By Alyssa

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) UDL is a technology-driven framework that allows us to provide every student with maximal learning opportunities. UDL allows us to Represent material to learners in an engaging way, Provide learners with a means to demonstrate their knowledge, Make learning tasks and material fun and engaging for our students.

UDL allows teachers to represent material to learners in an engaging way through : Presentation programs (PowerPoint, Prezi, and PhotoPeach) YouTube, including TED Talks Brainpop Podcasts Virtual dissections and field trips Mind mapping programs (ExamTime) Skype Classroom websites and blogs Animoto ToonDoo

Presentation Programs Examples: PowerPoint, Prezi, PhotoPeach, and PhotoStory. Teachers can use these programs to create engaging slideshows for their students. Teachers can embed videos and other multimedia in slideshow presentations to make them more interesting to students.

YouTube, including TED Talks Teachers can use online videos to teach students about a concept, or to provide examples from experts.

BrainPop BrainPop has engaging videos, quizzes, and activities that teachers can use to introduce or expand upon topics. For an example, click this link: BrainPop Mars

Podcasts Podcasts are audio files that can be used to engage students through listening to experts on a variety of topics. Podcasts often include sound effects to capture the interest of listeners. For an example, click here.here

Virtual Dissections and Field Trips Virtual dissections are wonderful, ethical tools for educators. Real dissections are not always feasible or ideal for teachers. Virtual dissections allow students to learn without getting their hands dirty, and without the need for the teacher to bring in dead specimens. The following link shows a virtual salmon dissection: Salmon Dissection. Salmon Dissection Virtual field trips allow students and teachers to “visit” places that they may otherwise be unable to experience. For example, your class can “visit” a farm.farm

Skype Skype is a video conferencing tool that provides multiple opportunities for teachers to engage students: Your class can Skype with an expert, such as an astronaut, to learn valuable information, You can Skype with a class across the globe, to teach your students about different cultures, You can teach your students via live Skype lectures, especially if you are teaching an online class.

Classroom Websites and Blogs Class websites and blogs are a great way to convey information to both students and parents. Here is an example of a blog I created during my practicum: Mrs. H's Classroom. In this case, my blog was used to communicate what we were doing in class to parents and other caregivers.Mrs. H's Classroom Class websites and blogs can also teach concepts to students in a written format, and can link to videos and other useful websites. Some examples of user-friendly website / blog creation programs are Weebly.com and PB Works.

Animoto Animoto can be used to create videos that can be used to teach students content in an engaging way. Songs, photos, videos, and text can be customized to suit your students and the lesson you are teaching.

ToonDoo ToonDoo can be used by teachers to create comics that will entice young learners and create curiosity about subject matter.

UDL allows us to provide learners with a means to demonstrate their knowledge through: Web pages and blogs Podcasts Slideshow presentations (PhotoStory, PhotoPeach, Prezi, PowerPoint) YouTube videos ToonDoo

Web Pages and Blogs Kids can demonstrate their learning and knowledge through the creation of web pages and blogs, for example “Weebly.com.” Many web design sites are available free of charge, and are very user-friendly. Some even include tutorials to help you get started!

Podcasts Students can demonstrate their knowledge through the creation of podcasts. They can make these fun and exciting through the addition of sound effects and music.

Slideshow Presentations Students can create slideshow presentations to demonstrate what they have learned. PhotoStory, PhotoPeach, Prezi, and PowerPoint are all good examples of slideshow presentations that are user friendly and easy for kids to use. PhotoStory and PhotoPeach generally have a heavier focus on photographs, but can also include text. The idea is to tell a story through pictures. Prezi and PowerPoint generally have a heavier focus on text, but can include photos, links, and embedded videos.

YouTube Videos and Animoto Students can create their own videos (using programs such as Animoto or iMovie). These videos can be shown in class or uploaded to YouTube in order to reach a wider audience. YouTube comments can be turned on or off, depending on whether or not the student (or teacher) wants feedback from an outside audience. Movies are a good alternative for students who are shy or nervous about speaking in front of their class, but are required to do a presentation.

ToonDoo Students can use comics to demonstrate their understanding of concepts. Comic creation programs like ToonDoo are fun and engaging for kids. This can make the task of demonstrating knowledge and understanding very exciting and enjoyable.

Mind Maps Students can show what they know about concepts or subjects through the creation of mind maps. These can also be used to demonstrate understanding of key ideas and how they are connected. This is especially useful when there is cross-curricular learning and overarching concepts.

UDL allows us to make learning tasks and material fun and engaging for our students through: Engaging online programs (BrainPop, Millie’s Math House, Starfall Reading) Classroom blogs and websites Animated videos (Animoto) Survey Monkey Live tweeting iPads

Engaging Online Programs Some examples include BrainPop, Millie’s Math House, and Starfall Reading: BrainPop is a very engaging online program, featuring animated videos, quizzes, puzzles, and activities that kids really enjoy. It covers all subjects for grades K-12, including a program for English Language Learners. Millie’s Math House is a fun online math program for early elementary students. It allows them to add, subtract, etc. with animated characters and games. Starfall Reading is a program that allows students to read stories, or have them read aloud. Students then complete fun activities and answer comprehension questions about the stories they have read.

Classroom Websites and Blogs Students can be engaged through classroom websites and blogs. Individual students or small groups can be put in charge of adding and contributing to the site / blog each week. This is an exciting responsibility for students. Creating and adding to class websites and blogs is a great learning opportunity and a wonderful way to show what students are learning about.

Animated Videos (Animoto) The creation of videos is very fun and engaging for most students. It allows students to be creative and enjoy the learning process, which means that they will be having fun while learning. Not only do videos engage students in the learning process, but they provide a means (the final product) to determine what students have learned.

Survey Monkey In classrooms with access to computers, simple one- or two-questions Survey Monkey surveys can be set up to engage students and to check understanding. These can be presented to students at any point during a lesson in order to determine current understanding or enjoyment of the subject matter. Students can confidentially select that they are or are not understanding a concept. Teachers can pull up the data on the SmartBoard and address any confusion immediately.

Live Tweeting In some professions, professionals are now live tweeting new ideas and information in order to spark thought and conversation. For example, a fish scientist might live tweet “marine reserves are effective” during a conference presentation. Other scientists will respond to this tweet and re-tweet. Students can use the same method with their own education. This has the potential to create a strong and inquisitive learning climate in the classroom.

iPads iPads are wonderful, engaging learning tools for students. There are a multitude of apps available for almost every subject and grade level. Students really enjoy working with iPads, as they are often learning through fun and engaging games and activities.

Credits Rose, David H., and Anne Meyer. Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, “What’s Wrong with Our Food System” by Birke Baehr: _system?language=en _system?language=en “BrainPop” available at BBC Radio Extra “How Dangerous” podcast available at a.mp a.mp3 Salmon Dissection available at

Credits Continued 4-H Virtual Farm available at Mind Map created using ExamTime, available at Animoto, available at o1cMCFYFufgod5wkAvg o1cMCFYFufgod5wkAvg ToonDoo, available at Millie’s Math House, available at Starfall Reading, available at Survey Monkey, available at