Universal Design Learning in Action
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As a student myself, I remember thinking "ugh! I have so many questions, but the teacher can't be bothered because there are other students who need his attention more than I do." Now, as a teacher, I strive to NOT allow that in my classroom. Even when there is a student who has a lot of questions, I encourage those questions and I HAVE the time because I make the time. I use stations so that my students are not all doing the same thing at the same time. It requires trust and setting high expectations at the beginning of the year. But once it is implemented, everyone has a much better experience in the classroom, including the teacher!
The example to the left is a learning styles inventory that the International Academy World Language Department gives students at the start of each year. This assessment is used to teach students to focus on what kinds of learners they are, and to show them that there are many ways of learning. It's a great way to start the year, since there are always students who struggle with learning a language and there are always those who find it quite easy. I can then point out to students that they may not actually be the "learner" that they originally thought they were. It is always a good idea to take the time to teach students HOW to learn what you are teaching them and to discuss learning strategies as well as the expectations for the unit. Note: For this page, please click on the images/previews to be sent to the document webpage. |
Learning Styles ExampleTo Be (a bee)After the learning styles inventory, my students will learn the first irregular verb ÊTRE (to be) for homework using this Google Doc. I encourage the students to copy the file so they can make it their own, and so they can find it more easily. As you can see when you click on it (or look a the screenshot below), the document is split into the different learning styles so the homework is tailored to the student. Sometimes I suggest that they re-visit the doc later and "test" themselves by completing an activity from a different learning style. Thus ensuring that they are truly in the right category. Sometimes this changes their decision about the results from the assessment.
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Example Lesson PlanThis is a look into one day in my classroom. My MYP Honors French 9 class was reviewing for the listening and reading comprehension assessment that is their midterm. I split the class into two groups. For this split, I chose to separate them by "avancé" and "débutant" (which is the difference between those who are strong in the language and those who are not), but when I did not have enough avancé, I added in reliable, responsible students who are hard working. Throughout the 90-minute class, you will see that there are three main activities so students can practice, discuss, and then practice again. Because the discussion part took so long, the students did not actually complete the full reading. They had to finish the personal connection later, for homework.
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Moodle & MoreMoodle is used as an online resource hub in my class. For at least the first semester, I keep our class itinerary on the calendar. All notes, answer keys, worksheets, etc. can be found on the class page. I separate out the classes when they log in so that I am able to assess them and then sort them by their blocks. Most of the resources on Moodle are supplemental; they are there in case a student has need of extra help. Thankfully, these resources are easy to find. Most of the time, I stick to the main sites: YouTube (Vincent & Pascal are two of my preferred channels), Point FLE, UTexas.
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In my classroom, not only do I encourage my students to learn the material in their own ways and to practice in their own ways, but I also encourage them to show me their knowledge in their own ways for assessments. If you check out the PBL page, you can see that the projects in my classes allow students freedom of choice, but the image above will send you to a written assessment over the syntax of the passé composé (with AVOIR only). This is just one of the ways that my students visually represent their understanding of grammar.