Issue Number 16: March 19, 2004

CAST National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning News

Greetings, Readers

CAST is pleased to update you on "what's new" at CAST in literacy instruction for middle school students. This winter Tom Snyder Productions released the Thinking Reader, based on CAST's research and research-based reading strategies.

This newsletter also highlights The Access Center a valuable resource focusing on improving access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities.

We are very interested in your successes and challenges for making the general education curriculum accessible to all learners. Please send me your stories at gmeo@cast.org and I will highlight them in an upcoming newsletter.

1. Release News: CAST's Thinking Reader published by Tom Snyder Productions
2. From the Classroom: Teaching Students to Become Strategic Readers
3. Two Teachers' Perspectives on Using Technology to Support Reading
4. Using Technology to Individualize Reading Instruction
5. The Access Center, a Valuable Resource
6. Online Resources for Educators
7. Professional Development Opportunities offered by CAST staff
8. Newsletter Archive

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1. Release News: CAST's Thinking Reader published by Tom Snyder Productions
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Thinking Reader is the first software program to use authentic middle school core literature to give students instruction and practice in scientifically proven reading strategies. Based on CAST's research into digital learning environments and the research of renowned reading experts, Thinking Reader gives struggling readers and special needs students built-in comprehension supports, enabling them to learn from and enjoy the same high quality stories as their peers. Learn more:

http://www.teachtsp.com/products/product.asp?SKU=THITHI

2. From the Classroom: Teaching Students to Become Strategic Readers
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Middle school students use a computer-supported reading environment as they learn to read for understanding. Learn more:

http://www.cast.org/archive/index.cfm?i=2243

3. Two Teachers' Perspectives on Using Technology to Support Reading
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Let's hear from two teachers about their use of technology for teaching reading comprehension in the Reading Online Teachers' Voices Series:

http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=voices/winslow_previte/index.html

4. Using Technology to Individualize Reading Instruction
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This book chapter by CAST staff members, Drs. David Rose and Bridget Dalton, looks at changes in modern technology, human learning and the future of teaching reading comprehension. Take a few moments and read:

http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=3096

5. The Access Center, a Valuable Resource
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The Access Center is national technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs to improve educational outcomes for elementary and middle school students with disabilities. Visit the Access Center's Web site and become familiar with many of their resources.

http://www.k8accesscenter.org/

6. Online Resources for Educators
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With the online resources of Teaching Every Student (TES), learn how to apply UDL in the classroom using Web-based tutorials, toolkits, model lessons, and activities. Read more:

http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/

7. Professional Development Opportunities
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Professional Development: Universal Design, Access to the General Curriculum, and Technology. Check out our 2004 professional development offerings:

http://www.cast.org/pd

Call Leslie O'Callaghan at 888-858-9994, ext. 273, mailto:pd@cast.org, or register online at http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2417.

8. Newsletter Archive
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This issue:

http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=5088

Online archive of the Consortium newsletters take a look at back issues that highlight varied topics for providing access to the general education curriculum for all learners:

http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=1100

Thank you for your interest in CAST and our work. It is our intention to send this newsletter to individuals 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 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