UDL

For nearly every assignment, students in my practicum are given multiple options to choose from in order to complete it.  For example when tasked with the responsibility to research an animal and produce a report based upon the research students are able to write a paper, create a podcast or video, or create some sort of poster to show what they know. When I asked why my CT allows this, thinking it only creates more work for her, she simply shrugged and said she didn’t care about the final product as long as the students met all of the assignment expectations.

UDL is a set of principles that gives every student an equal opportunity to learn.  In the classroom UDL provides multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression. 

http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/take_a_tour_udl

Implementation of UDL creates a flexible learning environment that reaches the diverse population of students in your classroom. This also allows for students to become independent and take control of their personal learning. Differentiating instruction is something that may not be comfortable for a lot of educators. What is important to remember is that it doesn’t have to be major changes to the curriculum or the way you teach. It can be small things like allowing students to pick the outcome of their assignment, or dictating a test to a student who is learning English. 

If you’re interested in learning more about UDL I strongly encourage you to check out UDLCenter. Not only does it explain UDL but it also gives pointers on implementing it into your classroom.

http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/ataglance.jpg

Some great examples of how UDL impacts students can be found in these three videos:

If you want to see what UDL looks like in a lesson plan, take a look at this 5^th grade science lesson.

ABCYA Review

ABCYA- http://www.abcya.com
Various Educational Games for Kids

Price

Free

Grades

K-5

Subjects

Math

Language Arts

Pros

It is very interactive and keeps students engaged.

Cons

There are a lot of “not educational” games students can play.

Bottom Line

A great tool for students if they are supervised and on task.

My Thoughts on ABCYA:

I really like this website because not only does it line up with standards but it offers various subjects and grades on one website. This is one of the reasons why I would use it in my classroom. I would also use it because there are various levels of difficulty within each game. This allows for every student to be challenged while they’re playing.

How it Helps Students:

As a student I would be completely engrossed in this website. It is set up and looks more like a video game than an educational program. Students engaging with the game in this way will help reinforce lesson material and help students who may be struggling. The nature of the website is enjoyable for students making them want to continue to play, therefore continue learning.