Beginning UDL goals for Monday or Someday

When people think UDL, often the ideas of flexible seating and small group work come to mind.  If you are just starting on your UDL adventure, these are two places you might start or even dig in.  The following are lists of possible goals you might set for yourself, either in the short term, "Do Monday" or long term, "Do Someday".

Have you already begun to use flexible seating options in your classroom?  Try one of these ideas:

• Have the long legs removed from some desks or a table and use them as floor desks.
• Lift a table using bed risers, for a standing workspace.  (not sure that is what they are called but they are sturdy, I have some at my house to make room for underbed storage. picture below)  
• If you are spending time rotating kids through 'choice' seating, try relinquishing some control...  Once everyone has tried the different options, encourage students to choose their best workspace, what seat will help them most in their learning, working?  ********(teachers can still step in to make a recommendation or change if necessary, but it becomes student responsibility to make good choices for themselves--for learning, Rather than a teacher chore to make sure everyone get the same amount of time with each seat) . As more teachers make this shift and kids come up through, it becomes easier.

Do you already do some small group work?  Try one of these...

•  If you rotate groups through a set of stations you don't have to change everything!, look at one of the stations and think is there a way you can insert choice to meet the needs of more students?  
• same game, differentiated for different set of facts or numbers for different kids needs (ex. Goal: working on place value to 100:  play top it/war,  variations, Flip 2 cards Make the largest number you can. Variations partners decide to make two digit, three digit, or four digit #'s) . (Goal:  Practice Multiplication Facts-  Multiplication war, choose a fact family to work on with a partner, flip a card and multiply by that #.
• different colored paper  or writing implements for writing (this can be seen as fun/motivating/ but may also disguise that some kids need different sized or shaped writing tools)
• choice of different levels of support; graphic organizers, templates or no template at all. 
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• If you want to create a workshop atmosphere, try creating stations that all focus on the one skill for instance,
• Elementary ELA mini lesson focus on understanding characters have inner and outer traits...
• Goal: share what you know about the main character's inner and outer traits 
• use google classroom -write
• paper/pencil
• seesaw (or tape player, or mp3 player) to speak/record your answer
• draw outside characteristics (can use template outline of person) draw objects inside a backpack template that show us what kind of person they are inside
• Early childhood:  focus on letter recognition
• early grades find A's on newspaper clipping, high light them, create A with wikki stix, trace textured/fabric A's with finger say the name, pull letters out of a dark bag or box, place A's in a bowl, put other letters back in bag