Ms.

Wong has done a good job of creating an inclusive classroom environment and I would
not want her to continue getting discouraged. She has had a student in her classroom with
cerebral palsy become a valued and well-liked member of her classroom community. She has
taken the appropriate steps to try and get the most of her students and having a meeting with
her co-worker is a great place to start. Given that she has students with IEP’s other than
Daniel, I feel using Universal Designs for Learning would be very beneficial to her practice. In
this PowerPoint, I have outlined suggestions for each of the three topics in UDL and then
provided specific ideas for support for her student Daniel.

Multiple Means of Engagement:

1. Don’t always have large group discussions

o Use small groups to have discussion
o Move about the classroom to ensure students are on task
2. Create clear and specific goals for the lesson
o Try to involve students in the understanding and possibly the creation of
the learning goal or outcomes. Having students involved in the creation of
assessments can give them a sense of ownership over their learning.
(CAST, 2016).
3. Minimize distractions
o If students find it difficult to stay focused, they can try listening to soft
music while they work (CAST, 2016).
4. Find ways to get students excited about the information they are working with
by showing them how the information being presented is a part of their lives
o Allow students to make personal connections to the learning goal and the
information being presented. (CAST, 2016).
5. Formative Assessment
o Formative assessment practices can be very beneficial especially for a
student like Daniel who enjoy consistent information regarding his
performance
6. Allow for students to access suitable resources and supports
o Technology can be a beneficial resource but should not be the only
resource
o Visual supports

Multiple Means of Representation

1. Present information in a variety of ways for different learning styles
2. Use alternatives for visual information (CAST, 2018).
a. Provide descriptions for all images, videos or animations shown in class
i. We can’t expect student to understand what they see right
away
b. Use text to audio to increase student engagement especially if
students have difficulty with reading
3. Use alternatives for auditory information
 a. If you have any students who are deaf or hard of hearing providing
text equivalent can be very helpful
i. Provide written transcripts and visual aids
4. Use chunking and scaffolding to minimize difficulty staying focused
5. Make sure only the most important information is being presented to
students, it is easy to get lost in too much information (CAST, 2018).

Multiple Means of Expression

1. Provide alternatives for physical interaction with materials by hand, voice,
joystick, keyboard etc. (CAST, 2018).
2. Use multiple media for communication (CAST, 2018).
a. Speech, drawing, storyboards
b. Solve problems using a variety of different strategies
3. Allow students to hand in work in a strength of theirs (song, comic, drawing,
written output)
4. Use rubrics and provide guides or checklists to scaffold goals of assessment

Bourke-Taylor, H., Cotter, C., Johnson, L., & Lalor, A. (2018). Belonging, school support
and communication: Essential aspects of school success for students with cerebral palsy in
mainstream schools. Teaching and Teacher Education, 70, 153–164.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.11.016

CAST. (2016). Top 10 UDL Tips for Designing an Engaging Learning Environment.
Retrieved from http://castprofessionallearning.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/07/cast_10_engagement.pdf

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from
http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Changes that could be made to help Daniel in the classroom:

Use different means of Assessments:

Daniel did not seem to respond well to a “Pop Quiz”. These types of assessment
practices can result in anxiety for students. Many students may know the information
you are requesting however, they can end up feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of
“on the spot” assessment
Daniel may benefit from a scribe if he has difficulty reading
Daniel could also use technology for writing if he has difficulty with writing or speed of
writing
Use chunking and scaffolding to minimize difficulty staying focused
If there is any way to organize furniture for Daniel to be able to move about freely in
the classroom it could be very helpful to him
I would find a way to make his belongings more accessible to him.
Present Daniel with his own space that he can access.
Give Daniel the ability to use brain breaks during class time.
He seems to start activities well however; he can then lose focus.
If Daniel is required to eat more frequently than other students allow him to quietly
leave the room and quickly have something to eat
Daniel may benefit from a scribe if he has difficulty reading
Daniel could also use technology for writing if he has difficulty with writing or speed of
writing
Daniel did not seem to respond well to a “Pop Quiz”. These types of assessment
practices can result in anxiety for students. Many students may know the information
you are requesting however, they can end up feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of
“on the spot” assessment