Now, think about your selected lesson and what you could do to enhance it through the use of technology. Using the Educator
Checklist, identify the current barriers to learning.
Look at the sample below:
Lesson Plan
Barrier
UDL Principle
Goals/Objectives
For example, the
lesson on how a bill
becomes a law
described in the last
activity could include
more options for
language and symbols
and options for
comprehension.
Because the teacher is
only using the
textbook, the
challenges to
lawmaking may not be
a focus, yet could
interest students as
they learn about the
lawmaking process
and checks and
balances.
Students may not be
able to complete the
steps on how a
becomes a law within
the boxes provided for
the graphic organizer.
Students with
executive function
Principle 1
(Representation)
What of Learning
Students will
demonstrate
knowledge of the
lawmaking
process in
Congress and how
a bill becomes a
law.
Students will
demonstrate
knowledge of the
lawmaking
process in
Congress and how
a bill becomes a
law.
What could be done
to improve/change
instruction?
Perhaps the use of a
video or interview
with lawmakers
could add interest
and could provide or
activate background
knowledge.
Which technology
resources could be used to
enhance this lesson?
The Center on Congress
http://congress.indiana.edu/
e-learning-module-thedynamic-legislative-process
How do these resources
support UDL
Through the use of the e-module
on the dynamic legislative
process, the students can
navigate key information about
the lawmaking process and use
cues and prompts to draw
attention to critical features
(checkpoint 3.2)
Students can also use
Exploratree
(http://www.exploratree.org.uk
/ ) to organize their thoughts as
they move through the e-module
about the lawmaking process
(checkpoint 3.4)
Principle 2
(Action and
Expression)
How of Learning
Students could be
provided a variety of
options such as using
manipulatives to
demonstrate
understanding.
Students could have
the option of telling a
Inspiration or Webspiration
http://www.hippocampus.or
g/American%20Government;
jsessionid=AFE46D3FF6BB3
D4307F7606C73B8336F
Graphic Organizers
http://www.exploratree.org.
uk/
Through the use of software or
online templates, the students
can choose from a variety of
thinking maps or graphic
organizer to express knowledge.
These organizational features
are excellent ways to support
students' ability to plan and
disorder or with
ADHD may not be able
to complete activities
without further
graphic organizers.
Students may need to
express their learning
besides just the option
of writing.
Students will
demonstrate
knowledge of the
lawmaking
process in
Congress and how
a bill becomes a
law.
No one student likes
to learn the same as
everyone else. In
most cases if the
student does not see a
connection, he is not
engaged in the
learning process.
Presenting
information in only
one format will lose
the majority of the
students. If students
are not interested,
optimal learning will
not take place. In the
case of the lawmaking process, the
students may not see
the relevance of the
process thus being
unimportant to them.
Principle 3
(Engagement)
Why of Learning
story demonstrating
the lawmaking
process, creating a
graphic organizer
showing the steps, or
writing a story
demonstrating
knowledge. They
could show pictures
to represent the
steps in how a bill
becomes a law.
Students who take
ownership and
believe that they
control their learning
have a vested
interest and will
spend time to
process the
information. Helping
students make
connections and see
the relevance
increases the
student’s desire to
learn the content. In
the example of how a
bill becomes a law,
starting off with a
proposed law that
impacts the lives of
the students may
engage their interest
or discuss an event
that is socially
Photo Story allows the
student to make connections
with music and photographs
strategize. (Checkpoint 3.2 and
3.3)
http://animoto.com/ allows
student to make video
presentation or
http://voicethread.com/#ho
me offers different forms of
communication (checkpoint
5.1)
Having students review
proposed bills can help
students see the relevance of
the lawmaking process. Two
resources to find proposed
laws are Congressional bills
http://thomas.loc.gov/ or
Maryland General Assembly
bills http://mlis.state.md.us/
http://www.youthleadership.
net/ is another resources that
allows students to participate
in a mock eCongress
These resources will allow
students to review proposed
laws and will show the relevance
of the lawmaking process to
daily life. Challenging students
to compete in an eCongress
promotes the desire to learn the
lawmaking process to meet with
success in the game.
relevant to them and
lead the discussion to
making or changing
the existing law.