March 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.

This month is highlight is the design cycle, with an emphasis on removing barriers at every step.

Because UDL design is iterative, we can make improvements througout the design process and with each iteration. That's great news! ~ and something to celebrate;)

How are you designing lessons that allow you to honor and understand youth culture? or work culture?

Creating time and space to honor our learners is crucial. However, it cannot be achieved in a one day activity. Learning about our learners takes time. Building a trusting learning environment takes time.

So try to add a little each day. If we do that, we can build the learning culture and atmosphoere necessary for deep and authentic learning to occur.

Inclusive activites are a great way to start! Hopefully the resources below inspire some ideas for ways to just start the process.

1. Design Cycle Planning Template and the Barrier Explicit Version. These templates allow users to plan with the design cycle in mind. Try one today to design your next learning experience and include some of the resources shared below.

The tools below are great tools to help you think like a UDL Designer! Before you read more, ask yourselft:

• What is the barrier in your learning environment (think classroom, professional learning, or an professional learning meeting)?
• Is it culture?
• Would you like to cultivate a more postive culture?
• Do you want to continually find ways to include and engage each and every learner?

Utilize the resources below to do just that!

2. The image above came from Today's First Five. It is an online resources that connects social emotional learning. It is organized by PreK-5 and grades 6-12 so it is better tailored. With every resource they give you a way to connect to students through a meme, success starter questions, greeting students at the door, quick connects, and scaffolds for check ins with students. We really love the mindfulness activities and choosing positivity quotes. I've included a full edition of First Five for February 21. The First Five: Secondary Edition #538- February 21st, 2025 — Edtomorrow- Supporting Today’s Educators through Restorative Practices PD.

We also find First Five to be useful for professional meetings!

3. Keep the thrill of March Madness all year long by installing the Confettit Cannon (Google Extension). My colleagues and I have found that this can instantly add fun and celebrations to any learning environment. It's our new fav! See the images below for tips on looks on this new tool.

4. Staying true to the theme of celebrations, we wanted to show snapshots of some places where people connected with UDL Connections (see images below). UDL Connections has been opened and read on every continent! The pictures below represent a few months since the first UDL Connection in November 2022! Access Archived UDL Connections by clicking on the button below.

Note: Smore changed formatting about a year ago so older Smores may sometimes have odd formatting. Also, remember that the UDL Design Cycle was referred the UDL Practice Profile at one point, before the alignment to our continuous improvement process and the iterative design of UDL.

5. Finally, Whisk Experiments offer a way to nurture joy and play within your inlcusive activities or brain breaks. Check out the images I was able to create in February. Check out my plushie, sticker and pin below.

In honor of International Women's day, St.Patrick's Day, and Mardi Gras, and Employee appreciation day we let's all take a brain break to celebrate each other and create something new!

One elementary school utilized the template to provide feedback on UDL lesson design. See this first grade math classroom feedback.

Another middle school is doing something very similar: feedback for middle school science.

This month's UDL Collaborative was planned using the UDL Design Cycle Planning Document. Heidi co-faciliated and planned using the Design Cycle.

The inclusive activity featured slides by Colleen Kornish, who made wonderful explicit connections to the importance of inclusive activities and designing to remove or reduce barriers within her activity.

IT's FREE!! Register HERE for a calendar invitation to our UDL Chats!

March 28, 2025

11:00 - 12:00 EST

April 24, 2025

1:00 - 2:00 EST

Luckily, we can always rely on high-quality learning from Loui and her guests on the podcast UDL in 15 minutes. Oh, and by the way, Congratulations on your 100,000th download, Loui!

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: @Smith43326

Heidi Orvosh, Ph.D., is an instruction and technology integration specialist/consultant/coach with Northern Buckeye Education Council. She works with schools around the region to build the capacity of local educational agencies to engage in systemic and sustainable improvements for students. Her primary focus is in the area of technology integration and Universal Design for Learning. She has over 20 years of professional expertise in the area of education. Her previous experience includes consultant with State Support Team Region 7, administrator, and teacher at the secondary and post-secondary level. Her doctorate is in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University.

Email: orvosh@nwoca.org

Website: https://www.nwoca.org
Phone: Cell (575) 202-5856
Facebook: facebook.com/SST6ohio
Twitter: @HeidiOrvosh

Jenny (she/her) is an educational consultant and Regional Data Lead for SST 16. In addition to her membership in the Ohio UDL Collaborative, her work involves supporting leadership teams with the Ohio Improvement Process, assisting with attendance work, and co-leading regional Each Child on Track initiatives. Prior to joining SST, Jenny spent thirteen years as a secondary science teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Earth Science Education and a Master of Education in Cultural Studies in Education.

Email: jenny.lang@sst16.org
Website: https://www.sst16.org/
Location: 21 Birge Drive, Chauncey, OH 45719, USA

Phone: 740-797-0150

Favorite Dinosaur: Parasaurolophus

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