The names of the students used in this assignment have been made up to protect confidentiality.
Amanda Dudley
March 2014
SPED 644
UDL to Solve Problems Project
Background:
I have a mixed ability third grade reading class of 23 students. I have twelve girls and eleven boys. Four students are new to the school. Nine of the students speak a second language. A challenge that I have in my classroom is that I have two boys who have been diagnosed and struggle with ADHD. Jordan tested as an average third grade student on the Woodcock Johnson III assessment and Nick tested as above average. The barriers these two students face are having trouble staying focused, completing work, staying organized, following directions, working collaboratively, and demonstrating their comprehension of text through written language. With the new common core curriculum, students are expected to complete many written responses and work collaboratively on assignments. This is the first year that the students are in an intermediate grade level and receive letter grades on their report card. This is also the first year that the students are expected to maintain their focus for a long period of time in order to participate in the MSA. Due to these new factors, my two student’s grades are being impacted and it has caused several concerns.
Problem Solved:
In order to help Nick and Jordan stay focused in reading, I reduce the distractions by placing them in small group settings either with me or the special educator. To help these students stay organized, they are provided with a box next to their desk to place unimportant materials, such as, extra story books, activities for reading centers, and textbooks that we aren’t currently using for a unit. Behavior charts and checklists were created to help them follow directions and stay on task. To assist the students with written responses, they are provided with rubrics and graphic organizers to help them plan. They are given close passages and sentence starters to decrease the workload. To encourage Nick and Jordan to work collaboratively with other and complete their work, these tasks were made into goals on their behavior chart. If they accomplish these goals, they receive a reward. If they don’t complete their work, they are given additional time to complete it. A timer is used to help them monitor their progress.
See PowerPoint
Reflection:I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation: / Your notes
- Provide options for perception
1.1Offer ways of customizing the display of information
1.2Offer alternatives for auditory information
1.3Offer alternatives for visual information
- Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
2.1Clarify vocabulary and symbols
2.2Clarify syntax and structure
2.3Support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols
2.4Promote understanding across language
2.5Illustrate through multiple media / Use graphic organizers, interactive computer programs, videos, comic strips, storyboards, and readers theatre to introduce new information
- Provide options for comprehension
3.1Activate or supply background knowledge / Make cross curricular connections to science and social studies, link new content to student interest or prior knowledge
3.2Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
3.3Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation
3.4Maximize transfer and generalization / Use checklists and sticky notes
II. Provide Multiple Means for Action and Expression: / Your notes
- Provide options for physical action
4.1Vary the methods for response and navigation / Allow space for student to complete tasks
4.2Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies
- Provide options for expression and communication
5.1Use multiple media for communication / Compose in speech, drawing, illustration, movement, use interactive web tools, use manipulatives
5.2Use multiple tools for construction and composition / Provide sentence starters
5.3Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance / Provide differentiated mentors
- Provide options for executive functions
6.1Guide appropriate goal setting
6.2Support planning and strategy development
6.3Facilitate managing information and resources / Provide checklists and graphic organizers for collecting data
6.4Enhance capacity for monitoring progress / Use scoring rubrics, ask questions to guide self monitoring
III. Provide Multiple Means for Engagement: / Your notes
- Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1Optimize individual choice and autonomy / Choice of rewards, choice of assessment context, choice of time to complete tasks, choice of tools used to gather information, setting own behavioral goals
7.2Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity / Provide tasks that allow for exploration and experimentation, include activities that foster the use of imagination to solve problems
7.3Minimize threats and distractions / Use timers, visual cues, reduce the number of items presented at a time, reduce the length of work sessions, allow for breaks
- Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1Heighten salience of goals and objectives
8.2Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge / Vary the degree of freedom for performance
8.3Foster collaboration and community / Create rubrics for group work, create cooperative learning groups with roles, provide prompts that guide learners of when and how to speak, construct peer groups to engage in topics of common interests and activities
8.4Increase mastery-oriented feedback
- Provide options for self-regulation
9.1Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation
9.2Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
9.3Develop self-assessment and reflection