DSoE Case Best Practice Template

Title / Ms
Author / Caitríona Wynne
Country / Ireland
Name of school / Talbot Senior National School
Contact details of school project coordinator / 0877577298
Title of project / The application of the Universal Design for Learning approach to the teaching of Mathematics in order to support inclusion of children with additional needs and all children.
Description of school context ( number of pupils, age of pupils, any special features) / 300 pupils aged 9-12, 22 teachers, 8 special needs assistants.
School designated DEIS 1 (disadvantaged)
This case study focused on a class of 20 3rd grade children.
Description of project
Goals: What is wanted for the children or students to master given the students individual strengths and aptitudes.
Methods: What are the instructional decisions, approaches, procedures or routines that teachers use to enhance learning.
Materials: What are the tools used to present learning content and the tools the learner uses to demonstrate knowledge.
Assessment: What is the process of gathering information about a learner’s performance using a variety of methods and materials in order to determine learners’ knowledge, skills, and motivation for the purpose of making informed educational decisions. / Goals:The application of the Universal Design for Learning approach to the teaching of Mathematics in order to support inclusion of children with additional needs and all children.
Methods: Task design using ICT as a mode of presentation, engagement and expression during mathematics lessons, based on UDL theory. CAST (2012)
Materials: Powerpoint, video clips, interactive tools, parallel online mathematics programme (Mathletics).
Assessment: Teacher Observation schedules,
Mathletics assessment tools and children’s self-assessment, Case study approach over 4 week period
How is ICT being used creatively ? / In innovative task design as a means of presentation, insuring sustained engagement, and also as a mode of students mathematical expression, allowing for choice and self-directed learning
What use is being made of eTwinning? / Last year an e-twinning project took place between our school and a French school on 1916 and historical topics.
Previous project took place with a polish school
Pupil involvement and mobility / The UDL project centres around maximum pupil involvement allowing for building team work skills, with an element of inherent choice in tasks
Parental/Community involvement / Parental support was required through the required supervision of ten minute homework on Mathletics on line mathematics program from Monday to Thursday.
What makes this a successful project? / Teacher Collaboration
Teachers were informed by the most current research on the value of UDL and ICT approach
Teachers were innovative in their use of ICT and task design
Support of principal
Quote from head teacher / Our Mathematics scores are significantly improving year on year since we have started to innovate and use ICT in a more planned way in Mathematics
Quotes from teachers / The gaps in achievement have lessened between our traditionally lower achieving children and the rest of the class.
Quotes from pupils / I love Maths
Illustrations, Graphics and URLs and Multimedia.
Please add any illustrations, Graphics or URLs to support your best practice.

Multiple Means of Representation
Tasks provide options for:
1. perception;
2. language, mathematical expressions and symbols;
3. comprehension.

Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Tasks provide options for:
  1. physical action;
  2. expression and communication;
  3. executive functions.

Multiple Means of Engagement
Tasks provide options for:
  1. recruiting interest;
  2. sustaining effort and persistence;
  3. self-regulation.
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Interactive tool used by students to record weights on a bar chart

A slide from a powerpoint designed by a teacher on length

Assessment for Learning: Use of interactive board to brainstorm topic, camera to record and assess children’s knowledge

Pair work between students creating word problems on weight using worksheet designed by teacher

Interactive tool on capacity

An image used in a digital presentation on capacity
Results
Lessons were assessed using an adapted scoring rubric
(Spooner, Baker, Harris, Ahlgrim-Delzell and Browder, 2007).

The 14 lesson plans scored 82 points out of a maximum of 84 points.

Video clips were used on five occasions, concrete materials on eight occasions, ICT (PowerPoints, images, interactive stylus and interactive tools) were used during eight lessons, a parallel ICT mathematics program was set as homework for the children on each of the 14 days and the local environment was used on seven occasions.
/ Website: digitalschoolseurope.eu
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Dublin West Education Centre