UDL – Offering multiple and alternative means of learning classroom curriculum
All teachers in the Hastings School District use and offer multiple means of access to their curriculum. This web page is designed to help the Hastings Staff keep up with all of the wonderful technology available for use in their classrooms.
For help with questions on implementing some of the tools found on this page please contact a member of the UDL team.
Minnesota UDL Find links to resources for use in Minnesota Schools. Sample lesson plans found in this blog have been created by Minnesota teachers.
Web 2.0 Tools - Many Web 2.0 tools help you to incorporate UDL principles. Check this site to see a list of 2.0 tools and the directions for their use.
District 200’s Favorite UDL Tools Teachers, contact us if you would like to add your favorite tool to the list!
Audacity - this is a podcasting, or audio recording, program. If you are interested in loading this software on to your computer(s), see Mary Rowan for assistance. Students may record their voice using a microphone, add sound effects or music, and then save it to an mp3 player. Podcasting does not require an Ipod.
ZamZar - How to Convert a Document Zamzar is a free website where you can convert files from one format to another. You need to upload the file to the website, then you choose what format you would like to convert it to (a list of options is provided), and finally you type in the email address that the link to the new file should be sent. It's important to know that you will not be sent a file; rather you will receive a link to a website where you will download the new file by clicking on the "download file" button. This website is only valid for 24 hours, so if you don't do it right away, you will have to start over. You can even download and convert videos using Zamzar!
Google Docs - By creating a google doc account, you can access any document you make on it from any internet connected computer. You can also invite other people to collaborate on your document. At this time, google docs supports Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
PBWiki - This is a very user-friendly wiki site especially useful for teachers, since it can create user passwords for you. In addition, you as the teacher/creator can monitor all the activity on the wiki. Consider creating a wiki for your class and then adding pages for each student to have as their own space. Students can read and edit each other's pages, but you can see every change that is made. You can also choose to publish to the web, or keep your wiki private meaning that only those people you've given access to can see it.
SmartBoard - Keep up with the latest implementation strategies, lesson ideas, grants, news and research at Smart Technologies.
Jing - this free download can capture your computer screen, your mouse movements, and your voice and save it as a video of up to 5 minutes long. How cool is that! You can publish to Youtube or save your video on your computer or website.
Quizlet - this website allows you to create your own learning games in a few different forms. You may not have to create anything at all, since thousands of teachers are already sharing their work. It's organized by grade and content area, so it's quite easy to browse.
Wordle - How to Video - this is an interesting way of creating word art. Consider it for a pre- or post-reading activity. One thing to be aware of is that it's very much a free speech zone. If you browse the gallery, you may find some "naughty" words.
Tinyurl - Have you ever had a web address that was so long, it would break onto another line on a document or email? Problem solved! Take any long web address (aka URL) and by copy/pasting it into the box on this web site, it will shorten it to just a few characters. This is a very useful site to bookmark!
You Tube - There are many videos from You Tube that could be used for instruction at school. Due to the adult content found at You Tube our district blocks access to You Tube. You may bring appropriate videos to school with a simple conversion using ZamZar. Click here to watch a short instructional video showing you how to convert and send your video to school.
Teacher Tube - Find videos created or converted for the school environment at Teacher Tube.
Free Rice: A simple drill and practice game to help boost your vocabulary, math, and geography skills. You may also change the subject to famous paintings, chemical symbols, and French, German, and Spanish language learning. Check it out at http://www.freerice.com/.
New Tools
Tools listed in this section are new on the UDL web site. We will place new tools in this section for a short time then add them to Additional Resources under "In This Section". Check back regularly to see what is new!
New web tool from CAST. Science Writer helps students through each step in writing a science report with writing prompts and text to speech support. The suggested grade level is 6-10. Science Writer includes a tool bar with text to speech controls, a dictionary, and a Spanish translator. Check it out at: http://sciencewriter.cast.org/welcome
School District Items For Sale 5/17/2012 9:00 AM Periodically the School District has items for sale to the public. When these items become available they will be placed on this website with the information necessary for community members to make a bid on the items. Please click above to view any items currently available.
