Online Experiences

The online experience I thought would be most beneficial for my students was the idea of creating a class Wiki.  I would use this Wiki to create a website that my students could use as a quick resource regarding everything we have learned in the class.  This would be a year long effort to keep the Wiki updated and correct and it will be run completely by the students.  I would put the students into groups and have them rotating the work load.  For example, say in one week we learned about 3 different grammar topics I would assign these topics to groups 1, 2 and 3.  Then the following week I would assign groups 4, 5, etc.  The groups would be in charge of creating their topic page on the Wiki, writing a summary about the use of said grammar topic and include some examples.  They will need to turn in a rough draft before they post so I can check that all the information they are providing is correct.

I think that this online experience would be a great tool for my students to use when they are studying for exams because if there is a topic they are unsure of they can simply log on to the Wiki click on that topic and there they have a summary and examples to help them rather than searching through the book to find them.  I believe this would aid in collaboration because not only are they working in groups to create their pages but they would also now that the entire class is relying on them to create a page that is correct and useful for them. 

One of the technologies I feel would be least useful for my classroom would be the Online Field Trips, seeing as I would be teaching a French class the only times we go on field trips are when we go to a French restaurant or to a French art exhibit, both of which are best done in person rather than online. 

StAIR

Below is the link for my PPT:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/126592030/Passe-Compose-avec-avoir-ppsx

Below is the link for my StAIR on MERLOT

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=734395&newcontribution=1

Wiki Lab

Since I am not currently working at a school I decided to add to the page about Avignon, France the city I recently lived in.  Under the tab about Main Sights I added "Les Halles" and "Place Pie" along with a description of the two places.  Below is a screenshot of my additions (they are highlighted):

For my Wiki sight I decided to make my WebQuest on WikiSpaces to kill two birds with one stone and here is the link:  http://frn2webquest.wikispaces.com/

Lesson Plan Re-Write

In the notes section is where I have listed the solutions to adjust my original lesson plan in order to incorporate the UDL standards.

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist
I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation	Your notes
1. Provide options for perception
1.1 Customize the display of information	Feature: The students can design their projects anyway they'd like as long as they include all the necessary information
1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory information	Barrier: the students stories are told only through audio.  Solution: I will post the students storybooks onto our website so that they will have the opportunity to listen to them on their own time if they need the volume to be louder.
1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information	Barrier: The students will only be showcasing their projects on a screen in the classroom so students who are far away or have any visual impairments may not be able to see everything clearly. Solution:  I will have the students include the text they're reading in their movie so it works like subtitles for students with hearing impairments.
2. Provide options for language and symbols
2.1 Define vocabulary and symbols	Feature: The students will provide pictures that coincide with their stories so if there is a vocab word the students aren't familiar with they can use the pictures to help them.
2.2 Clarify syntax and structure
2.3 Decode text or mathematical notation
2.4 Promote cross-linguistic understanding
2.5 Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically
3. Provide options for comprehension
3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge	Feature: The students create their storybooks based on what they have learned in the class so far.
3.2 Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Barrier: There really is no big idea for the assignment. Solution: I could create a theme based on whatever the unit we are in focuses on.  For example: travel, food, home life, etc. so that the students have a base line to begin creating their stories around.
3.3 Guide information processing
3.4 Support memory and transfer

II. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression	Your notes
4. Provide options for physical action
4.1 Provide varied ways to respond
4.2 Provide varied ways to interact with materials	Barrier: The students are not really required to react with the information, merely watch it and pay attention. Solution: I would have the students create either a worksheet with some questions about their stories for the other students to complete while they're watching for participation points to make sure the students are paying attention.
4.3 Integrate assistive technologies
5. Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
5.1 Allow choices of media for communication	Barrier: The students are only given a lesson on how to use PowerPoint to create a movie.  Solution: Provide links for other types of free movie making websites and/or allow students to use whatever platform they may be comfortable with.
5.2 Provide appropriate tools for composition and problem solving	Feature: The students are provided with websites and instructional videos to help them learn how to create their storybooks.
5.3 Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance
6. Provide options for executive functions
6.1 Guide effective goal setting
6.2 Support planning and strategy development	Barrier: The students are left on their own to plan and create their storybooks. Solution: Have daily check-ins with the groups to make sure they're on the right track and see if they have any questions or concerns.
6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources
6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Barrier: The students know how many days they have to complete the assignment but they may need a day by day check in to be sure they are moving at the appropriate rate. Solution: At the beginning of the lesson give the students a heads up about where they should be at in their story making process so they are aware of the pace they should be taking.

III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement	Your notes
7. Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1 Increase individual choice and autonomy	Feature: The students are pretty much on their own on this assignment.  They have a given number of days to complete it and must use their time wisely in order to be done on time.
7.2 Enhance relevance, value and authenticity
7.3 Reduce threats and distractions
8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives
8.2 Vary levels of challenge and support	Feature: The students have the ability to make their project as complicated or as simple as they'd like as long as they meet all of the basic requirements.
8.3 Foster collaboration and communication	Feature: The students will be working in pairs or small groups to create these stories so they must work together in order to accomplish their goal.
8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback
9. Provide options for self-regulation
9.1 Guide personal goal-setting and expectations
9.2 Scaffold coping skills and strategies
9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection

UDL Guidelines – Educator Checklist

Below is a checklist comparing my lesson plan that I had previously posted to the Universal Design for Learning's standards. 

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist
I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation	Your notes
1. Provide options for perception
1.1 Customize the display of information	Feature: The students can design their projects anyway they'd like as long as they include all the necessary information
1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory information	Barrier: the students stories are told only through audio.  Solution: have them include the text they're reading in their movie
1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information	Barrier: The students will only be showcasing their projects on a screen in the classroom so students who are far away or have any visual impairments may not be able to see everything clearly.
2. Provide options for language and symbols
2.1 Define vocabulary and symbols	Feature: The students will provide pictures that coincide with their stories so if there is a vocab word the students aren't familiar with they can use the pictures to help them.
2.2 Clarify syntax and structure
2.3 Decode text or mathematical notation
2.4 Promote cross-linguistic understanding
2.5 Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically
3. Provide options for comprehension
3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge	Feature: The students create their storybooks based on what they have learned in the class so far.
3.2 Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Barrier: There really is no big idea for the assignment.
3.3 Guide information processing
3.4 Support memory and transfer

II. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression	Your notes
4. Provide options for physical action
4.1 Provide varied ways to respond	Barrier: The students aren't really provided with a means to respond to their peers stories
4.2 Provide varied ways to interact with materials	Barrier: The students are not really required to react with the information, merely watch it and pay attention.
4.3 Integrate assistive technologies
5. Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
5.1 Allow choices of media for communication	Barrier: The students are given a lesson on how to use PowerPoint to create a movie.
5.2 Provide appropriate tools for composition and problem solving	Feature: The students are provided with websites and instructional videos to help them learn how to create their storybooks.
5.3 Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance
6. Provide options for executive functions
6.1 Guide effective goal setting
6.2 Support planning and strategy development	Barrier: The students are left on their own to plan and create their storybooks.
6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources
6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Barrier: The students know how many days they have to complete the assignment but they may need a day by day check in to be sure they are moving at the appropriate rate.

III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement	Your notes
7. Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1 Increase individual choice and autonomy	Feature: The students are pretty much on their own on this assignment.  They have a given number of days to complete it and must use their time wisely in order to be done on time.
7.2 Enhance relevance, value and authenticity
7.3 Reduce threats and distractions
8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives
8.2 Vary levels of challenge and support	Feature: The students have the ability to make their project as complicated or as simple as they'd like as long as they meet all of the basic requirements.
8.3 Foster collaboration and communication	Feature: The students will be working in pairs or small groups to create these stories so they must work together in order to accomplish their goal.
8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback
9. Provide options for self-regulation
9.1 Guide personal goal-setting and expectations
9.2 Scaffold coping skills and strategies
9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection