1. Shelley Moore: Transforming Inclusive Education 

2. Math Teaching Models: UDL

3. Choice Boards through a UDL Lens 

1. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/udl-in-15-minutes/id1438517430

Representation

Action and Expression

E - Engagement

R - Representation

A - Action & Expression

Engagement

Representation

Action/Expression

She has two more follow up pod casts.

We listed to Arie Werder’s part 1 pod cast. We all feel that it was useful information with a lot of food for thought. Here are a few highlights:

1. We need to be able to expand support for all students and thing big.

2. We need to honor what others can bring.

3. There are multiple means of demonstrating knowledge. It’s important for students to be able to show what they know.

4. We as educators can be vulnerable and use resources available ( ex: like other adults/colleges).

5. Representation for all learners.

Our biggest take away is the quote from Arie was powerful when she said “ The barrier is not the student, the environment is”.

By: Sarah Hornbeck, Kristen Baker, Patricia Bennett, Rachel Hermance, and James Ortner.

E= Engagement

R= Representation

A=Action & Expression

*ENGAGING STUDENTS IN MULTIPLE WAYS

AND ON MULTIPLE LEVELS

*COLLABORATION WITH STUDENTS

*TEACHING AS A GUIDE

* REFLECTING

*DESIGN - How does each student learn best

*MULTI MEDIA - to show what you know and use for communication of ideas and use for learning tools ideas

*MANAGE/MONITOR SELF PROGRESS

Nancy, Lynn, Stephanie

Wendy Veeder, Danielle Waldron, Megan Jerkowski and Julia Jeon

Consider Content

Honoring all learners

Output using different modalities

I have choice

Consider Supports

Empowering Students

Based on Standards & Concepts

Own the learning process

Action & expression

Representation of varied modes of learning

Demonstrating understanding

Nadine Mondini & Christine Kurlander

Consider content

Honoring learners

Output using different modalities

I have choice

Consider supports

Empowering students

Based on Standards and Concepts

Own the learning process

Action and expression

Representation of varied modes of learning

Demonstrating Understanding

Christine Kurlander & Nadine Mondini

12/3/24

Dear Diary

Today my lesson didn’t go as planned. My students were disengaged and didn’t seem to understand what I was trying to teach. This seems to be a common trend and I am searching for anything to help with this problem. I went into my colleague’s room after putting the kids on the bus and broke down. I am at a loss. She told me that she has been looking into UDL. She showed me how she uses UDL to keep students engaged. It looks too difficult to plan. I don’t know if I can do this.

5/3/24

Dear Diary,

Yesterday we had professional development on UDL, I feel like I finally understand how I can do this in a way that isn’t overwhelming to plan. I’ve started to provide choice in how my students present their knowledge and it has made them feel so much more confident. I thought some of my students weren’t understanding the science concepts but that isn’t true! Seeing how well they can share their knowledge when given options makes me hopeful for how they’ll be able to retain information in different ways. I remember learning about the VARK learning styles but I never thought I would be able to use these strategies in elementary school!

Donna Brocco, Maria Bartle, Kristy Drabyk, Jen Bonelli, Cathy Turner, Hailey Turner

Alicia Iannizzotto & Erin Misasi

Alice Guillon, Amanda Renner, Colleen Bordeman, Theresa Krom, Tess McCormick

• Beth, Sue, and Tessa

-Amber

• It is important to consider all students’ barriers to learning and preferences for expression when planning a lesson

• Starting the year with low stakes sharing/risk taking is a great way to establish a positive learning environment. Pop tents are an excellent idea to help facilitate group discussions

• UDL requires teachers to work backwards from the end goal. No matter what route students take to learn and express their understanding, they must all arrive at the same end goal.

  
  

Each of us shared our own individual strategies for learning and retaining information throughout our education. For example, some of us learn better through auditory means, others by reading text. Some of us like to work with our hands while learning. We realize that our students also need multiple means of accessing information. We also wondered how individuals come to understand which learning styles will work best for them. For each of us, it was a life-long process of better understanding our own brains. We felt that there was a potential pitfall in which students could avoid areas of deficit because of frustration, and through this avoidance, not build up their skills in those areas. Therefore, we thought that is it is important to design lessons that provide choice while not sacrificing the learning goal, and while ensuring that each student engages with material that is appropriately challenging for them.

Jenn, Katie, Darlene and Sheila

Jennifer Husta, Michele Juric, & Cindy Palm

We watched the video on choice boards. We discussed how they would work well with spelling and reading assignments. They would also be beneficial to use for students to demonstrate understanding of science and social studies topics. They give students opportunities to take ownership of their learning through personal choices and play to their strengths as learners (for example, art, writing, and/or technology).

Options are so important. We do a lot of this learning within our room. I really enjoyed the bowling analogy.

The choice board gives children a voice and autonomy in their learning and helps them explore their own strengths and weaknesses. Student will typically choose a method in their comfort zone. A choice board encourages students to expand on their learning experiences. Choice boards allow us to provide divergent methods from text if it does not need to be aligned with a writing standard. When making a choice board, we need to start off with a clear goal. No matter what modality the students choose, the learning outcome will be the same. There is a concern about the amount of time required to set up a thoughtful choice board.

As a student Arie struggled with reading, writing, and ADHD. She felt passionate about becoming a teacher but faced the same hurdles in college as she did in her formative years. Just when it seemed her disabilities would prevent her from entering graduate school Arie’s professor, Prof Duarte, advocated on her behalf. He said, “If we do not have people in education that represent our students, how are we going to help them?” This support helped her gain access to a masters program in education. She furthered her career by supporting teachers as they work with students who come from a large variety of cultural backgrounds including students with disabilities.

Jocelin McNally

Christine Riley

Essay

Write a poem

write a journal entry

comic strip

artistic representation

film

act out a scene

movie poster

newspaper article

press release

slide show

Submitted by Doug Serson, Ashley Sasso, Erica Knapp Gannon, Nisha V.

Thank you

The bowling pins represent our students and their learning challenges. The more challenged students need to be the ones that we plan lessons for and as a result ....ALL benefit.

Marianne Hawryluk

Kristine Jarvis

Tara Hyland

Jody Hoffman

Also, we do not have time for collaboration for UDL...and even if we implement UDL lessons in our elementary school the students still end up going to the high school and have to pass Regents exams in order to graduate - so how does that fit UDL?

Julie Decker

Reading teacher, MES

As we viewed the bowling video the narrator discussed bowling with a curve so we impact more of the pins at the same time.

This is similar to the discussions we had during the morning session when the concept of a ramp on a sidewalk was compared to UDL in that a ramp is inclusive to all (Similar to the elevator button).

In the classroom we have a newly found motivation to seek out those who make up the 7-10 split rather than focus on the ones who may be left behind if we were to just aim at the head (center) pin for all bowling games.

Neumann/Bouton

For example, with a social studies project on WWII, unifying themes and ideas, options of a poster, comic strip, independent research project, battlefield diorama, a journal entry, etc. can be given. This allows for students to be passionate about the project, by choosing something that they feel confident that they can succeed at.

Nanette S, Alex K, Kelley O, Joe G

options for how to express

their learning gives each

student the chance to show their best work”

The article discussed the importance of providing students with multiple means of presenting concepts and information and the ability to reach all students. UDL is a great way to tap into the brilliance of our students.

-Johnson

By: Katlyn Harder, Eliana Barnum, Faye Carlson-Mackenzie, and Sue Gleich

J. Clinton

Presenting students with a visual display of amusing, joyful, and melancholic animals at the start of a lesson can act as an captivating attention-grabber, as well as provide the teacher with insight into the class's mood! Ali Abbruzzi & Whitney Burns (Podcast 106)

*UDL relies on self regulation and safety for both the student and the teacher.

*our nervous systems are constantly communicating with someone else's nervous system

*Transitions affect learning

*Transitions are not just physical -going from PE to English class -but also mental and emotional relocation.

*Self regulation supports someone physiologically to move into a more calm state

*Priming students for transitions throughout their day supports learning

*We learn with our whole body, not just our brain

Submitted by: A. Klein

• Tom Tarchine