Issue Number 8: July 1, 2002

CAST National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning News

Greetings, Readers

CAST is delighted to announce ASCD's publication of "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning" by David Rose and Anne Meyer. The book reflects and expands on the accumulated knowledge of 18 years of research and development of innovative computer technologies and instructional approaches designed to improve learning for all students, especially those with disabilities. The first half of the book lays the theoretical foundation for CAST's concept of Universal Design for Learning and the second half offers a blueprint for implementing UDL in the classroom.

Complementing the book is a new section of the CAST Web site, Teaching Every Student, or TES:
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent

TES offers the complete text and images of the book in a universally designed format, and provides interactive, online mentoring, including tutorials, tools, activities, and communities of practice, to support educators in understanding and applying UDL in the classroom.

This issue of the Consortium newsletter highlights the Teaching Every Student publication and TES Web site.

1. Take a Look at "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning"
2. An Activity: Learn More about the Three Brain Networks
3. Tools and Templates Support our Understanding of Curriculum Barriers
4. A Presentation: Digital Text in the Classroom
5. A Video: What Do Teachers Say about UDL?
6. The Universal Learning Edition (ULE)
7. Let us hear what you think about "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning"
8. Stay Tuned for Professional Development opportunities that support Teaching Every Student
9. Purchasing the Book
10. Newsletter Archive
11. "On The Road" With Cast

1. Take a Look at "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning"

In the rapidly expanding capabilities of digital content, tools, and networks, CAST sees the possibility of conceiving, designing, and delivering a curriculum that will accommodate widely varying learner needs. Universal Design for Learning, principles draw on brain and media research to help educators reach all students by setting appropriate learning goals, choosing and developing effective methods and materials, and developing accurate and fair ways to assess students' progress.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

2. An Activity: Learn More about the Three Brain Networks

Three primary networks, structurally and functionally distinguishable but closely connected and functioning together, are equally essential to learning. Use the three brain network to analyze individual differences.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/main.cfm?t_id=10

3. Tools and Templates Support our Understanding of Curriculum Barriers

Integral to implementing UDL into practice, is understanding the concept of curriculum barriers. Teaching Every Student Web site supports understanding by offering tutorials, tools, templates, and activities. The CurriculumBarriers Finder" provides structured supports, including tools and templates, for analyzing your own curriculum in light of the students in your class.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/curriculumbarriers.cfm

4. A Presentation: Digital Text in the Classroom

The TES Web site provides a presentation, highlighting critical distinctions between printed and digital text, with implications for teaching.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/presentations/digitaltext.cfm

5. A Video: What Do Teachers Say about UDL?

In Chapter 4, you read about the theory of Universal Design for Learning and how it can help teachers meet standards yet still address the unique needs of every student. Meet a Concord NH teacher as she discusses UDL:
http://old.cast.org/tesmm/example4_5/ex45a.html

6. The Universal Learning Edition (ULE)

The online version of "Teaching Every Student" offers 4 views of the book: Summary (default), Concept Map, Full Content, or Universal Learning Edition (ULE). These viewing options are presented from a drop-down menu in each chapter of the online book.

The ULE view of the book is supported with a ULE Mentor and a number of tools: a notepad; a multimedia glossary; access to an online dictionary; translation support, and embedded reflection prompts with response boxes to help readers tie content to personal thoughts and experiences. Be sure to register for a MyTES account and log-on to enjoy the full benefit of the features of the ULE edition.

Use the ULE view to explore "Chapter 5: Using UDL to Set Clear Goals":

• register for a MyTES account: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/mytes/
• go to http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter5.cfm
• select the "Universal Learning Edition" (ULE) view from the drop-down menu

7. Let us hear what you think about "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning"

We believe your feedback, comments and suggestions will strengthen the presentation of the Teaching Every Student Web site and the goals of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Take a moment and tell us what you think.
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/community/tesFeedback.cfm

8. Stay Tuned for Professional Development opportunities that support Teaching Every Student

To learn more about the Professional Development opportunities that support the integration of Universal Design for Learning and the message of the Teaching Every Student publication, please email Grace Meo at gmeo@cast.org

9. Purchasing the Book

You can purchase "Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age" from the ASCD Online Store or Amazon.com. Links to these locations are available from the TES web site:
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/purchase.cfm

10. Newsletter Archive

This issue: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2893 Online archive of the Consortium newsletter: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=1100 Online edition of the MyCAST news: http://www.cast.org/mycast/index.cfm?i=1080

11. "On The Road" With CAST

• Conference: AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability)
  Location: Washington, D.C.
  URL: http://www.ahead.org
  Date: July 8 - 12, 2002
  Presenter: Skip Stahl

• Conference: American Family Insurance
  Location: Madison, Wisconsin
  Date: July 16, 2002
  Presenter: Michael Cooper
  Web Access Training

• Conference: Ohio Literary Institute, Cleveland State University
  Location: Newark, Ohio
  Date: August 14-15, 2002
  Presenter: Bridget Dalton

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 natconsortium@cast.org with a subject of "unsubscribe consortium".

Grace J. Meo
Co-Director of the National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning
gmeo@CAST.org