Meet and chat with colleagues about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) on Twitter! The best hour of professional learning you'll get in 30 minutes. Held the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 9-9:30PM ET.
Welcome to #UDLchat! Tonight’s topic is Empowering Learners with UDL in Secondary English Language Arts (ELA). We are the Secondary ELA Department from @PKYongeDRS and we’re thrilled to be co-moderating tonight’s chat with @min_d_j. #UDLchat
Let’s begin with introductions and a warm-up question. Tell us a little about yourself and share the text you most associate (good or bad) with your own personal middle/high school ELA experience. Remember to include #UDLchat.
Welcome to #UDLchat! Tonight’s topic is Empowering Learners with UDL in Secondary English Language Arts (ELA). We are the Secondary ELA Department from @PKYongeDRS and we’re thrilled to be co-moderating tonight’s chat with @min_d_j. #UDLchat
Hi y'all! I'm Jon and I teach 7th Grade ELA in Gainesville, Florida. My secondary ELA experience was pretty awful. The text I associate with my experience (very bad) is Beowulf. Side note: I also associate Beowulf with falling asleep in class. #UDLchat
Dakota Hudelson. I teach MS writing in Columbus, IN! The text I remember the most from middle school is The Diary of Anne Frank. My first textual exposure to horrors of society, and made me question some assumptions about the world I had made. #udlchat
I'm Blake Beckett. I am currently teaching sixth-grade language arts after teaching elementary classes for 20 years. I remember Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry changing me. #udlchat
Hi, #UDLchat! I'm Shelby and I teach 10th grade ELA in Gainesville, FL. I'd say "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. I remember really connecting to the idea of discovering my boldness and confidence!
Hi all! I'm Cody. I teach 9th grade ELA in Gainesville, FL. The text I associate negatively with my middle school ELA experience is The Yearling. I loved my 8th grade ELA teacher, but The Yearling. I just couldn't. Still can't. #udlchat
Greetings! Macy Geiger - 4th and 5th grade teacher at PK Yonge. Glad to join the conversation tonight! The texts that most resonated with me in HS were Native Son and Catch-22 #udlchat
Let’s begin with introductions and a warm-up question. Tell us a little about yourself and share the text you most associate (good or bad) with your own personal middle/high school ELA experience. Remember to include #UDLchat.
Hiya #UDLchat! I’m Mindy from @CAST_UDL in MA. The text I associate with high school ELA is The Sound and the Fury. Completely changed the way I understood the narrative voice.
Christine Gray, Middle School Literacy Coach from MA. So excited to talk #UDL & #ELA! I'd say, "The Man Who Was Poe" by Avi. I read it about 5 times--including hiding it in my science textbook to sneak in some reading time. #readingrebel#UDLchat
Hi Sarah Humphreys from Sydney Australia here. I am working with 4 amazing English teachers right now who are hungry to introduce UDL to their practice. Looking 4ward to sharing r journey & resources. #UDLchat
I’m Kelley from Columbus, IN. The text that I most identify with HS is The Great Gatsby. But I also have very bad memories of Anna Karenina. #SheDiesWith300PagesLeft#udlchat
Hi! Allison Posey from CAST. I remember A Separate Peace... the ending made me cry- I don't look at trees the same! I always wanted to use cliff notes in ELA but thought it was cheating! #UDLchat
A1: An ELA class should provide opportunities for students to explore their lived experiences & support them in finding voice. The class should give students opportunities to hear multiple perspectives & grapple w/ the differences between and among various perspectives #UDLchat
A1: in a basic sense, reading, writing, critical analysis. The way I see it: we’re empowering Ss to identify and understand the world (reading), deconstruct it (critical analysis), and change it (writing) #udlchat
A1:Stories have power. In ELA class we read stories, write stories, and share our own stories while discussing texts. Stories give power to the storyteller/author and the reader/listener. From stories, grows empathy. #UDLchat
A1: In teaching students how to read and interpret the text, ELA teachers help students how to read the world. Freire said that. Critical literacy is clutch in the 21st century. #UDLchat
A1:ELA exposes Ss to a variety of pple, places, & Pts. Of view. ELA Ts empower Ss to READ others’ ideas critically, respond thoughtfully in writing & discussion, & to use the power of words to challenge & connect wth others in & out of their classrooms. #UDLchat
A1: An ELA class should provide opportunities for students to explore their lived experiences & support them in finding voice. The class should give students opportunities to hear multiple perspectives & grapple w/ the differences between and among various perspectives #UDLchat
A1: The role of centering honest, vulnerable communication is key in ELA. We’re empowering Ss to challenge the “single story” narratives and also share their truth. #UDLchat
A1: Learners have space to wrestle with complex, relevant issues through multiple media and perspectives in #ELA—they’re empowered as they connect what they read and write to their own lives and to the world they live in. #UDLchat#UDLpower
A1. I dunno, I was kicked out of many of mine. :) But really I think it should help Ss to find multiple ways to communicate learning: essay, rant, infographic. #udlchat
Hi I'm Barb Chase and I'm a life skills teacher / special education teacher in Littleton, NH - Just checking this out- extreme novice on the scene! A bit late sorry! #UDLchat
Agreed! Sometimes convincing Ss they have voices worth being heard is a challenge! ELA class is the perfect place to practice the LISTENING skills we need to ensure all voices are heard! #UDLChat
A1: offering a chance for introspection based on character choices before Ss take a look at their own beliefs and choices. Wow, i get to do that everyday? #udlchat#bestjobever
A1: #ELA is all about stories and connecting those stories to our own lives and experiences or empathizing with others’ experiences. To understand the world better through our own or others’ eyes can be empowering. #UDLchat
Nice work on Q1, y'all! Let's keep this going!
Q2: Now that we’ve established why we’re empowering our students, let’s explore how that’s done with UDL. What UDL moves have you made in your practice to empower your students? #UDLchat
Howdy! I teach 10th grade English and 11th grade research in Putnam County, FL. My own ELA experience was erratic...I had great experiences, but also some weak ones. I couldn’t appreciate Homer as a freshman, but senior year I loved studying postcolonial Lit. #udlchat
A1. For me, ELA is a site for cultural studies to critically analyze, challenge, & eventually create texts. I want students to be empowered to speak against marginalizing narratives and forces. I want us to imagine and then create a just world one class period at a time. #udlchat
A1: also when people say “schools should teach HOW to think, not WHAT to think” I always think, “huh, teaching Ss how to think critically is literally my whole job!” #udlchat
A2: Multiple ways to access text, write, synthesize, show what they know in a way that makes sense for them. Offer choice in what to read/explore. Use their passions to activate learning. #UDLChat
Nice work on Q1, y'all! Let's keep this going!
Q2: Now that we’ve established why we’re empowering our students, let’s explore how that’s done with UDL. What UDL moves have you made in your practice to empower your students? #UDLchat
A2: This year I refocused each unit around a central inquiry question. We lead with a question rather than a standard. Students consume text, write, share, & think to investigate the inquiry question. This move opened new pathways for students to demonstrate expertise. #UDLchat
A1: ELA, at least to be, empowers kids to bring the world and their experiences into school. It’s also the class where I think we empower kids to connect ideas across disciplines. ELA can also be where we empower kids to make choices about their learning. #udlchat
Great points! This made me think of book I recently bought for my summer reading pile--Minds Made for Stories: How We Really Read and Write Informational and Persuasive Texts by @Tom_Newkirk Really excited to get into that! #UDLChat
A1:Stories have power. In ELA class we read stories, write stories, and share our own stories while discussing texts. Stories give power to the storyteller/author and the reader/listener. From stories, grows empathy. #UDLchat
A2: Use of visual images to bring complex relationships to life through colors and spatial connections. Reflection to process how it matters and connects to me- #UDLchat
A1. For me, ELA is a site for cultural studies to critically analyze, challenge, & eventually create texts. I want students to be empowered to speak against marginalizing narratives and forces. I want us to imagine and then create a just world one class period at a time. #udlchat
A2: I’ve started giving Ss much more voice in the classroom structure. Asking for honest feedback from them, seeking more ways to amplify their voice, in whatever medium works best. I’ve also been able to recognize ableist assumptions I held thanks to UDL & work on them #udlchat
A2: LISTENING has been most important to supporting students in #ELA. Validating issues learners care about & want to explore, guiding them toward texts & finding their voice in writing—especially for kids who have not always been successful with reading and writing. #UDLchat
A2: Mult. means of representation and action & expression- If I get to experience ELA in a way that makes sense to me, I'm much more likely to become invested. #udlchat
A2: Trusting Ss by giving control over the content of their ELA course-Ss choose pleasure reading books, Ss choose vocabulary words to study, Ss choose writing topics/genres. Finding creative ways to give Ss #audiences outside of their classrooms to share their work #UDLchat
A2: I have seen the power of choice increase interest and motivation. There is a100 book limit at my local public library and I have maxed that out a few times this year for this "choice." I was thrilled and scared to see my students rushing a pile of biographies. #udlchat
A2: Giving students a voice in how they interpret or understand text allows for multiple means of action and expression as well as giving students freedom to express their culture #UDLchat
A2: My focus this year was on UDL’s engagement piece. I try to make intentional decisions before Ss even arrive at my door to make sure they know they're valued. #UDLchat
Hi all! Jumping in late. A2: one of the most important for me is learner-selected books. As a student, nothing lowered the likelihood I would get really into a book more than it being a whole class novel. #UDLChat
Nice work on Q1, y'all! Let's keep this going!
Q2: Now that we’ve established why we’re empowering our students, let’s explore how that’s done with UDL. What UDL moves have you made in your practice to empower your students? #UDLchat
A2: One of the ways I love to think of #UDL in #ELA is in action/expression. Of course writing is important, but sometimes a composition (whatever that means to the learner) allows learners to focus on the topic rather than the mechanics of writing. #UDLchat
A2: By having all student access to to help them such as text-to-speech, multi-language dictionaries, etc. helps students feel less self-conscience of using tools. #UDLchat
Y'all aren't messing around! We've got lots to say about UDL and ELA! Ready for Q3?
Q3: As a department, we believe ELA as a content area is a vehicle to address injustices in the world. In what ways does social justice intersect with UDL? #UDLchat
A2: This comes through in curriculum planning, text selections, classroom aesthetic (yes!), and the way I advocate for my Ss both inside and outside of my classroom. #UDLchat
A2: In my class, I explore avenues with the students to show how well they can do the work of reading literature, responding to the world, writing the world, and critically analyzing all texts through diverse paths of multiliteracies #udlchat
A.2 Choice. Choice. Choice. The more choice students have, the more they become invested in their learning. Diverse choice and diverse topics broaden learning. #UDLchat
A2: Choice & a focus on student inquiry. This year, my juniors developed two research projects based on their own student-designed questions. Topics ranged from bioterrorism to environmental regulations on truck engines. Self-assessment is huge for me this year as well. #UDLchat
A2: spending more time where Ss plan and lead discussions about the text has been a great choice this semester, in particular. Also, front loading the year with relationship building so the classroom is a safe place. #udlchat
A3. To paraphrase Paul Gorski, “an instructional tool in the hands of a bigot is still an instructional tool in the hand of a bigot.” UDL ain’t nothing if the teacher thinks undocumented students shouldn’t be allowed in classrooms, for instance. #udlchat
A3. Well, let’s just say it: education is indeed a civil rights issue. Always has been, always will be. Used to be that knowledge was power. Now we know...being an expert learner is power. #udlchat
A3: #UDL & SJ interact because when we acknowledge & honor our Ss & Staff’s variability, we are obligated to remove the barriers that prevent any Learner from accessing a meaningful education. Social INjustices are the reason we NEED #UDL#udlchat
In #ELA, teachers can help students to navigate diverse voices and perspectives, and to cultivate their own voices and identities. By explicitly providing multiple entry points to texts and bringing underrepresented voices to the classroom, we’re closer to #UDL4Justice#UDLchat
A3: Talking about UDL w/o social justice isn't a choice. We need to consider adding Multiple Means of Empowerment to the UDL framework. Confronting injustices like bias, racism, & white supremacy must be an established component of eliminating barriers. #UDLchat
A3. Well, let’s just say it: education is indeed a civil rights issue. Always has been, always will be. Used to be that knowledge was power. Now we know...being an expert learner is power. #udlchat
A3: Not sure how you can separate the two. When we stop ableism and the pathological model of seeing disability within the learner, more learners become empowered. UDL = access & equity! #UDLchat
A2 - Choices definitely empower my students to manage and engage in their learning. I'm always looking for the hook that will get them engaged. Creativity and a willingness to keep on trying are essential as well! #udlchat
A3 Social justice intersects with UDL by allowing students to create their own "best" way to learn. There isn't one right way, just like there isn't one right way to do many things. Ss presented social issue projects today: wish I would have thought of this topic! #UDLchat
A3: UDL is anti-ableist by design, which is amazing. Multiple means of representation, expression, etc all mean taking into consideration and wholly integrating multiple cultural perspectives. Universally designed classroom must extend beyond four walls & into Ss lives! #udlchat
A3.5 but also challenging them, stretching them, and pushing them to interact with and understand differing perspectives than their own. Teaching them to critically identify systems of oppression, biases, stereotypes, and other oppressive forces. #udlchat
A3: The words "justice" and "access" are closely related in my mind at this point in my understanding. When a person is denied access, for any reason, there is an injustice. UDL reminds me to look for the injustices that are often quiet and unseen by many. #udlchat
A3: LA (and theatre, coincidentally) give Ss the chance to "try on" other people's experiencecs. Social justice in LA is about finding value and appreciation for cultures other than your own. How better to do that than to read someone else's actual thoughts?! #udlchat
A3: Correcting social injustice is an AUTHENTIC purpose we can expose learners to in an ELA class. I've found authenticity to be one of the best ways to get students engaged and excited to learn. #UDLchat
Y'all aren't messing around! We've got lots to say about UDL and ELA! Ready for Q3?
Q3: As a department, we believe ELA as a content area is a vehicle to address injustices in the world. In what ways does social justice intersect with UDL? #UDLchat
A3. You can talk about UDL all day long but if you're helping elect people who think "all sides are bad" in Charlottesville then you're helping sustain (strengthen, even!) all sorts of barriers. #udlchat
A3: Both require considering access to knowledge and power that comes with knowledge. It’s about opening doors and, perhaps, even finding—or building new ones. Both also involve highlighting voices that are often muted or left out. #UDLchat
Teens are pretty egocentric. In pushing them to see the "other", to connect their reading and writing to real life, possibilities arise for change #UDLchat
Whew! Q3 makes us want to make this an hour-long chat. What do you say, @min_d_j ? Maybe next time. :)
Q4: Sharing time! What resources have you explored recently to grow your thinking about empowering learners? #UDLchat#udlchat
A3. Books open the door to any story and world. Offering Lit that allows readers to see into other worlds helps develop empathy. Listening to other voices, immersing ourselves in those worlds connects readers to all people. #udlchat
You engaged & made me care about (brain) science because of all the #UDL success stories you told me. You had my #affectiveNetwork at hello! #UDLchat#thankyou
A3: UDL is a social justice movement. Totally. One of the reason's it's not everywhere, just like social justice. So we keep on keeping on, and having "the" conversations #udlchat
Stories allow us to imagine new choices, actions, relationships, and opportunities than we may have done on our own-- empowering how we can see our own future- or our global community's future. #UDLchat
A3: The words "justice" and "access" are closely related in my mind at this point in my understanding. When a person is denied access, for any reason, there is an injustice. UDL reminds me to look for the injustices that are often quiet and unseen by many. #udlchat
A3: My big takeaway of the UDL framework is to truly interact with the unique strengths and challenges of every Ss. That means pressing on tensions with barriers that create injustices, even if it means confronting conversations re: "this is what we've always done." #UDLchat
A4: .@ValeriaBrownEdu teaches me something every day. If you’re not learning with her already, do yourself a favor and give her a follow. She shared a podcast the other day that has pushed my thinking. #PushingTheEdgehttps://t.co/3ok96ugFRt#UDLchat
A3.5 LA is a special subject area because at its heart is communication and story. LA is an opportunity to infuse our students with knowledge of injustice and and hope for social justice through communication, story, and inclusion of many perspectives. #udlchat
A3: With search engines, websites and social media adapting to each user based on likes and clicks, having different voices in school will be more and more important #UDLchat
A4: 180 Days: Two Teachers & the Quest to Engage & Empower Adolescents by @KellyGTGo & @PennyKittle is a MUST read. This book is filled wth concrete instructional examples that show both WHY & HOW we can engage & power learners! Can't stop writing in this book! #udlchat
A4: Everyone should read, "Cross-Pollinating Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning," featuring Samy Alim, Susan Baglieri, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Django Paris, David Rose, and Joseph Michael Valente
https://t.co/CTEevA6KcT#udlchat
A4: A LA teacher must be constantly on the hunt for high quality texts where diverse people are the protagonist, and not just in stories of oppression. Ss need to see every day examples of themselves in text. So, let's keep on reading and building our repertoire! #udlchat
A3: ...through provided informational text related to law and humanity. It allows them to see we, in many ways, are all the same, and use this insight to be not only tolerant but able to EMBRACE all. #UDLchat
All the arts, music, fine arts, architecture, film and theatre and books provide pathways into other cultures. The arts help us comprehend, explore and communicate what it means to be human. #UDLchat
A4: How to Personalize Learning! Awesome book that gives you specific ways to implement UDL. It could be used for any subject; I use it in 7th grade reading. My learners just finished creating their Learner Profiles. #UDLchat
Whew! Q3 makes us want to make this an hour-long chat. What do you say, @min_d_j ? Maybe next time. :)
Q4: Sharing time! What resources have you explored recently to grow your thinking about empowering learners? #UDLchat#udlchat
A4: I shared my inquiry with my students this year from the beginning. My inquiry looked at how my Standards Based Grading and UDL frameworks supported their experiences in my classroom. We discussed curricular decisions, sharing the power. #udlchat
A3: With search engines, websites and social media adapting to each user based on likes and clicks, having different voices in school will be more and more important #UDLchat
A4: I'm been challenging myself to read more texts by diverse authors in my own time (women of color, people from indigenous communities, etc.). I've also been looking to experts like @bellhooks and Paulo Freire to learn about decolonizing education. #UDLchat
A4: Now that I’ve integrated @Flipgrid into my class, I’ve seen students with intensive needs for whom writing is a barrier express knowledge in a way that makes them proud and directly contributes to our classroom. All Ss love it! I love it! #udlchat
A4.5: I’m also intentionally integrating @Tolerance_org ‘s standards into my lesson planning as much as possible. I always “mean” to teach tolerance, but if it isn’t intentional, it probably won’t happen! #UDLchat
A4: Reading lately about design thinking and considering integrating design challenges into my Global Perspectives classes. Book is called Launch (I think?). Might strike a nice balance btwn choice, structure and authentic audience. #UDLchat
And that’s a wrap! Thanks for joining us tonight! Don’t forget to grow your #PLN by following the fine folks from #UDLchat. We hope you’ll join us @ELAPKY in our quest to develop, test, and disseminate best practices in secondary ELA...until learning has no limits. Peace.
A4. This is a new exploration for me. I think I've worked hard to empower writers' voices and readers since I began teaching, but I'm very interested to learn new approaches. This chat is a perfect start. And @MisterMinor always opens eyes. #udlchat
To the extent that equity is getting kids what they need, as opposed to equality (all getting the same thing), UDL can be a means of equity if a tool is adapted for their own use. #UDLchat
A3: UDL is a social justice movement. Totally. One of the reason's it's not everywhere, just like social justice. So we keep on keeping on, and having "the" conversations #udlchat
A3: What I absolutely love about UDL is the idea of Universal education. Having worked in an essentially self-contained program for years, I see UDL as a way to not only 'include' ALL students, but to also make sure that ALL students are part of the plan. #udlchat
A4: really challenging myself to make time to explore other text options. If we have taught the same text for 30 years (not kidding) but Ss don’t connect, why are we still reading it? What else is more reflective of my Ss?#udlchat
Continue to love keeping up with Zaretta Hammond @Ready4rigor and always keeping my eyes open for UDL in academic journals. Cannot wait until I have time to enjoy my UDL reading this summer!! #UDLchat
A4: Lately I've been reading a lot of Twitter threads of educators I admire #onhere. I've been thinking about @ValeriaBrownEdu thread re: false narratives and how to dismantle these ideas with Ss using @Tolerance_org resources. #udlchat
So you think masses can think about protesting lack of good affordable education? Why no rallies or protests or walk outs to demand this right? #UDLchat
Thanks to @min_d_j and @ELAPKY for the chat, and for @fundorf for inviting me! Love the chance to see what professionals across the country have to say. I learned a lot! Thank you! #udlchat
A4: I shared my inquiry with my students this year from the beginning. My inquiry looked at how my Standards Based Grading and UDL frameworks supported their experiences in my classroom. We discussed curricular decisions, sharing the power. #udlchat
A4. This is a new exploration for me. I think I've worked hard to empower writers' voices and readers since I began teaching, but I'm very interested to learn new approaches. This chat is a perfect start. And @MisterMinor always opens eyes. #udlchat
I'm going to work with one of our English teachers to do a Bookbuilder activity to get students to 'finish reading the chapter'. Since you can embed questions and cool learning supports - and the interactive nature may be more motivating... #udlchat
Q4: Update.... Well - I just went to this great summit in Orlando and right now I'm exploring Twitter to grow my knowledge about empowering learners. Seriously made history here sending my first ever Tweet in this chat - thanks all! #udlchat
