UDL Evaluation of Word Processing Lesson Plan

Below is a checklist to see how my word processing lesson fit UDL Guidelines.  I did realize my goals, student objectives, and project evaluation needed to be incorporated into the lesson better so that students could use then to assist in multiple UDL aspects of the lesson.  I love working off of checklists and very clear rubrics, I should be better about adding this into my own lessons!!

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist
I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation	Your notes
1. Provide options for perception
1.1 Customize the display of information	Feature: The teacher demonstrates the assignment using an overhead projector allowing students to hear the instructions and watch the instructions.
1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory information	Feature:  Demonstrating the assignment to the class allows them to follow visually the steps then need to take.  The students also have their ‘elbow partners’ and the teacher if they need to see the information again.
1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information	Feature:  By demonstrating the assignment to the group, the teacher can verbally walk the students through the process.  Group instruction also allows for questions and comments that some kids my think of before others can.  Having access to an ‘elbow partner’ also gives students an alternate auditory resource if they are struggling with the visual information.
2. Provide options for language and symbols
2.1 Define vocabulary and symbols	Feature: The pages program allows students to ‘mouse over’ an icon in the program for more text information.
2.2 Clarify syntax and structure	Barrier: The demonstrated lesson should be left up on the front board so that students have access to the correct and expected word processing lesson objectives.  Highlighting of these expectations will make it more clear to the students.  Leaving the learning goals on the front board also will help.
2.3 Decode text or mathematical notation	N/A
2.4 Promote cross-linguistic understanding	Feature:  The computers have a system feature that can convert language preferences if needed.  Students can read and write the material in multiple languages.
2.5 Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically	Feature 1: The teacher will be demonstrating the assignment for visual comprehension.
3. Provide options for comprehension
3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge	Feature: Students will be building on the writing skills they already know.  Sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation skills will have already been taught.
3.2 Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Feature:  The lesson focus is on specific mechanics of word processing, not the actually content of the writing.  Students are only graded on what they must proof. Barrier: No clear grading guidelines were defined.  This would highlight expectations.
3.3 Guide information processing	Feature: The teacher’s demonstration allows a guided introduction of the lesson.  ‘Elbow partners’ also provide support and feedback when students need that.
3.4 Support memory and transfer	Feature: Requiring the students to proof their work and have their ‘elbow partner’ proof their work will give the students opportunities to revisit the required expectation of the assignment.

II. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression	Your notes
4. Provide options for physical action
4.1 Provide varied ways to respond	Feature:  Students are given the option of story length for an alternative to time and speed. Barrier: The lesson is designed to introduce students to keyboarding and keyboarding functions.  However to remove this barrier a teacher could use Dragon Dictate software as an alternative to keyboarding all the text.  Students can edit the text once it is on the page.
4.2 Provide varied ways to interact with materials	Feature: Students are introduced to a teacher presentation, can work with a partner, can work independently, and can orally present their project.
4.3 Integrate assistive technologies	Feature: Assistive technologies are easy to turn on using the system preferences of the student’s computer.
5. Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
5.1 Allow choices of media for communication	Feature:  Students can choose fonts styles, sizes, and colors.  Students can randomly choose their story starter.  Students also can choose to present their final project.
5.2 Provide appropriate tools for composition and problem solving	Feature:  StoryStarter.com gives the students a choice and assistance in getting the writing assignment started.
5.3 Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance	Feature: Both the teacher and the elbow partner will help provide feedback and support.
6. Provide options for executive functions
6.1 Guide effective goal setting	Feature: The teacher demonstration will help students understand the goals. Barrier:  The objectives and assignment requirements should be clearly listed on the board for the students to follow after the demonstration.
6.2 Support planning and strategy development	Barrier: The assignment steps should be listed with the goals.
6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources	Barrier: Students should be given a check list for proof reading individual and partner work.  This could also include the final evaluation goals/points.
6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress

III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement	Your notes
7. Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1 Increase individual choice and autonomy	Feature: Students have design, story length, and story topic choices.
7.2 Enhance relevance, value and authenticity	Feature: The lesson follows a learning standard that all students will find invaluable.
7.3 Reduce threats and distractions	Feature:  Students will be supporting each other in the proofreading.  Students have the option to share or not in the end, which limits social demands.
8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives	Feature:  The teacher demonstration gives the students an idea of time and final project expectations.
8.2 Vary levels of challenge and support	Feature:  There is a range in assignment length and a degree of freedom in the story content.
8.3 Foster collaboration and communication	Feature: Group discussions, partner work and group presentation allows for cooperative learning.
8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback	Feature: Students get feedback from their peers and then will get feedback from the teacher.   Using the tools of the word processing program, students can also get feedback from spell check and grammar features.
9. Provide options for self-regulation
9.1 Guide personal goal-setting and expectations	Barrier:  Rubric and checklist is needed to help students set goals and understand expectations.
9.2 Scaffold coping skills and strategies	Feature: The teacher floating around the room can help students who can not self-regulate.  Elbow partners can assist with this as well.
9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection	Barrier: A rubric, checklist will allow students to self-assess their work.