UDL Checklist for Photosynthesis/Respiration Lesson

Below is a udl checklist, explanations of each sub-category can be found at National Center of Universal Design Center. This blog represents an assignment that I completed for MAET CEP11. The assignment was to take a lesson that we designed earlier in the course and to analyze it based upon udl standards. Overall, it has been a great experience, recognizing how important it is to take a quick look at each principle. Using this checklist will make lessons/projects stronger, more adaptable, and improve student opportunities.

The second part of the CEP811 assignment will be to improve our original lesson. To do this I will start be focusing on Principle 6; creating a supporting STaIR, offering a workshop, and providing a task list to help students self monitor progress.

UDL Guidelines – Educator Checklist
I.    Provide Multiple Means of Representation:	Your notes
1.     Provide options for perception
1.1  Offer ways of customizing the display of information	Barrier
1.2  Offer alternatives for auditory information	Students have Premier Assistive
1.3  Offer alternatives for visual information	Google document with embedded video
2.     Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
2.1  Clarify vocabulary and symbols	Feature – google docs has a built in definition tool.
2.2  Clarify syntax and structure	Barrier
2.3  Support decoding of text, and mathematical notation, and symbols	Barrier
2.4  Promote understanding across language	Barrier
2.5  Illustrate through multiple media	Feature – Pictures and videos
3.     Provide options for comprehension
3.1  Activate or supply background knowledge	Feature – Facilitator Introduction, separate document assist.
3.2  Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Barrier
3.3  Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation	Feature – students have a google doc to follow and interact with. Students also will think-pair-share throughout.
3.4  Maximize transfer and generalization	Barrier
II.   Provide Multiple Means for Action and Expression:	Your notes
4.     Provide options for physical action
4.1  Vary the methods for response and navigation	Feature – groups can move at their own pace, clear check points need to be added to provide more support.
4.2  Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies	Barrier
5.     Provide options for expression and communication
5.1  Use multiple media for communication	Feature: Twitter, Infogr.am, google docs
5.2  Use multiple tools for construction and composition	Feature – Students have access to spell check, Internet, visuals
5.3  Build fluencies with graduated labels of support for practice and performance	Use of Gradual Release of Responsibility
6.     Provide options for executive functions
6.1  Guide appropriate goal setting	Barrier – as hort STaIR or workshop will be necessary to help students understand infogr.am and provides ideas.
6.2  Support planning and strategy development	Barrier
6.3  Facilitate managing information and resources	Barrier
6.4  Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Barrier
III.  Provide Multiple Means for Engagement:	Your notes
7.     Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1  Optimize individual choice and autonomy	Feature – Creativity of infogr.am
7.2  Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity	Feature –personal response and active engagement opportunities.
7.3  Minimize threats and distractions	Feature – working collaboratively
8.     Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1  Heighten salience of goals and objectives	Barrier
8.2  Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge	Barrier – could be more transparent
8.3  Foster collaboration and community	Feature - Working in pairs and teams, also twitter for online
8.4  Increase mastery-oriented feedback	Standards based grading – pass/needs more work
9.     Provide options for self-regulation
9.1  Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation	Barrier – table contents exist but a checklist or task list would be helpful
9.2  Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies	Barrier
9.3  Develop self-assessment and reflection	Feature – Students will assess their final product, present it, and comment on others.

© CAST 2011

Webquest Evaluation

War Against Extinction Webquest Evaluation

This evaluation was completed by me, Marc Schulz, for the purpose of demonstrating my understanding of the key elements for creating a successful webquest. The criteria that I will use for this evaluation include TPaCK standards and elements of a Webquest; Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation Criteria, Conclusion, Teacher Page and Resource Page.

The webquest is titled War Against Extinction and was created by Jerry Kousen of Hobart High School, Hobart ,IN.

Here is a screenshot that describes the purpose and who the webquest was designed for:
In regards to elements, this webquest is well put together, Mr Kousen has created an easy to follow outline. The screenshots below are evidence of the elements:

The Task is clear and provides an audience (fictitious) and student choice. To improve upon this Mr. Kousen could have contacted a local EPA department to serve as judges for best or most creative ideas.
The process is easy to follow, and students are encouraged to put forth extra effort. The evaluation page is setup much like a self assessment checklist and includes a requirement for the students to create a solution that goes beyond just collecting information. This allows for deeper inquiry, creativity, and ownership.

The remaining elements of a webquest are evident in this screenshot, look for the blue font:
Mr Kousen provides links under resources, search engines, and definitions to key vocabulary.
The War Against Extinction checks all the boxes when looking at elements of a webquest. But I believe it falls short of meeting TPaCK standards.

Content: There is scaffolding provided for key terms and resources but it assumes some background understanding of Interdependence (how organism affect one another).

Pedagogy - There is a nice mixture of deductive learning (answering direct questions through research) and inquiry through student choice of topic and solution. It also provides a problem that needs to be solved with an audience. However it seems like the audience is fictitious in the sense that the students will never really present to the EPA. This may minimize the quality of the final product.

Technology - This is the weakest section of this webquest. It using the Internet only for research and possibly a presentation. But does not use it for collaboration in and out of the classroom, nor does it suggest creation of more exciting final products: creation of a blog or wiki, an online campaign to save one of the species, etc.

The technology resources or website links are not very effective. Many are broken and those that do work tend to take you to sites that may be overwhelming in regards to the information.

In conclusion the framework of this webquest is strong and I am sure when it was first made that it provided a nice learning experience. With some new updates to the resources and perhaps a stronger focus on the technology components (focusing on the ISTE’s NETS-S) this webquest could become a “great” learning experience.

MERLOT Resources Peer Review

Direct link:http://www.viten.no/?fotosyntese_en

MERLOT Link: http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=444373

Quality:
This is a very easy to use tutorial about photosynthesis. It's visuals will assist learners who can easily use this as a stand alone activity or participate in a whole class presentation. The flash components are simple and do not require technology skills that are beyond the average middle or high school age student.

Effectiveness:
The interactive is 6 frames long; starting with an introduction and overview, then completing the lesson with a breakdown of each major step of photosynthesis. In addition to the lesson's animations there are also several built in quizzes for students to assess their knowledge.

This could be used by a "flip-style" teacher to introduce photosynthesis or assigned to students as an intervention after an initial lesson. As a PBL teacher I plan to add this into my project as an additional resource.

A teacher who is looking at creating a whole lesson could easily build around this interactive; pausing after each slide to check for understanding. On could even use each slide to introduce separate multiple day lessons.

Ease of Use:
The table of contents and "hot spots" make this easy to navigate. Two suggestions for improvement that I can offer would be to include a specific purpose (learning outcome) at the beginning and a self assessment quiz at the end of the interactive.

Project Ideas

Below are three short descriptions of projects that I plan to do this semester. I am sharing them with the hope of receiving feedback from other pbl teachers. Please share your concerns and/or suggestions.
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I am very excited about this one because the students will have a chance to be as goofy or serious as they wish while demonstrating their understanding of natural selection and Charles Darwin. The students will develop a script to make a video short (like SNL shorts) that depicts Charles Darwin as he discusses one of the following driving questions.

Action! The World According to Darwin

March 12, 2012 – March 30, 2012

Driving Question

“I was like a blind man given sight?” or "Do we interfere with survival of the fittest?"

I am curious if anyone has suggestions on how to support the video production, acting, script etc. I do plan to have them create a story board and most of our students have experience with Windows Live Movie Maker. I was also hoping to have local film student be part of the authentic audience but I am wondering if anyone has another idea.
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This idea came from CIESE (ciese.org), in general students collect phenotype data and then share it with other schools to create a larger data base. The data is then used to answer the question; Is the dominant trait most prevalent. I love the idea to share with other students and I may use the the CIESE connection but before doing so I was wondering if other NewTech Schoolmay be interested. If so, I would consider changing the driving question to Who is a NewTech Student? If you are a NewTech school and you are interested please let me know.

The Human Genome

February 17, 2012 – March 9, 2012

Driving Question

Does dominance always prevail?

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The following project title and driving question are for our unit on DNA/RNA & Protein Synthesis.

That is a Great Work of Art

February 3, 2012 – February 17, 2012

Driving Question

How can art help us understand?

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas on the medium the students can use to create the art or entry events to grab the students interest..

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