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The Civil Rights Movement:
Just our past? Or Something Contemporary?
By Megan Mansueto
EME 2040 Introduction to Technology for Educators
Dr. Musgrove
12/05/2013
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Contents
Project Summary........................................................................................................................... 3
Standards....................................................................................................................................... 4
Required Materials ....................................................................................................................... 6
Assessment Plan ............................................................................................................................ 7
Summative Assessment: ........................................................................................................... 7
Formative Assessment: ............................................................................................................. 8
Research Process Lesson ........................................................................................................... 14
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 14
The Learning Experience ....................................................................................................... 15
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 17
Content Lessons .......................................................................................................................... 17
What is a right?........................................................................................................................ 17
Individual Biography Presentation........................................................................................ 18
Group Work on One Contemporary Topic of Interest ....................................................... 20
Celebration ................................................................................................................................. 21
Award Given ............................................................................................................................... 23
Universal Design & ESL Accommodations .............................................................................. 24
Universal Design for Learning ................................................................................................ 24
Assistive Technology Solutions ............................................................................................... 25
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Project Summary
I am developing a project for 8th graders in my Social Studies Class. We will
review Civil Rights Movements throughout different periods in history, not just in
America, but globally. Important topics to be covered will include: the
American Civil War, the Irish Rebellion of 1920, the Women’s Liberation
Movement, the Latino-American civil rights activism of Cesar Chavez, and the
Civil Rights movement (the one perhaps best known here in America), that
peaked in the 1960s in response to the egregiously racist sentiment that existed
in the US. From these topics in history, I would like to pose the following questions
to my students: Do you think the feelings that precipitated these movements on
behalf of the “oppressed” were justified? Are there any civil rights in today’s day
and age that endure? Are these rights minor and is it reasonable to allow
mankind on the whole to remain complacent about it? (If so, which may be the
case, then why?) And lastly, do you see anywhere in your own community
(neighborhood, or otherwise), where you see room for improvement in the
treatment of others? What can/should we do to help?
In order to make this lesson more relevant to their lives, I will also ask the
students to explore their own family history. I would ask them to broach these
topics with family members; were any of them directly or indirectly affected? If
the students feel comfortable enough with it, perhaps they can share their
relatives’ experiences with the class. In order to make things even more
prescient, we will cover some controversial issues (such as women consistently
being placed lower on the pay scale than men for the same job, ethnic
profiling, the connection between race and socio-economic class and how
that may impact them now or later in life- i.e. earning potential, access to
information or resources, etc).
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We will read information from selected reputable websites, online peerreviewed academic journals and studies, and watch videos discussing the
historical topics outlined above. I would also like to have them participate in
some web-based quizzes to familiarize themselves with basic key words and
vocabulary associated with these topics. From there, we will hold discussions,
sometimes including guest speakers come in to participate in some of them.
The end goal of this lesson will be for the class to choose some civil right to
support within their community. This reflection on their community and
development of action to address a social inequity will promote higher thinking.
My goal is for them to be aware of their community and to be active
participants in it; as well as to be cognizant that we are just one community out
of many, globally. Perhaps we will address the rights of same-sex couples and
their inability to marry legally in our area, or by promoting political involvement
from minorities in a lower socio-economic neighborhood.
Standards
Common Core:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support
analysis of primary and secondary sources.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH6-8.7 Integrate visual information (i.e. in charts,
graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
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
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH6-8.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and
reasoned judgment in a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH6-8.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a
process related to history/social studies (i.e. how a bill becomes a law,
how interest rates are raised or lowered, etc).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective
summary of the text.

CCSS.Math.Content.8SP.A.4understand that patterns of an association
can also be seen in bivariate categorical data by displaying frequencies
and relative frequencies in a two-way table. Construct and interpret a
two-way table summarizing data on two categorical variables collected
from the same subjects.
NETS:

Create original animations or videos documenting school, community, or
local events. (1,2,6)

Gather data, examine patterns, and apply information for decision
making using digital tools and resources. (1,4)

Evaluate digital resources to determine the credibility of the author and
publisher and the timeliness and accuracy of the content. (3)

Select and use the appropriate tools and digital resources to accomplish
a variety of tasks and to solve problems. (3,4,6)
P21:
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
Engage students with real world data, tools, and experts they will
encounter in college, on the job, and in-life—students learn best when
actively engaged in solving meaningful problems.

Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge.

Allow for multiple measures of mastery.
Required Materials

Access to the internet

Computers

Access to peer-reviewed journals such as through JSTOR or Lexis Nexis

Books from the library: Harvesting Hope (written by Kathleen Krull), Born for
Liberty (written by Sara M. Evans), and The End of Poverty (written by
Jeffrey D. Sachs)

Camcorder and video editing software

Microsoft Office- for creating reading material and flyers as part of the
end project

We will need to access various websites in order to gather and analyze
information regarding our topic.

Audio-video setup in the classroom so that we can all watch video clips
together, as well as use for student or teacher presentations
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Assessment Plan
Summative Assessment:
The final grade for this unit will include student participation: Did the student
turn in the work assigned for each lesson? The bulk of their grade will be based
on their group project that reviews a civil/human right that is as yet unresolved in
contemporary society. Class discussions and free-writes will assess the students’
critical thinking efforts, to more deeply understand our topic of what a right is,
and why not allowing abuse of our rights, is important. In order to ensure the use
of outside reputable sources and the use of correct citations (in APA Style),
students must turn in a bibliography of sources for the group presentations. They
will be required to create one visual or audio supplement to their presentation,
as well as to research for, create a visual aid for, and apply statistics to their
presentation, which addresses Common Core, P21, and Nets standards. There
will ultimately be a short multiple choice test given regarding the causes and
consequences of the Civil Rights movement in America, as that is a standard
requirement. Knowledge of this topic will be based on textbook readings
assigned to the class, as well as an in-class lecture with notes hand-out.
Rubric:
http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=MBXA94&sp=yes
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Formative Assessment:
Lesson
Lesson
Objective
Introduction to
Unit: Creative
Problem
Solving
*To
introduce
students to
the ideas of
what civil
rights have
been
overlooked,
throughout
history, and
what some
regular
people
have
decided to
do about it.
*Students
will begin to
consider
the ideas
that
1.)Social
Inequities
are still very
much
present in
our society
today, and
2.)That
something
can and
should be
done to
address
them,
effectively.
* CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.8.2
*P21
Content Summary
Formative
Assessment
Strategy
*We will begin by reading
*Students will
excerpts from Through My Eyes, have to turn in
by Ruby Bridges, Harvesting
a short freeHope: The story of Cesar
writing
Chavez, by Kathleen Krull,
assignment in
watch clips from the following
class, where
BBC production found on
they will
YouTube regarding Ireland's
answer the
Revolution:
following
http://www.youtube.com/wat questions: 1.)
ch?v=wbOD1fi8omw. Lastly,
What, if
the students will be required to anything,
visit and read 4 entries from
impacted
Malala Yousafzai's blog:
them most
http://www.malalafrom touching
yousafzai.com/. Lastly, we will
upon these
read excerpts from March On!: stories of
The Day My Brother Martin
challenging
Changed the World, by
the status quo,
Christine King Farris, so that we 2.) Why do
cover what is perhaps the most they think we
iconic civil rights movement in
are covering
America.
this content in
*As a class, we will discuss what our social
conditions these people were
studies class?
trying to change, and if
and 3.) Did
anyone sees the need for
they see any
change in our society, today.
parallels
*We should also discuss the
between any
point of view the information
of these
we read, was from; were they
situations
justified in how they felt? What where people
about the other side of things? were fighting
for their cause?
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Research
Process
* CCSS.ELALiteracy.RH68.8
*NETS (3)
Content Lesson
1:
What is a
Right?
*To
Introduce
students to
the world of
peerreviewed
journal
articles, and
academic
databases.
*To
introduce
students to
the idea of
what a
reputable
or viable
source is
and what
wouldn't be
an example
of one.
*I will break the students up into
their groups and have them
choose from one of the issues
we covered above. They must
use a search engine to see
what kind of information is
available regarding their topic
of interest, as well as how
much information they can
find. Secondly, they will explore
their topic within the academic
journals.
*To help
students
develop a
definition of
*As a class, we will review the
information on the following
website:
http://www.facinghistory.org/r
*Each group
will have to
type up (using
Word), the
following: 1.)
The topic they
chose, and a
very brief
statement as to
what
appealed to
them about
this person, 2.)
Include
Reputable
Websites that
they found
together, 3.)
List 3 journal
articles that
they were able
to find that
they could
possibly put to
use in their
presentation,
and 4 .) 1
example of a
website that
would not
serve as a
viable source.
(Number 4 will
be a bonus).
*Students will email this
document to
me.
*Group
discussion in
class on the
material, using
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*P21
what a right
is- human,
civil, or
other.
esources/lesson_ideas/udhr-4what-a-right-0.
This site is part of
FacingHistory.org, a site
dedicated to facilitating the
spread of awareness of the
ongoing and dynamic nature
of the infringement of human
and civil rights.
the probing
questions given
on the site, as
well as going
over
"categories" of
human rights.
(For exampleIs the definition
given here, too
narrow or too
broad)?
*Students will
also take a
short, 10
question online
quiz I created;
they must at
least get 6 of
the 10 answers
correct or will
need further
review before
retaking. (I will
be using
www.quizstar.4
teachers.org).
*Short free
write
assessment.
Content Lesson
2: Individual
Biography
presentation
*NETS (3,4,6)
*P21
*To have
students
give a highlevel
presentatio
n about a
person
involved in
civil rights
activism, of
*Students will have their choice
of selecting someone of
interest that has made a
difference in providing relief to
an underrepresented or
abused demographic. I will
provide a list of possible
candidates for their
presentation, but they are free
to choose someone relevant
*Students have
their choice as
to how to
present their
material:
Power Point,
written
research
paper, Oral
presentation,
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Content Lesson
3:
Group Work on
One Topic of
Interest- The
their
choice.
that is not on my list.
*Students
must review
from start to
finish, the
underlying
*Within their groups, students
must examine the factors
contributing to the breech of
civil/human rights they will be
covering, within different
Video,
Podcast, etc.
*Requirements:
1.)Information
must cover
basics like
Who, What,
When,&
Where.
2.)Information
must include
WHY this
person is
notable; what
effect did they
have, or role
did they play in
addressing a
civil or human
right-abuse.
3.)What legal
action did they
take to reform;
or what law
they did take
advantage of
to support their
quest for
reform; or what
law must they
repeal or
enact in order
to achieve
desired legallyprotected
results?
*The students
must each
have a part in
this Power Point
presentation.
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abuse of a Civil
or Human Right
in
Contemporary
Times
*CCSS.ELALiteracy.RH68.1
*CCSS.ELALiteracy.RH68.7
*CCSS.ELALiteracy.RH68.3
*CCSS.Math.C
ontent.8SP.A.4
*NETS (1,2,4,6)
causes of
the abuse
of power or
cause of
unrest they
have
chosen to
examine.
Also must
examine
the
consequen
ces.
contexts: political, social, etc,
from a list of options I will
provide them with (current
issues like environmental
racism, the demography of
prisons, gender issues and
sexual identity issues, etc).
Necessary to
include are:
1.)Important
statistics (and a
visual of those
statistics that
they created
within Excel to
represent the
numbers);
2.)Students
must
incorporate
images, as well
as audio and
or video clips in
their
presentation
(one must be
original);
3.)Students
must be able
define which
category they
believe their
topic falls
under (using
categories
from our
previous
content lesson
1); 4)Students
must examine
what "the other
side of the
coin" to this
was (point-ofview from the
"oppressors,"
and what
would have
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happened,
had no one
done anything
to stop
whatever
abuse was
proliferating;
5.) What can
be done? And
lastly,
6.)Students
must write a
letter to
appropriate
government
entity
postulating the
need for
change.
*Bibliography
required
Celebration/Wr *To display
*Breakfast with the parents:
*Review of
ap-Up
the tangible They can view the students'
letters written,
efforts from work: videos, podcasts, posters, and official
my student's powerpoints, etc. Parents will
sendand what
be asked if anyone can share
off/mailing of
they have
any stories regarding the topic them!
learned
of civil/human rights, that they
from this
may have heard from family
instructional friends, or experienced
unit; and to themselves.
celebrate
their hard
work.
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Research Process Lesson
Introduction
I will introduce the project with the Power Point presentation that I
created. Each student will have to participate in collecting and analyzing
research on some aspect of the topic they have chosen with their group. The
point of this research section is for the students to familiarize themselves with
searching a digital library (like JSTOR) for scholarly journals, as well as to become
better acquainted with the topic that they will be presenting on.
The research section of this project is the most important part of the
project because the statistics and history of the issues that the students will find,
should precipitate the idea that perhaps, an inequity does exist; and that
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perhaps, that inequity is perpetuated by society either intentionally or otherwise.
The idea that an injustice exists, should hopefully, make the students more
emotionally invested in the topic and in doing something to remediate the
problem. The research should also give insight into the origins of the issue and
where it stands today, which will ultimately guide the students towards solutions
or appropriate actions, to advocate change.
Areas to Research: Origins of inequity, historical and/or current social
impact, historical and/or current economic impact, historical and/or current
global and or national impact (if applicable), opposing views, possible future for
us nationally if this continues, and lastly, possible solutions. (The last 2 should be
done as a group).
The Learning Experience
The students will learn through experience, how to research digital libraries
and the internet, and to distinguish between valid sources of information, and
invalid ones (i.e. possibly biased or inaccurate sources). The students will learn
about proper citation (we will use APA style), how to maneuver digital libraries
for scholarly journals, and about how different searches work; I will give a short
lesson on free-text, keyword, and Boolean searches. I will also have to take
some class time to go through a few examples in JSTOR, Google, and Google
Scholar, etc.
Since the students will divide the responsibilities of researching the
different aspects of their group’s issue, each student will responsible for putting
their information together into a word document in a sequential and coherent
way, complete with citations. This is necessary so that when the time comes to
prepare the PowerPoint presentation as a group, the translation from notes into
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slides will be an easy one for the group. It is not recommended that they place
their notes directly into slides, as usually notes need to be pared down into
something more succinct and cohesive (for the purpose of the presentation),
and also because the presenter will need talking points, which they will likely
derive from their notes. (I will remind them that their PowerPoint presentation
should not have paragraphs, written word-for-word about what they are
discussing).
Students will also have to gather statistical data, and link it to their
arguments (either for advocating change, or as part of an argument from the
opposition), in order to construct their visuals and support their arguments. The
students will also learn how to search for images that would not violate
copyright laws; as such, I will have to give a short lesson on copyright
infringement and how to stay within legal guidelines. Lastly, the students will
have to use the internet to find the contact information for the appropriate
government entity/person they will be sending their letter to. By having to
conceptually link the information they find, into a cohesive argument in favor of
or against changing current laws regarding their issue, students will have had to
think critically about the information and have analyzed it.
10 inks to help students research:
1.) http://www.neok12.com/Civil-Rights-Movement.htm
2.) http://www.archives.gov/research/topics/civil-rights.html
3.) http://www.naacp.org/
4.) http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php/american-history/1900/civil-rights
5.) http://www.jstor.org/ (My login will be given).
6.) http://scholar.google.com/
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7.) http://harvardhrj.com/
8.) http://www.hrw.org/?gclid=CImf8PaJsLoCFWho7AodTBUAEw
9.) http://www.lib.uconn.edu/research/bysubject/humanrights/hrdatabases.html
10.) http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_rights
Conclusion
At the end of the research part of their project, the students should each
have their own Word documents with information and citations that will be their
own to refer to when preparing their part of the discussion. The group will also
grade each other on their involvement and on their level of preparation; I will
also ask for the students’ Word document just to be sure that they created it,
and that it has citations included throughout. The group members will also,
individually, give a few sentences at the end of the group presentation
regarding their opinion on what they presented.
Content Lessons
What is a right?
Introduction:
As a class, we will visit the website:
http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/lesson_ideas/udhr-4-what-a-right-0. We
will review the definition of a “universal right,” as well as how these rights are
categorized. I will hand out printouts of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights Timeline, and read the timeline together so that we can underline what
we identify as important words or key phrases.
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Learning Experience:
We will have a group discussion in class on the material, including their
opinions about the definitions given on the site: Were the definitions not inclusive
enough, or were they too broad and too-inclusive? Can any of them think of a
situation where exceptions to these rules may occur? Did anything on the
timeline surprise them?
Conclusion:
I will create a 10-question quiz on www.quizstar.4teachers.org about the
concepts we studied (not any specific dates from the timeline we reviewed).
Within the quiz questions, the students will be given a few examples of
rights/situations, which they will identify with one of the categories of rights that
we reviewed. After the quiz, I will close the class period with a 2 minute free-write
about what we just reviewed: thoughts, opinions, and/or facts. (They will have to
categorize their group presentation topic, so retaining and applying this
knowledge will be required).
Individual Biography Presentation
Introduction:
I will hand out a list of names composed of people, past and present, that
have made notable efforts at defending or advancing the rights of an
underrepresented or exploited demographic; alongside the names, I will
provide a short blurb about each person in order to help students decide whom
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they might have an interest in, since they probably will not be familiar with the
activists listed. I will explain that they are free to choose activists not on my list, as
long as they let me know ahead of time (in case I need to veto an
inappropriate choice). I will then explain the guidelines of the presentation: The
students will have their choice as to how they will present their individual
biography, either through an oral presentation, research paper, video, podcast,
PowerPoint, etc. They will all be given a rubric to follow, as well.
We will watch a video created by Ryan’s Well Foundation, which is a foundation
that promotes youth involvement in creating positive change in the world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXDOxPiDyzc.
The purpose of this, I will explain, is to show that to better the lives of others,
ordinary people can do small things; it doesn’t have to be a monumental shift
that they have to undertake, and it is not just un-relatable fanatics who do this.
Learning Experience:
The students that chose to create a presentation other than a research
paper, will present their work to the class. Those that wrote a research paper, will
simply have to state to the class whom they chose, and why that person was of
interest to them. Through the presentations, we will learn as a class, why these
people were notable: What were they defending/progressing? What actions
did they take? What effect have these actions ultimately had? Were there any
legal barriers they had to overcome?
Conclusion:
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The students will take a short APA citation quiz, as they will need to hand in
a bibliography with their group presentation. We will review the more common
mistakes (if any), that I found with the bibliographies that were handed in. We
will also discuss which of the bibliographies left impressions on us, good or bad.
Group Work on One Contemporary Topic of Interest
Introduction:
I will provide the students again, with a list of contemporary topics that
qualify as a civil/human rights issue that has as of yet to be resolved. Again, the
students will be given the option to choose a topic not on my list, as long as I
okay it ahead of time. I will give them a rubric outlining the requirements and
purpose of the project. The topics will include a wide range of issues:
environmental racism, the imbalanced demographic of prisons, gender issues
(like the under-representation of women in positions of power politically and
economically), sexual identity issues (like the exclusion of homosexual marriage
from much of our state legal systems).
Learning Experience:
As a class, we will listen to the groups give short presentations (with
snippets of their PowerPoints) about the social and political contexts of their
issue. More than the facts surrounding the issue, however, I will have the
presenters focus on broader, more personal questions: What did each presenter
think about the issue? Did they agree or disagree with its categorization as a
breach of a human or civil right needing to be corrected? What about those
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who don’t want reform? Do they have valid arguments? What would have to
change for the status quo to be altered? (For example, laws or social
conditioning that would need to be changed). To whom did they address their
letter regarding rectifying the current status of the imbalance or abuse that they
covered? Why did they choose that contact? (Where does this person they fit
into the picture of change?)
Conclusion:
After all of the presentations, I will have the students hand in a 2-minute
free-write regarding their feelings on the project. Was there a topic that
someone else presented on, that they had an opinion about? Maybe they had
an opinion about the validity of an issue that they did not want to state in front
of the class? Were there any topics covered that didn’t seem to be clear-cut in
the need for reform? Is the issue of rights somewhat hazy?
Celebration
Our unit lesson will culminate in a celebration held in our classroom. I will
invite the parents of the students to join us in enjoying a class breakfast, during
which we may all view the classroom projects: podcasts will be played, videos
will be shown, posters and PowerPoints will be on display. The students will
introduce their work and give a brief description of what they reported on, and
what they took from this lesson; parents will also be encouraged to share stories
with the class if they have any that relate to this lesson plan. I will congratulate
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the class on their hard work and express my pleasure for their motivation and
involvement in this lesson. I will recap to the class and their parents, what I had
hoped my students would take from these projects: how our democratic system
can be utilized to create positive changes for our society, as well as how
ordinary people making small efforts can affect others in a profound and helpful
way. Then, I will announce that I have made awards for them, as a small gesture
of my pride for them; at this point, I will call them each up and give them their
award, which I will have created on Microsoft Publisher, with a small piece of
candy tied to it with ribbon. Lastly, I will read over one of the letters we are
mailing out, and I will have them “officially” mailed out to their respective
recipients.
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Award Given
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Universal Design & ESL Accommodations
Universal Design for Learning
Few teachers, I believe, would argue that a one-size-fits-all approach to
education would be the most effective or productive way to assist students in
achieving their fullest potential. Much in the same way that everyone seems to
have innate strengths and weaknesses in general, so do we all have
preferences in processing and conveying information. Howard Gardner, a
psychologist and neuroscience professor, is one well-known researcher in the
education field that would agree; his theory of multiple intelligences postulates
that individuals uniquely interact with the world around them, working within the
realms of nine “intelligences” that he has identified and defined: Linguistic
Intelligence, Logical/Mathematical Intelligence, Musical Intelligence, Kinesthetic
intelligence, Spatial Intelligence, Naturalist Intelligence, Interpersonal
Intelligence, Intrapersonal Intelligence, and Existential Intelligence. He
suggested (and many in the education-research field support him), that
repetition in various forms is the best way to engage the most number of
students in the most effective way. We as educators, must provide numerous
effective examples from which students may relate cognitively.
Taking this into account, the purpose of the Universal Design for learning
curriculum, is to offer a curriculum that is flexible and varied enough so as to be
used and understood by students in our classrooms, no matter their
“intelligence” or learning style.
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Assistive Technology Solutions
Hearing Impairment
Although we as educators must decide what the best technological
solution would be for child needing assistance, thankfully, there are ample
resources available to us to choose from. My students with a hearing impairment
that may hinder their ability to both receive information, and communicate, will
likely have some form of personal assistive technologies, like a cochlear implant.
I will also present the content of my lessons using images and text. Additionally,
when we watch videos together as a class, I will allow these students to access
the same video on their own personal laptop, using headphones. I will also hand
out written information outlining the lesson content, which could also benefit
some of the students without an auditory impairment.
Visual Impairment
My students with a visual impairment (for whom neither the PowerPoint nor
the written handout would be a help), I will give an oral description/lecture of
what we are learning about. Additionally, these students may use an e-reader
(like Natural Soft) at their desks on their laptops. (Natural Soft is a program that
translates text into speech). By providing e-text materials to these students as
well, they would be able to adjust the text size to one that they find better
accommodates their visual abilities.
Learning Disability in Reading
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For my students with learning disabilities in reading, I would provide an etext outline of the content with the main ideas highlighted, a concept map, and
access to DonJohnston software products, which assists by reading books out
loud and reading comprehension.
English as a Second Language
I will likely have students for whom English is their second language; these
students will also require some modifications to the lesson plan. They will have
Google Translate open and available to them at their desks, on their laptops;
Google Translate translates text that you input in one language, and converts it
into whatever language the student selects. I would also encourage them to
use Word Lens on their phones outside of school, which scans foreign text
through your camera, and then quickly translates and displays the words in
another language onto your screen. We would also use Jay-Cut in the
production of their personal bibliography project; Jay-Cut is an online videoediting program that is available in 10 different languages. I will also modify me
lessons by translating directions or material into their own language in order to
help them get started on their work.
Multiple Ways of Presenting Information
In keeping with Gardner’s advice to present information redundantly but
in different formats, I am including the following in my lessons: images, sounds,
text, video, concept maps, and sound with video in text. I will also highlight
critical features using my speech (i.e. with pitch, volume, gestures, etc) and in
text (i.e. through bolding, color-highlighting, and italicizing).
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Interaction
My students will interact with information through different mediums: We
will be watching videos, reading information online (with hyperlinks that link to
additional information or help if they need or want it), reading handouts with
text, working in Word processor where they can incorporate pictures and
diagrams, as well using software to translate speech into text; lastly, we will be
doing both independent and group work.
Expression
Students have input into how they will express their knowledge, by
allowing them to turn in a bibliography in any format of their choosing they
could make a video, write a poem, create a PowerPoint presentation, a
podcast, or poster board, etc. I will also make available to them, technology
tools and websites that makes expressing their thoughts on the content not just
possible, but also possible in a way that they find to be most effective. These
could include Communication Boards (using Boardmaker), Picture Libraries,
Paint Programs, and comic book creation software, and Voicethreads to record
audio.
Assessment
The Universal Design for Learning encourages the use of different methods for
assessment. This means allowing for some flexibility in the way that students
present their knowledge and understanding, and to offer supports or scaffolding
to students that may need extra guidance when it comes to assessments. I
believe that I am offering different methods of assessment, including writing,
customized presentations, multiple choice quizzes (for which I could offer
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scaffolding for students that need it, in the form of concept maps or translations
that need it), and group work so that they can receive peer support and
direction if they need it. Additionally, in order to make sure all of my students are
progressing as they should, I would check in with them individually, throughout
the process, and offer scheduled time during our class period during which they
can come up and ask me questions or to help them with their work.
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