New Tricks - UDL

I'll be honest, I have not really "planned" a lesson for a few years. I set goals and objectives, develop learning activities, and formative and summative assessments, I just have not gone through the process of writing it all down for every lesson or unit. When you teach for enough years some things just become part of what you do. And when you find something new you try and incorporate them too.



Recognition networks

Strategic Networks

Since I've become a 1:1 classroom, I've completely rethought planning, teaching and learning. Back in the day, I used to plan units sequentially, this is what I need to teach them first, second etc., here are worksheets and other resources needed, all in order to prepare them for the assessment at the end. I've totally flipped that. I start with the end in mind. Many times I don't so much plan lessons or units, as just identify the objective or the standard to be met. I've started many of my best units by simply putting the standard to be met on the interactive whiteboard, set the purpose, present the problem and let the kids determine how they're going to meet the standard and show that they've learned. Students have ownership of learning. They share their thoughts, I get valuable information on misconceptions, schema, interest in content, and how they plan to evidence their new learning, and we go from there. Let's just say the path to the objective isn't always a straight line, and almost never what I planned or had in mind.


Affective networks

This week I planned a lesson and a unit using the UDL template. It helped me to focus on the three UDL networks - recognition, strategic and affective - and, as I read back over my plan looking for evidence of the three, I realized that I had mixed them throughout the lesson. I feel good about that, I believe that shifting between the networks keeps the whole brain active and engaged. I probably won't spend this much time planning a lesson until next summer, but the principles of UDL will be present in the lessons I don't "plan."

images retrieved from http://www.cast.org/udl/

My UDL lesson plan

 

Title:	So You Want to be a Millionaire?
Author:	Paul Stolt
Subject:	Personal Finance
Grade Level(s):	6 - 8
Duration:	4 weeks
Subject Area:	Investing
Unit Description:	This project-based unit introduces students to the concept of investing to create wealth as opposed to saving for future wants or needs. It begins with a comparison between investing and saving. This unit is launched by an ebook that provides background information and sets the driving question: Is it possible to save a million dollars? During the unit students will create portfolios of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. After an initial survey of personal likes and interests, the students will choose industries that match their personal interests. This will help establish the concept of ownership. Students will journal why they decided on the investments they choose and give reasons to support their decision based on their research. Students will then create a portfolio of 2 stocks, 2 bonds and 2 mutual funds on the website http://www.wallstreetsurvivor.com/ and track the performance of their investments for 20 days, and record observations in their journals. At the end of the 20 day cycle, learners will record their findings and create a presentation with present and projected future value based on three possible scenarios of their choice – continue investing a set amount, stop investing, and increase investments by a percentage at a set time period. Final projects will be posted to class specific wiki and shared with interested parents, administration and members of financial community.
Lesson Description for Day:	Launch lesson will introduce students to investing through the use of ebook, provide time for brainstorming, discussion, and student initiated questions, collection of group prior knowledge via Google form, and augment background knowledge with videos on investing.
State Standards:	TEKS (14) Personal financial literacy. The student applies mathematical process standards to develop an economic way of thinking and problem solving useful in one's life as a knowledgeable consumer and investor. TEKS (13) Measurement and data. The student applies mathematical process standards to use numerical or graphical representations to solve problems. The student is expected to: (A) interpret numeric data summarized in dot plots, stem-and-leaf plots, histograms, and box plots; and (B) Distinguish between situations that yield data with and without variability. CCSS WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. CCSS WHST.6-8.8 Gather information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source. CCSS WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. CCSS WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and effectively. RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Unit Goals:

The goals of this unit are as follows: 1.      Learners understand investing as a means to create wealth. 2.      Learners understand the effect of time on investing 3.      Learners apply research and mathematical reasoning to decision making process 4.      Learners analyze various investment options based on personal goals and record analysis for future use. 5.      Learners evaluate strategy and effectiveness in relation to investment goals. Learners share evaluations with peers for critique, comment. 6.      Learners create investment guide and summary of project.

Lesson Goals:

The goals of the launch lesson are as follows: Generate questions from learners related to investing. Determine level of learner schema. Generate reasons to invest. Create interest in investing among learners.

Anticipatory Set:	To create interest, show photos of celebrities along with their net worth. Ask learners how they earned their money and if it’s possible for everyone to use that method. Then show the number of millionaires in the United States. Ask learners how they think they reached that goal. Open the website http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/2010/03/5-a-day-grants-you-millionaire-status/ on interactive white board. Learners should comment to social media document on their thoughts after reviewing the above website with learners. (Optional: Have clean version of Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars’ I Want to be a Billionaire playing as students enter room.) The launch lesson begins with a pro/con chart for saving money. What are some reasons to save money? Responses are recorded on chart, whiteboard, or through social media such as todaysmeet.com. This is followed by asking what are some ways to save money. Again using chart, whiteboard or social media to record responses. Finally, ask students to define saving and investing using the same methods for recording responses. Once all responses are in, have a group discussion and look for common themes and address misconceptions. Close anticipatory set by directing learners to eBook: How to Save a Million Dollars (maybe) and help open accounts and explore scenarios on the two websites embedded in the book. This anticipatory set of activities aligns with UDL recognition, strategic and affective networks.
Introduce and Model New Knowledge:	At the end of the anticipatory set, students are directed to http://www.wallstreetsurvivor.com/ and http://www.daveramsey.com/article/investing-calculator/lifeandmoney_investing/#/entry_form To explore and establish accounts used in future lessons.
Provide Guided Practice:	Guided practice consists of modeling the process for evaluating possible investment opportunities based on personal interest. Develop criteria for evaluation with student input. Show video A Teenager’s Guide to Investing http://youtu.be/G8FmnGkkkt8 after modeling the process, guide learners in creating accounts and starting research on companies. Model keeping an investment journal to reflect on learning. (Video referenced above can also be used as an example of how a finished project might look.)
Provide Independent Practice:	Students use developed criteria to research and evaluate possible investment options to determine their investment mix of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. After a period of independent practice, learners should reflect on the process of creating a portfolio in their journals.

Formative/Ongoing Assessment:	Learner journal entries serve as formative/ongoing assessment of project. The anticipated due dates for required parts of the project will be displayed on a timeline displayed in the classroom. A rubric will be provided to students to guide journal responses.
Summative/End Of Lesson Assessment:	Learner final projects serve as summative assessment. Learners will post final projects to class Google site and present results to class, administrators and members of investment community.

Internet access Student web access device – any operating system – minimum 3:1 ratio. Ideally 1:1 student to device ratio. Unit could be completed in lab setting Unit could fit into BYOD environment

Interactive white board

http://penzu.com/ on-line journal

www.google.docs.com used to create class web presence www.blogspot.com blog site for keeping a journal www.kidblog.com blog site for keeping a journal (posts on this site have to be teacher approved prior to going “live”) www.evernote.com versatile site with a/v recording capabilities – great for special needs www.bitly.com url address shortening application www.qrme.com qrcode creation app http://safeshare.tv/ filter app for youtu.be video content removes ads, etc.

www.youtube.com access to videos featured video bibliography Murarka, A. (2013) The Teenager’s Guide to Investing. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/G8FmnGkkkt8 Cunningham, J. The Investor Education Fund (producer). (nd). Funny Money Cartoon: Building Long-term Wealth (video) retrieved from http://youtu.be/23zghpS9034

Websites http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/2010/03/5-a-day-grants-you-millionaire-status/ http://www.wallstreetsurvivor.com/ http://www.daveramsey.com/article/investing-calculator/lifeandmoney_investing/#/entry_form