels. News2You can grow with a student’s ability level and challenge them at their varying levels allowing them to build fluency before progressing.

Learning Variability: 

News2You is excellent for students who struggle with information processing, as well as have reading difficulties. News2You simplifies the vocabulary used to explain content without sacrificing the meaning of content making it appropriate for all age levels.  

Rescue Time is a paid time management system. This system provides task lists, work schedules, and productivity coaching. This system promotes self-regulation and serves as a scaffold towards students being able to independently manage their time. 

Checkpoint 9.1 - Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation: Rescue Time provides students with pre-established work periods that allow students to visualize how much longer they are required to work on a task, this helps motivate them to continue working in order to finish the task on time. 

Checkpoint 9.2- Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies: Rescue Time is a great strategy for students who are beginning to learn time management strategies. Rescue Time can eventually be generalized and scaffolded down to eliminate the use of rescue time in favor of setting regular timers and eventually regulating time and work motivation independently. 

 

Learner Variability: 

Some students struggle with knowing how long an assignment should take them, or they struggle with the motivation to work on a task. By having the Rescue Time resource provide estimates, timers, and tips it can eliminate some of the fatigue associated with starting and completing assignments. It also provides students with a tool that can help them establish the self -regulation skills necessary for strong time management skills. 

Notability is a platform that allows for the creation and sharing of notes, expression of creativity, and has the capability to record and play notes out loud.

UDL Guidelines:

Checkpoint 6.3- Facilitate managing information and resources: Notability allows you to organize notes, drawings, and audio recordings into various folders. 

Checkpoint 1.1 - Offer ways of customizing the display of information: Students can utilize Notability to take notes in a written format, record the lecture or activity, and draw information that they receive. In written notes students can color code information to highlight specific important information. 

Checkpoint 3.3 - Guide information processing and visualization: Students can use Notability’s draw features to make mind maps or drawings that help them visualize information that is presented. 

Learner Variability: 

Students who struggle with organization or other executive function skills will benefit from the use of Notability because of the easy-to-use organization features. It is also ideal because it allows students with a variety of learning styles to create notes and look back on information in a way that is accessible to them. 

A word wall is a reading strategy that utilizes the display of vocabulary words as a focal point in the room. These words can be rotated out depending on their word families, stories, or other factors. The purpose of these word walls is to familiarize students with these words and well as serve as a reference for what are key vocabulary words that should be explicitly taught and reviewed. 

UDL Checkpoints: 

Checkpoint 2.1 - Clarify vocabulary and symbols: Word walls are utilized to explicitly teach students the definition and meaning of vocabulary words. As well as serving as a reference to vocabulary that students have unlimited access to. 

Checkpoint 3.1 - Activate or supply background knowledge: If a word wall is reviewed in conjunction with a story or book it can supply background knowledge to context and vocabulary that students will be exposed to in the book, this can foster reading comprehension. 

Checkpoint 3.2-Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships  : Word walls can be used to demonstrate the relationships between vocabulary words. For example a word wall could be used to display words with a short O sound. This visual may help students learn and recognize the different words that have a short O sound. 

Learner Variability: 

Learners who struggle with working-memory may benefit from the constant exposure to the word wall, and its vocabulary words. Other learners who may benefit from the use of a word wall are learners who struggle with recognizing patterns within vocabulary.

A visual schedule utilizes pictures to display the schedule or routine of a full day, specific time or individual routine. These pictures can be cartoons like real life examples, or pictures of the student completing the task. These pictures allow students who are struggling with reading an easy-to-follow schedule. 

UDL Guidelines: 

Checkpoint 6.4 - Enhance capacity for monitoring progress: Visual schedules allow students to see what point of a day or routine they are at. This can help them independently monitor progress as to what they have completed and know what comes next. 

Checkpoint 9.2 - Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies: When students are provided with a visual schedule that shows pictures of what is next it can help to reduce anxiety associated with transitions. 

 

Learner Variability: 

Visual schedules are perfect for young learners, beginner communicators, and students with emerging literacy skills. Visual schedules allow students to have visual representations of tasks and activities and often time can be utilized as a token that they can move to indicate activities have been completed which helps with self-regulation.