Rachel Currie-RubinApril 7, 2010

Final Projects

What is the assignment? Goal: The goal of the final project is to put

what you have been learning into practice, the design of an actual lesson or learning environment that exemplifies UDL.

 Method: The Final project will consist of

two components, both of which are notable for their brevity rather than expansiveness:

What are the components? 1) Prototype Lesson: The main task of the Final Project is to develop a prototype lesson for

a classroom or other learning environment (e.g. a museum exhibit, a game or simulation). The lesson should demonstrate your knowledge of the principles and techniques of Universal Design for Learning. The lesson may be one that you design from the outset or an adaptation of a previous lesson and may address any content area or skill from early childhood through adulthood. The project may be composed in almost any medium (or multiple media) but it must be posted on the web for review by instructors and peers either through your blog, through Bookbuilder, through a website you construct, or even through VoiceThread. You may certainly expand on the work you have already done in the course. Be sure to make clear what your lesson’s goal is, what its materials and methods are, and how you will assess its effectiveness for students.

  2) Annotation and Justification: In addition to the prototype itself, you must also include a

brief description and justification of its UDL features. It is particularly important for you to address the diversity of learners along one specific spectrum – usually the spectrum that was the focus of Project One for you. To scaffold that task, we have provided the guidelines in a checklist format (see URL). In that format, just indicate briefly - in the space provided – each of the guidelines you have addressed and a brief justification for how you have done so. Please note that it is not always essential to address every single one of the 9 guidelines in any particular lesson, and certainly not every one of the options under each of the guideline. What guidelines you address should be those that are most relevant to your goals.

What other information do I need?

How will you get help in doing this project?

1) Technical. We will continue to provide sections that teach or support the basic skills with which you will be able to complete the technical aspects of the project. . Otherwise make an appointment for office hours. If none of that is enough, describe what you would do in text and images.

  2) Pedagogical. We have provided some example lessons that you can use or modify

on the course blog under resources. A UDL lesson planner is also available on the CAST website which will scaffold you through the process if you are new at it. And we will be talking a lot in future classes about lessons and pedagogy so that will help.

  3) Universal Design for Learning. The guidelines for UDL are available on the CAST

website. .Additional help can be found in the UDL Self-Check on the CAST website.   Lastly, we will have some sections and office hours where you can come and get help

with the final projects.

Evaluation?

How will the final project be evaluated?

The primary focus of evaluation will be on the quality of the UDL as implemented in the project and/or described in your annotations and justifications.. To be more specific, the lesson itself is not the main focus for evaluation (which is why you are encouraged to use a lesson already developed) but what you do with the lesson to illustrate your knowledge of UDL principles and practices. The template derived from the UDL guidelines is meant to structure your work and it will also structure the evaluation: To guide you more carefully, a rubric that we will use for evaluation was distributed and can be found below.

Technology? Do you have to use technology in the final project?

Well, yes. That is to say, for example, that even paper and pencils are themselves technologies.

A more important question is whether you have to use any specific technology. The only specific technology you will be required to use is the technology with which you will post your project. You could handwrite and draw on paper, and then post that on the web if you really wanted to. Other than that, you are at liberty to use whatever technologies suit your pedagogical purpose. It is important, however, to consider that your choice of technologies is part of how you make knowledgeable decisions – have you chosen a technology appropriate to your pedagogy?

Finally, you do not have to use a particular technology in order to implement your pedagogy. It is usually better to show than to tell, but if you are not facile with a technology you wish to use, you can describe or illustrate how you would use the technology.

Models?Where can I find some models of

projects to help me get started?

We will show some models in class and post some good models on the website for you to explore. We will do that in the next few weeks. (I’ll show some today)

When is the final project due?

Monday, May 10, at 10:00 pm

RubricTAKE A LOOK AT THE RUBRIC-http://universaldesignforlearning2010.edublogs.org/assignment/project-2/

3-4 key pointsBe clear about the GOAL

Universally designedSuitable for members of a diverse classroom

(describe, justify)

Explain materials/methodsCan be innovative

Explain how you will assess its effectiveness

UDL FeaturesExpression

MotorFluencyexecutive

EngagementRecruitSustainregulate

RepresentationSensoryLinguisticcognitive

http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/UDL_Guidelines_v2%200-Organizer_0.pdf

SupportUDL lesson planner from CAST websitehttp://lessonbuilder.cast.org/

What you can’t demonstrate, explain clearly

Let’s look at some….http://ldodonnell.edublogs.org/

(goal- outline)http://stephenrhyde.edublogs.org/

(goal)http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~belmo

nte/UDL/http://stephloblog.wordpress.com/

Take Aways! Goal!Be really clear about your goalWhat do you want ‘students’ to learn?

I want students to learn… BE SPECIFIC!The ‘anatomy of the brain’

15 structures and their functionsBe able to identify on any model/image/brain and know its

function

[What is NOT my goal… spelling (close), writing, dissecting, saying the word…]

MATERIALSWhat materials will your learners need for this activity?

Consider the guidelines– and your target audience

For instance, do your materials provide options that support language and symbols (guideline 2) Vocabulary? Symbols? Syntax? Decoding text? Cross-linguistic? Dictionary? Online resources? Worksheet? Museum text/audio?

Can students access the vocabulary… what materials will I provide? What materials can students get on their own? I can break down Latin roots (cross-linguistic) I can give a list of structure/function I can give a picture of structures I can give list of online resources/show video

Do your materials provide…Options for perception…

Customizable display? Options for visual/audio?

Options for physical action Mode of physical response/navigation

Ie: Clay to build brain model

Will they need to and can they access tools and assistive technologies? Ie: audio tapes in museums? Ie: internet at home?

More materials… consider guidelines

Will they recruit interest?Ie: sheep brain dissection? Video of dissection?Case studies? Ie: Phineas Gage

Sustain effort?How long do I expect students to …

Attention is short (10 minute ‘lecture’)

3. METHODHow will you ‘teach’ this information?Use the guidelines-- be explicit and deliberateDo not distract from your goalConsider… what are the desirable difficulties?

Are there any undesirable difficulties you can prevent/remove?

What does the ‘expert’ look like? Can you model? Offer helpful ‘tips’? Check

points?Consider your audience…

Improve the lesson… consider the guideline

Activate background knowledge (3.1) Summary? Bulleted points? Is it written (working memory variability)

Highlight critical features, relationships (3.2) Tables? Comparisons? (have recorded somewhere: wm)

Guide information processing (3.3) Beginning end… remember the goal What is the strategy for those who ‘get lost’? Consider your spectrum of

variability!

Support memory and transfer (3.4) 5.3: options in scaffolds or practice

Executive functions: guide goal setting, support planning/strategy (6.1,6.2,3.4)

Methods: Multiple means of engagement

Options for recruiting interestsustaining effort and persistence

Rewards? (ie: oh, I see, you are having us do this… so we can

then…)

Physical action (ie: sheet folding hard if physically limited)

self-regulation(ie: web time)

4. ASSESSMENTHow can you assess so that you meet YOUR GOAL?

Do they have to write? Multiple choice? Sentence structure?(ie: Blake)

Do they need to know the vocabulary? Spelling? (ie: word bank)

Pronunciation? (ie: med terminology class)What supports will be there for assessment? (ie: notecard)

Do they need to ‘act on’ information?How long do they have for the assessment?How will the feedback be given?

Reconsider your goalsSometimes through the process of lesson

planning, your goal changes– that’s okay… be sure the goal is what you want!

Be flexible (consider UDL guidelines) toward what you can … that can recruit interest, sustain effort, and provide options for the learnerIe: test question

Be consistent

UDL: does not have to be about technology

http://www.udlcenter.org/

http://www.udlcenter.org/screening_room/fromthefield

Where can you find lessons?Online!

Keep in mind that some are already better than others.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplans.jsp

http://www.microsoft.com/education/lessonplans.mspx

From your peersFrom yourselfFrom projects you’re working on

Ideas for lessons? Questions?