Day 5
Using Learning Menus to Support Content Literacy
Outline for Today:
Today we will...
- Evaluate our peers' vocabulary exit slips
- Introduce learning menus to support content literacy
- Review the difference between differentiation and UDL when creating assignments
- Build UDL-aligned literacy learning menus and grading rubrics for our own classrooms
- Evaluate our created resources with a collaborative group to improve our assessment resources and levels of questioning
Review: Vocabulary Exit Slip
Task:
Share your Vocabulary Exit Slip with the members of your table.
Think Abouts...
- What vocabulary strategy is implemented in the activity?
- How will this strategy support student learning of vocabulary and general comprehension of the lesson?
- Can the students apply this strategy in other contexts after this lesson?
Click here to see a vocabulary homework menu.
I used this in my Grade 6 Social Studies courses. Please contact me if you would like a copy of the document to edit.
Task: You are going to design a Learning Menu to support content literacy in your classroom.
You are going to design a Learning Menu mini-unit to use in one of your courses. This activity will build on the source collection that we formulated last class.
Learning Menus: What are they?
Differentiating Instruction Using Learning Menus
Let's explore a variety of learning menus.
Geometry Learning Menu (High School)
Click here to access the learning menu.
ESL Learning Menu (Late High School/College)
Click here to access the learning menu.
Independent Reading Menu (Grades 6-8)
Click here to access the learning menu.
Why use Learning Menus?
Here's a quick refresher on authentic assessment.
Universal Design versus Differentiation: How can we make our instruction and learning tasks accessible?
When we create Learning Menus, we want to be mindful to compile sources and develop tasks that appeal and are accessible to a wide range of students. Before we begin the Learning Menu task, let's examine the difference between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and traditional differentiation. Using UDL-aligned practices will drastically improve our students' abilities to access, comprehend, and apply.
UDL At A Glance
This Prezi is here as an additional resource if you are interested in the principles of UDL. (...and you should be-- On May 4, 2010, Maryland's Governor Martin O’Malley signed the Universal Design for Learning bill (HB 59/SB 467) into law. This bill establishes a state-level UDL Task Force to explore the incorporation of UDL principles into the State's education systems. Maryland’s HB 59/SB 467 marks the first state level UDL bill in the nation.)
Big ideas from the video...
Our students have varied interests, learning strengths and challenges, and metacognitive awareness.
We need to offer our students authentic opportunities to access and process information, as well as develop a deeper understanding about themselves as learners.
This chart develops the principles of UDL further to offer suggestions of strategies to make your content accessible and meaningful to your range of learners.
Let's brainstorm...
- How can we offer multiple means of representation in our classrooms? On the Learning Menu?
- How can we offer multiple means of expression in our classrooms? On the Learning Menu?
- Are we teaching the students to be expert learners?
Let's make our own UDL-aligned Learning Menus.
Task description: You will create a Learning Menu and an accompanying grading rubric for one of your courses.
Be mindful of the tasks that you are creating... make sure that you are including higher-order thinking questions (Bloom's Taxonomy, anyone?).
In addition to the Learning Menu, you need to develop a rubric/grading policy to share with students so they understand your expectations.
- Keep in mind... students may access the information or demonstrate their understandings in different ways, but they are all working towards the same content and literacy standards.
Click here to access a learning menu template!
You do not have to use this format; it is simply here as a sample template.
Let's take time to evaluate and improve each others' tasks.
Think about your word choice in the items that you created:
- Is there another way that you could express your expectations that would be clearer for the students?
- Could you remove unnecessary words or phrases to make the task more accessible?
For next week...
We will create extended performance-based assessments for your content area. Please bring a topic that you would like to explore (something in your current unit or upcoming unit) and one anchor text aligned to the topic.