Thing Sixteen: DI and UDL
This Thing is all about Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning and Universal Design for Learning. This Thing taught me how to differentiate my instruction for learners who have very unique needs. Every child that comes into the classroom has different needs, and technology can be a huge resource to meeting those needs when used effectively. This Thing taught me how to use those resources wisely.
Differentiated Instruction
For this part of the assignment, I was asked to look at two websites that have great resources for differentiated instruction. These websites are Reading Rockets and Scholastic. I was asked to make a list of the differentiated instruction tools I've used in the past. As a student, I've only used a few of these things because I've not had my own classroom in the United States (only in Ghana!), but these are some of my favorites based on the different areas (Ideas are from Reading Rockets!)
CONTENT:
CONTENT:
- Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students;
- Presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means;
- Using reading buddies; and
- Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners.
- Providing interest centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the class topic of particular interest to them;
- Offering manipulatives or other hands-on supports for students who need them; and
- Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to provide additional support for a struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.
- Giving students options of how to express required learning (e.g., create a puppet show, write a letter, or develop a mural with labels);
- Allowing students to work alone or in small groups on their products;
- Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without distraction, as well as places that invite student collaboration;
- Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home settings;
- Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches individual needs;
- Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy with other students and cannot help them immediately; and
- Helping students understand that some learners need to move around to learn, while others do better sitting quietly
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning is made up of three principles. According to the 21 Things for Teachers website, the three principles are:
- Support recognition learning by providing multiple, and flexible methods of presentation
- Support strategic learning by providing multiple, and flexible methods of expression and apprenticeship
- Support affective learning by providing multiple, and flexible options for engagement
As someone who really enjoys social studies, I decided to examine what UDL Strategies exist for social studies. The resource I found was virtual museum field trips. This is very exciting! There are so many museums around the world with great exhibits, and being able to let children virtually explore the museum means giving them great benefits without the cost and difficulties of actually arranging a physical site visit. I really like this resource and will use it again in the future.
Text to Speech Websites
Next, I was asked to use a text to speech website to make an audio recording of my text. This would be very useful for making books into audio books, reading tests and quizzes aloud, as well as reading articles and web pages aloud for students who need that additional support.
You can make your own text to speech by clicking here. My biggest critique is that some of the options are not easy to find, and the voice recording can be quite fast, however I still liked the idea. I just may use other websites in the future. |