d. robie case study part i and ii edu 721

7/30/2019 D. Robie Case Study Part I and II EDU 721

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D. Robie Case Study Parts I and II

Case Study Part I and II

Deneen Robie

University of New England

EDU 721

8/19/12


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Our challenge is to choose a model or framework to aid in the planning of

lessons that are more universal to the learners in front of us. There were three models

to choose from and much information on each of them. It was after great amounts of

back and forth that I focused on the connection between Differentiation and The

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model. The UDL model will allow me to work with

a child that I will have in my class this upcoming school year. This student has a

learning disability in reading comprehension. This creates a major barrier to overcome

in my content driven social studies class. So, I will look to the strengths of the student

and the overall class environment to make sure learning is present. Eventually, a

geography lesson will be planned, as it is the first unit of this school year. The lesson

will include multiple means of presentation, expression and engagement. These are the

key principles of UDL, which will make this lesson more universal for all learners. (Rose

and Meyer, 2002)

MODEL EXPLANATION AND RATIONALE

The Universal Design for learning is described as a framework to follow in

planning your lessons to ensure accessibility and learning amongst all students. UDL

was built on the universal designs in architecture, which planned buildings that were

accessible to all. This same idea was transferred to learning. (Rose and Meyer, 2002)

The three principles allow students and teachers more options to create a plan

where all students can then access and be challenged to learn the goal of the lesson.


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The three principles are described in figure 1 which was taken from the online version

of the text.

Figure 1:

Rose and Meyer state in their text, The underlying assumption is that by using

flexible media, we can embed options within the curriculumso that it can be adjusted

to meet the needs and preferences of each learner. (2002) This statement agrees with


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what Tomlinson says about differentiation, a differentiated classroom provides

different avenues to acquiring content, to processing or making sense of ideas, and to

developing products so that each student can learn effectively. (Tomlinson, 1999)

Therefore as I am beginning to incorporate differentiation in my class this became the

clear route to take in choosing a model.

PROFILE OF STUDENT AND CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

The student that I will base my case study on, we will call Victor and he will be in

my seventh grade social studies class this coming year. He has a learning disability.

This student has difficulty with reading comprehension. His processing speed is also

affected. Getting anything on paper is difficult and his handwriting is illegible at times.

Even with great effort he writes like a beginning writer. The case study student hits

roadblocks with any task that requires fine motor skills such as drawing. He presents

himself in class as a reluctant learner because it is difficult for him to start anything that

requires writing.

The barriers that this student faces in the classroom environment are definitely

the written text and writing to show what he knows once he has grasped the

information. The fact that digital texts or individual technology is not present in our

classroom environment doesnt help remove the barriers in our plan. It will be really

important to make clear our learning goals and find choices of materials, products and

ways for this student to learn and be assessed.

Victors strengths are what he keeps in his head from what he sees and hears.

He has the ability to remember and use what he has learned verbally or through


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pictures. He has a great interest in history and in different places. He likes to tell

stories of things that have happened to him and to other people in history. He would

stay in class all day if it were always a discussion class. The environment that we have

described, which is based mostly on reading and writing, will require that we support

his strengths and break down the barriers of the curriculum.

CONNECTION TO BRAIN THEORIES

As we read from Rose and Meyer, We can accommodate diverse learners by

using a repertoire of teaching strategies suited to each of the brain networks. (2002)

Figure 6.1 below from the Rose and Meyer text, Teaching Every Student In The Digital

Age, gives you an idea about appropriate methods to reach students strengths.

Figure 6.1 -

Network-Appropriate Teaching Methods

To support diverse recognition networks:

Provide multiple examples

Highlight critical features

Provide multiple media and formats

Support background context.

To support diverse strategic networks:

Provide flexible models of skilled performance

Provide opportunities to practice with supports

Provide ongoing, relevant feedback

Offer flexible opportunities for demonstrating skill.
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To support diverse affective networks:

Offer choices of content and tools

Offer adjustable levels of challenge

Offer choices of rewards

Offer choices of learning context.

(Rose and Meyer, P. 109, figure 6.1)

Tying together UDL, the brain theories, and my student shows the way that this

framework can work. The first principle of UDL is to provide multiple means of

presentation. This will address a students recognition network of their brain. Victor,

our case study student, would benefit from providing different formats of the material.

This is important for this student as he has difficulty with reading comprehension. The

second principle of UDL is to provide multiple means of action and expression. This

connects to the strategic network of the brain. It is the how of learning. This can be

made more universal to students by offering multiple ways of demonstrating the skills

they have and by offering scaffolding as necessary. Lastly, the third principle of UDL is

to provide multiple means of engagement. A students affective network is addressed

in this principle. By allowing students to have choices and having them make

connections to what they are learning will help to keep them engaged in learning. This

shows the connection of The UDL principles, the student and the brain networks. It is

important to have all three in mind when planning. (Rose and Meyer, 2002)
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CASE STUDY PART II

TECHNOLOGY AND RATIONALE

The goal of the unit is for students to learn about the five themes of geography.

This lesson focuses on the theme of location. This unit is important in that they will use

their knowledge as we continue our study of places in history throughout the school

year. Each unit of study will be approached using these five themes. With this in mind

it is important to use all available methods for students to understand the concepts

before moving on. In order to make this lesson applicable to my current situation, my

assistive technology choices are reflective of the present technology reality.

Technology in the form of every student having access to an iPad or digital texts

each day in class does not exist. However, as found in the last seven weeks, there is

more out there available that previously was not being used. First, the one classroom

computer can be part of a station activity where three or four students can listen to one

of the class texts while following along. The text on CD that is available offers adobe

reader. This will help our case study student, Victor because he likes to hear and see

his information. Also, a teacher copy of the text is available in digital form, which will

allow the use of the Microsoft Auto Summary Feature to be used to help lessen the

amount of text and create assistance by concentrating on main ideas. This too will help

with Victor in learning more content. Victor will also be assisted in the fact that there

will be oral choices for product and also that directions will be tape recorded to support

written instruction at each learning station. Graphic Organizers and Lecture Bingo are

also pieces of educational technology that will help to assist Victor in focusing on the

main idea of the content. Though right to use to a digital text would be ideal, these


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available pieces will give Victor access to the content while overcoming the barrier of

the written text and product.

LESSON PLAN IN AN INCLUSIVE SETTING

SS: GE: 1: The World in Spatial Terms

Students will demonstrate the ability to use maps, mental maps, globes, and

other graphic tools and technologies to acquire, process, report, and analyze

geographic information.

1. Apply the spatial concepts of , distance, direction, scale, movement, and region,

e.g., the relative and absolute location of the student's community, or the diffusion of the

English language to the United States. (Themes: C: People, Places and Environment, F:

Global Transformation

Where is it and how do I find it?

The class will have previewed the unit by watching a You Tube video on Five

Themes Of Geography. Then they will have completed a Triple Entry Vocabulary

Worksheet for the following words: Themes of geography, Location: relative, absolute,

latitude/parallels, longitude/meridians, Prime Meridian, Equator, Place: physical, human

characteristics, Region, Movement, Human and Environment Interaction, Map Skills:

technology, globes, distortion, scale, seven continents, five oceans. Students are

familiar with this strategy of learning new vocabulary and we put emphasis on the

imagery piece. As Marzano states in his book, Classroom Instruction That Works, One


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of the best ways to learn a new word is to associate an image with it. (Marzano, Pickering,

& Pollock, 2005) Students at the beginning of the unit will know that their learning will

lead to them showing what they know about the five themes of geography in an

interest based project. They will create this project using technology of their choice, an

interest of their choice and applying the five themes to this interest. This will allow

students a choice of action and expression and engagement, which helps fit into the

Universal Design of Learning principles according to Rose and Meyers text of 2002.

:

Gregory and Chapman give the rationale for pre-assessment as assessing

student knowledge prior to the learning experience helps the teacher find out (for one)

what the student already knows about the unit being planned. (2007) Students will be

given a survey to fill out to determine what their prior knowledge is for the theme of

location. I have a range of questions on the survey to determine what students will

need to be taught. This quick assessment will be given prior to the lesson in order that

I may use the information to make groups. This pre-assessment will be half written

and half in the form of oral questions and answers in class, which will help to determine

where Victor is with prior knowledge.

Upon arrival students will complete a starter in their starter journals. The starter

includes directions and a question to have them self-start their social studies class.


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Lesson one starter: Using a world atlas, answer the following question: If you were

given a jet plane to any destination you wanted, where would you want the pilot to fly

you? Why do you want to go to this location? Have you ever been there before? As we

have many students who are originally from other countries, this will hopefully gain

interest. As Rose and Meyer describe in their book it is a UDL principle that will provide

multiple means of engagement by allowing students to choose their destination. (2002)

After completing the starter, students are familiar with grouping procedure and

will get into their groups. Students will use object cards to match with each other to

get into seating groups. Groups will be small, made up of three or four students. Wall

charts are used to help students who need a reminder of where to go. Groups will be

given a schedule of stations to complete. Stations will be set up on perimeter of room

with ample materials for more than one group to bring back to their seats at a time.

Stations will have tape-recorded directions and written directions. This will assist Victor

in not only reading the directions but to be supported by being able to hear the

directions too. Students will complete two stations by end of period.

*This will be a organizing chart for teacher eyes only, students will see color chart only*

Station 1: Looking at a map, students will be given a choice in this station. Their first

choice will be to write step-by-step directions on how to determine and write

Students Prior Knowledge Station number

*Advanced prior knowledge: Red 4,1

*Some prior knowledge: Blue 2,4

*Little prior knowledge: Green 3,4


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coordinates or absolute location. Their second choice will be to write a script and draw

illustrations to present a demonstration on how to determine coordinates or absolute

location. The final choice will be to record a verbal demonstration on how to determine

coordinates or absolute location. (World atlas, maps, writing technology available)

This station will provide multiple means of action and expression, which will make this

station part of the UDL model (Rose and Meyer, 2002)

Station 2: Watch Discovery Education Video and fill out students choice of graphic

organizer. Through using visual and audio and also a choice of graphic organizers, this

station fits the UDL model by providing multiple means of presentation, and also action

and expression. (Rose and Meyer, 2002)

Station 3: Show the students short power point on the theme Location. Play lecture

bingo. This will help students who need the direct instruction of the topic. The

primary purpose of direct instruction is to increase both the quantity and quality of

learning. (Cohen & Spenciner, 2007) Some but not all students in this class will need

this more structured lesson on the information. Referring to the UDL model in the Rose

and Meyer text, the intention is that this will not only provide different means of

presentation but also help with engagement as the students are playing a game while

learning. (2002)

Station 4: Read a choice of text and fill out guided questions on Location. Texts:

Journey Across Time, Human Heritage, And Our World Story. These texts are written

at different reading levels and all come with guided questions. Cohen and Spenciner

write of guided questioning, This activity is useful when teaching students how to


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locate specific information in newspaper, textbooks and instructional materials. (2007)

This station will also be set up with a computer and Adobe Reader that will allow

students to follow along while the text is read to them. In addition a summary of the

text from Microsoft Word will be available for students to use. According to Edyburn,

tools such as Microsoft Auto summary and digital text such as the Adobe reader will

assist teachers in altering the cognitive difficulty of information.(2002) This station willuse multiple means of presentation to fit into the UDL model and allow universal

access. (Rose and Meyer, 2002)

World Atlases for Starter, group cards for small groups, tape recorders for directions

and direction cards, Grid maps for Station 1, Laptops and graphic organizers for Station

2, Power Point and lecture bingo card for Station 3, texts and guided reading for Station

4, Computer with student edition of text with adobe reader set up and written summary

from Microsoft Word of text for Station 4.

EVALUATING LESSON PLAN

During instruction: observation of group work. End of class:

Students to turn in their choice of demonstration from station 1, choice of completed

graphic organizers from station 2, guided reading from station 4, lecture bingo

completed from station 3, and a 3-2-1 exit card to reflect on what they have learned.


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References

Cast (2008). Universal design for learning guidelines version 1.0. Wakefield, MA: Author.

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2002-2012). Teaching Every Student. Retrieved from

http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/index.cfm

Cohen, L. G., & Spenciner, L. J. (2009). Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Edyburn, D. L. (April/May 2002). Cognitive rescaling strategies: Interventions that alter

the cognitive accessibility of text. Closing the Gap, 21(1), 1-4.

Gregory, G. H., & Chapman, C. (2007). Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn't Fit All.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2005). Classroom Instruction that Works. Upper Saddle

River, N.J.: Pearson Education, Inc.

Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

d. robie case study part i and ii edu 721

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