UDL Lab Activity – To Do

Lab Objectives. By successfully completing this lab, students should be able to:

  • Identify the UDL framework and apply its general principles.
  • Consider 508 compliance issues for websites they use in teaching.
  • consider technology-based UDL options to address the needs of all students in their classrooms.

A. Activity Guide: Free and Easy Assistive Accessibility

So… on your favorite smart device turn on the features that would allow you to access the device if you had a vision issue or physical difficulty with typing or keyboarding

For Mac iOS, turn on and try out VoiceOver, Zoom, and Dictation

For PC Windows, turn on and try out the Narrator Magnifier tools

Instructions for using Narrator

Instructions for using Magnifier

B. Activity Guide: Group Challenge and Discussion

When you have completed the above activities, please engage with your classmates concerning the following challenge, considering how technology could help you teach a lesson using the State Capitals game webiste under the following scenario:

The Scenario

Imagine you have a class of 26 students. Three students are emerging bilingual students whose families speak Cantonese, Croatian, and Vietnamese respectively at home. One of the students has a temporary (soccer field) injury to his right (writing) hand, one has very low vision (only light perception), and one is hearing impaired. The class also includes 3 reluctant readers who are not identified and thus do not have IEP or 504 accommodations.

Name Gender Learning Challenge
Yi F Cantonese
Ivana F Croatian
Binh M Vietnamese
Chad M right hand injury
Todd M low vision
Scott M hard of hearing
Tess F reluctant reader
Kipp M reluctant reader
Aaron M reluctant reader

Let’s Funkify this now.

If you are using the Chrome browser, you are all set (this next tool only works in Chrome). Add the Chrome extension Funkify and Choose the DOWNLOAD option from the top menu. Your lab instructor will assign groups in which you will choose a particular simulated condition. Now try to play the State Capitals game again. Discuss your experience with the class.

Let’s Experience more from the child’s perspective…

C. Activity Guide: Consider your target lesson plan…

  1. Review the target lesson plan you uploaded to Taskstream at the start of WITTLE.
  2. Drawing from the UDL Framework, Begin by comparing how multiple modes of presentation could enhance your lessons.
  3. Describe how you might enhance your lesson delivery to differentiate and accommodate multiple modes of presentation and assessment.
  4. Consult the tools provided in the Resources section, perhaps start with the Tech Finder Tool from Understood.
  5. Use this information to help you analyze your target lesson plan.
  6. NOTE: this analysis could also help you craft your final reflection on your lesson plan for this course.

WAVE tool logoD. Activity Guide: Explore the accessibility of a selected web site (508 Compliance Check)

  1. If you used or plan to use a website in your 5221 WITTLE target lesson play, check it. Otherwise choose a website for a school you work in or one that you use for your UConn coursework.
  2. Complete a 508 compliance check on a website:
    1. copy the URL from the website
    2. paste the URL into BOTH of the 508 compliance checkers below:
      1. Web Accessiblity Checker, Cynthiasays and WAVE (see resources section for more options) Do this with at least 2 checkers so you can compare what they find, how readable the results are, and if you find them helpful.
      2. This report will show you any problems in several categories and suggest how they could be fixed.
  3. Upload to Taskstream: the 508 report reports (pdf) to Watermark/Taskstream and type in your reflection about the report. Your reflection might include your thoughts about doing this, any surprise resulting from the output, your comparison between the tools, and your thought about how the errors might be addressed.

Preparing for the next module:

The changes or enhancements to your lesson plan that you might be considering from your understanding of UDL are meant to benefit all students, allowing personalization of learning. But you should not rely solely on your observations and professional opinions to know if the changes you propose are actually working. In the next module we will ask you to explore how technology might enhance a teacher’s ability to acquire some evidence, quantitive and qualitative, that would supplement professional judgment and enable others (administrators, parents) to see that instructional changes involving technology are really benefiting students.