Issue Number 10: December 3, 2002

CAST National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning News

Greetings, Readers

Educators are constantly faced with the challenge of addressing the diverse learning needs of all students. To accommodate the many ways of learning, we can use what we know about how the brain network operates to make our teaching methods and curriculum materials flexible in specific ways:
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter2.cfm

Certain instructional techniques are very effective in supporting students as they learn to recognize information, develop learning strategies, and build engagement with learning. By applying Universal Design for Learning principles to instruction we can design and apply instructional methods and materials that meet the needs of diverse learners.

The previous newsletter focused on curriculum barriers that hinder academic success for all learners; in this newsletter we will focus on teaching methods and techniques that address needs of diverse learners.

Just Announced - CAST is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Education has selected the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC) at CAST to develop a voluntary national file format for the electronic transmission of instructional materials for students who are blind and students with other disabilities. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Education on 11/15/02, "The creation of a standard file format is of significant importance to students, educators, publishers, technology specialists and advocacy groups." To learn more, click on the following link:
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/11-2002/11152002a.html

**Professional Development … Universal Design, Access to the General Curriculum, and Technology** Read item #8 for more information

1. Using UDL to Individualize Teaching Methods
2. Flexible Media and Tools
3. A Teacher's View…
4. Designing Instruction to Support the "What" of Learning
5. Designing Instruction to Support the "How" of Learning
6. Designing Instruction to Support the "Why" of Learning
7. "Hot Off the Press"… Using Technology to Individualize Reading Instruction
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8. Professional Development Opportunities offered by CAST staff
9. Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning
10. Newsletter Archive
11. "On The Road" with CAST

1. Using UDL to Individualize Teaching Methods

Understanding the underlying principles of UDL and knowing how the three brain networks function suggest different approaches for teaching information (what), for teaching skills (how), and for teaching students to love learning (why). Take a look at the guidelines for UDL teaching methods.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter6_2.cfm

2. Flexible Media and Tools

Teaching through varied paths would be daunting or perhaps even impossible for teachers if instructional tools were restricted to print materials alone. Learn more about flexible media and tools that support all learners.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter6_3.cfm

3. A Teacher's View…

Karen Arnold, a teacher from Concord School District, Concord, NH, has found that voice recognition software enables one of her students to succeed at writing. Watch and listen to an excellent example of using technology to meet the challenge of individual differences.
http://old.cast.org/tesmm/example6_2/ex62.html

4. Designing Instruction to Support the "What" of Learning

Different students learn in different ways, therefore, teachers need to design instruction to meet the diversity of students in their classrooms. Take a look at teaching methods that expand the repertoire of teaching the "what" of learning.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter6_4.cfm

Take a moment to think about an experience(s) in which being exposed to multiple examples helped you or your students learn to identify information. If you would like to share these thoughts with other readers, go to:
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/community/tesFeedback.cfm

5. Designing Instruction to Support the "How" of Learning

Think about ideas from this section that you may implement in your practice. Again, take a moment to share your ideas with others.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/community/tesFeedback.cfm

6. Designing Instruction to Support the "Why" of Learning

Now that you have finished reading this section, pause and think about something that you really loved or hated as a student.

7. "Hot off the press"…Using Technology to Individualize Reading Instruction

This chapter by David Rose and Bridget Dalton, CAST, Inc. appears in the book Comprehension Instruction: Building on the Past and Improving Instruction for Today's Students and examines how technology is radically changing the ways in which we can study human learning, and the ways in which we can foster it.
http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=3096

8. Professional Development Opportunities

Training Opportunities: Universal Design, Access to the General Curriculum, and Technology
http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2377
Address the challenge of meeting the needs of diverse learners by making curriculum and course materials accessible for ALL! Professionals are invited to attend 2-day or 3-day hands-on workshops that highlight Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an instructional approach to teaching through flexible applications of technology tools, networks, and digital content.

Upcoming Winter and Spring Institutes:
- Thursday and Friday, January 9 & 10, 2003
- Thursday and Friday, February 6 & 7, 2003
- Thursday and Friday, March 6 & 7, 2003, closed
- Thursday and Friday, April 24 & 25, 2003

Upcoming Summer Institutes:
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 25, 26, and 27, 2003
- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, July 21, 22, and 23, 2003
- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, August 18, 19, and 20, 2003
eReader Training:
eReader software and documentation are available

Call Leslie O'Callaghan at 888-858-9994, ext. 273, mailto:pd@cast.org, or register online.

9. "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning"

"Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning" by David H. Rose & Anne Meyer with Nicole Strangman and Gabrielle Rappolt

You can purchase "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age" from the following locations:

• ASCD Online Store http://shop.ascd.org/ProductDisplay.cfm?ProductID=101042, or


• Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0871205998/qid=1019570143/sr=1-5/

10. Newsletter Archive

11. "On The Road" With Cast

Members of the CAST staff present at many conferences throughout the year. If CAST is in your area, you might like to stop in at one of these presentations.

• Conference: National Reading Conference (NRC)
  URL: (pdf document) http://nrc.oakland.edu/conference/conf02/docs/program02.pdf
  Location: Miami, FL
  Date: December 4-7, 2002
  Presenter: Bridget Dalton and Peggy Coyne
  Title: "Universally Designed Digital Picture Books to Support Beginning Reading in Children with Cognitive Disabilities"

• Conference: TASH
  URL: http://www.tash.org/2002conference/
  Location: Boston, MA
  Date: December 11 - 13, 2002
  Presenter: David Rose, Grace Meo, and Gaby King
  Title: "Accessing the General Curriculum: Realizing the Vision",
  Presenter: Bart Pisha
  Title:"High School Teachers Designing Accessible Lessons through Teacher Inquiry Groups"
  

• Conference: Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA)
  URL: http://www.atia.org/
  Location: Orlando, FL
  Date: January 15 - 18, 2003
  Presenter: Skip Stahl

• Conference: Technology, Reading & Learning Difficulties (TRLD)
  URL: http://www.trld.com/
  Location: San Francisco, CA
  Date: January 16 - 18, 2003
  Stop by and meet Gaby King at the CAST booth

• Conference: Project Choices
  URL: http://www.projectchoices.org/
  Location: Chicago, IL
  Date: January 31, 2003
  Presenter: Bart Pisha

Thank you for your interest in CAST and our work. It is our intention to send this newsletter only to people who have requested to receive it. If you believe you are receiving this in error or wish to no longer receive it, you can unsubscribe by sending a message to mailto:natconsortium@cast.org with a subject of "unsubscribe consortium".

Grace J. Meo
Co-Director of the National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning
mailto:gmeo@CAST.org
http://www.cast.org