January UDL Connections

Each month this periodical will 1) highlight critical UDL practices, 2) make connections to the UDL guidelines and checkpoints, 3) connect you with great tools and resources, 4) share some ways schools are putting this practice into action and 5) offer additional approaches to utilize this highlighted practice.

2.3.a Identify all possible learner barriers (such as hearing, reading level, visual impairment, specific learning disabilities, giftedness, motivation, social-emotional, mental health, background background knowledge, language, vocabulary acquisition) and plan for variability utilizing UDL Guidelines.

How fitting that we start January with checkpoint 1.1, at the "beginning." Of course, "beginning" is in quotation marks here because the guidelines are not meant to be completed in a particular order or like a checklist.

However, I wanted to begin the year with a focus on efficiency, which brings me to the underlying theme of this month's UDL Connections with a question:

Do you ever find yourself saying the same thing repeatedly? ~ If so, maybe try to present it in a different way and provide scaffolding.

According to CAST, "to reduce barriers to learning, it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by: 1) providing the same information through different modalities (e.g., through vision, hearing, or touch); 2) providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user (e.g., text that can be enlarged, sounds that can be amplified). Such multiple representations not only ensure that information is accessible to learners with particular sensory and perceptual disabilities, but also easier to access and comprehend for many others."

1. Ludia: To improve efficiency, I started with a resource I've shared before (Ludia) because it helps me focus my thoughts, provides options to consider, and, as I've stated before, is designed with UDL principles- so I know I'm getting quality content.

I asked Ludia:

What tools or resources might help me reduce barriers to learning?

Ludia suggested using screen readers, text-to-speech, closed captioning, and multimedia presentations (among many others).

2. Synthesia: this is a new platform I have used to create multimedia presentations that turn text into more engaging videos than my voice-over presentations. A bonus that I love is that they are much easier to edit.

3. Anticipating Barriers Within the Curriculum for Goals, Materials, Methods, and Assessments: Identifying barriers can be challenging. This resource isn't new but does a good job of breaking down ways to identify barriers.

4. Page 2: Addressing Barriers from the Perspectives and Resources Module from the Iris Center includes a great table to help educators shift from the mindset that the barrier is in the student to the mindset that the barrier is in the design. Therefore, we must redesign.

5. Flippity. Flippity Easily turns Google™ Spreadsheets into Sets of Online Flashcards and Other Cool Stuff! Here is an example using their template. I like this Flippity option because it supports other guidelines, checkpoints, and practices. For instance, it promotes executive functioning through organization and memory- which can always be supported!

In a math TBT, I recently observed a teacher sharing how she created a visual scaffold for students working in collaborative groups. They get to discuss the problem together, and the worked solution provides a way to scaffold reasoning. This Algebra teacher graciously allowed me to snap a photo of her visual. I wanted to share it in this month's UDL Connections because it is also a strategy shared in August's UDL Connections, Worked Solution Strategy (WSS).

I'm sharing this because of the "theme" of this month's connections:

Do you ever find yourself saying the same thing repeatedly? ~ If so, maybe try to present it in a different way and provide scaffolding.

She took her typical verbal and demonstration-based lesson and added a second visual example for groups to use collaboratively. Then, she created the visual scaffolds for solving problems.

Another success to note is that, during this collaborative work time, the students were engaged with each other and the lessons, so the teacher was able to provide additional and one-on-one support when needed.

Below are some examples of ways to make key information available through multiple means:

1. Make a video using Synthesia like this: Organizing Early Warning System Interventions

This example is a multimedia presentation created with Synthesia for a specific district on important aspects of Organizing an Early Warning System. Having verbally shared this information multiple times with multiple districts, it was time to share it differently.

2. Include video demos like the one included in this Synthesia video: 4 pictures, One Word. This video was created for a session at Ocalicon 2023. Look for the session link in the Upcoming Conference to Catch and other learning opportunities section of February's UDL Connections.

3. Create a Smore like the one artfully created by Beth Stark: Origami Swan: This remarkable resource was shared by Beth Stark during the UDLIRN Implementation SIG meeting in December... and it's genius!

The example from Perry High School got me thinking: how are readers of UDL Connections using the tools, practices, or strategies? So far, the communication of UDL Connections has been mostly one-sided.

This led to my next thought:

Are you interested in meeting once a month during the lunch hour (12-1 EST) to discuss practices and resources from UDL Connections?

That's great! ~because Lisa and I are too😀

Join us for UDL Theory to Practice Brown Bag Sessions during your lunch once a month, and plan on sharing how you are using, have used, or plan to use the practices and resources mentioned in the UDL Connections. The first session is this month!

Time:

January 26, 2024, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

These sessions occur every month on the Fourth Friday until May 24, 2024

Jan 26, 2024 11:00 AM

Feb 23, 2024 11:00 AM

Mar 22, 2024 11:00 AM

Apr 26, 2024 11:00 AM

May 24, 2024 11:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://sst6-org.zoom.us/j/81521788853

Meeting ID: 815 2178 8853

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly: https://sst6-org.zoom.us/meeting/tZUodeivpjMiH9efaLqXpBQ94dKUurebRpJn/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGpqzkrHdyduByERpwcGYjod-3xiFxHgvpYmh7JEhhDQDKvYuZpB6dtFdri

For quarterly collaboration with peers from around the world who are focused on Implementing Universal Design for Learning, don't miss the UDLIRN Implementation SIG's meetings! Great resources and ideas are always shared, like the Origami Swan above. To learn more, visit their page at https://udl-irn.org/implementation-sig/ or click the button below.

Next, when listening to the podcast UDL in 15 Minutes with Kyanne Obrock and Carrie McSwain, episode 110, hear how teachers became more efficient with their time as well due to planning with UDL. It's about the 8-minute mark.

Happy learning and listening!

Cherie Smith began working at State Support Team Region 6 in July 2015. She has a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and the Inclusive Classroom. Most of her experience has been in special education as a supervisor and an Intervention Specialist at the secondary level. She has taught students wtih disabiliteis in both Florida and Ohio.

Cherie is currently a co-chair of Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network's Implementation Special Interest Group and is a member of the Ohio UDL Collaborative.

As an SST6 Consultant, she supports districts in the Ohio Implementation Process as a Regional Data Lead. She leads Universal Design for Learning and supports districts with IDEA Internal Monitoring, Postsecondary Transition, PBIS, and College and Career Readiness.

Email: csmith@sst6.org
Website: https://www.sst6.org/UniversalDesignforLearning.aspx
Location: 1045 Dearbaugh Avenue, Wapakoneta, OH, USA
Phone: 419-739-0170
Facebook: facebook.com/SST6ohio
Twitter: @SST6

As the lead UDL consultant for SST 16, Lisa coaches educational leaders in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and provides professional learning to build the capacity of UDL practitioners. She is a member of the Ohio UDL Collaborative purposed with building the capacity of regional UDL facilitators in order to build state-wide capacity for UDL implementation.

Lisa is licensed as an Intervention Specialist in the state of Ohio and with MA in Counseling she brings a unique skillset to the field of education.

Email: lisa.arthur@sst16.org

Website: https://www.sst16.org/

Location: 21 Birge Drive, Chauncey, OH

Phone: 440-735-8565

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sstregion16