Submitted by Amy Mullin March 12, 2014 UDL to Solve Problems Submitted by Amy Mullin March 12, 2014

Setting the Stage… (Class Description) A mathematics teacher approached me because of issues with student behavior and lack of engagement in classroom activities. The class is a Math Assistance class which meets for 90 minutes every day (split into two 45 minutes classes). Students in this class scored BASIC on the Math MSA. The class consists of 20 students with 2 students having an IEP and 3 students having 504 plans. There are 7 girls and 13 boys in the class. Student desks are arranged in rows. The teacher is a career-changer in the second year of teaching.

Setting the Stage… (Challenges and Barriers) Students are consistently engaged in off-task behaviors, which are often disruptive to the learning environment. The teacher typically stays in the front of the classroom and spends most of class time addressing student behavior. Approximately 90% of instruction is teacher-directed. Instructional strategies consistently used are lecture-based and packet-driven. Classroom activities do not provide opportunities for student collaboration or discussion.

Looking Back… Over the course of one week, I visited the classroom to conduct an analysis of the classroom environment and instruction. After the visits, I met with the teacher to provide feedback about the classroom environment and instruction. Content coaching sessions are used to co-plan lessons with the teacher. During coaching sessions, we discuss strategies to create a student-centered learning environment that fosters meaningful engagement. Together, we identified these areas of focus: displaying information, sharing knowledge, and collaboration.

The UDL Connection Moving Forward…

Multiple Means of Representation Display information in a variety of ways. When introducing new material, the teacher begins with a visual representation (virtual manipulatives, charts, graphs, videos) and gradually moves students toward the abstract representation. (1.3, 2.3, 5.1) The teacher now uses a combination of interactive flipcharts and videos from sites such as BrainPop and Khan Academy to present content. (2.5) The teacher uses different colors or the highlight function of Promethean software to emphasize key terms and differentiate steps of a process. (1.1)

Multiple Means of Action and Expression Share knowledge in a variety of ways. During a lesson on solving two-step equations, students were able to show their understanding in four ways: using cups and chips, using a pictorial representation, using the graphing calculator, or using the algorithm. (4.1) Students are provided with graphic organizers (foldables, flow charts, and sequence chains) to organize information presented. (6.3) Students are encouraged to provide feedback to their peers during Drill and class discussions. (5.3) The teachers uses whiteboards as an every pupil response strategy. Students are able to write or draw their responses. (5.3)

Multiple Means of Engagement Arrange student desks in groups. Groups gave students the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about the lesson. (7.3) Groups provided the teacher with more accessibility to move around the room during instruction and group work to evaluate student understanding, clarify misconceptions, and address off-task behaviors. (8.4) A section in the back of the room was created for small group instruction (L-shaped area with a portable white board easel). (9.2)

Multiple Means of Engagement Provide student choice on Drills. Using classroom data, we identified deficit skills. From the data, we selected four Drill concepts, which are changed as students master concepts. Each day, students choose one of the four drills to complete. As students are working, the teacher circulates to identify student-leaders. (7.1) When the timer goes off, students move to a designated section of the classroom based on the question completed. The student leaders review responses with the group and provide feedback. (8.4) The teacher is now free to circulate around the room and provide individual feedback as needed. (8.4)

Reflection: Educator Worksheet

Multiple Means of Representation

Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Multiple Means of Engagement