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NAVIGATING UDL CHOICE BOARDS: CHOOSE YOUR OWN LEARNING ADVENTURE

PRESENTER: KELLY URBAN

SUMMER TECH ACADEMY

JUNE 17/18

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OBJECTIVES

Understand the core principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

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Explore what makes a strong choice board

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Learn how to build engaging tech-integrated choice boards

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EDUCATOR INTRODUCTIONS

GIF: find a GIF that captures your teaching vibe.

Find

3-Word Story: Share 3 words that summarize your teaching style

Word

Emoji: Use 3-5 emojis to represent you as an educator

Use

Silent Start: write your introduction on a post-it.

Write

One Object: Describe one object that symbolizes your teaching style

Describe

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WHAT IS UDL?

UDL Guidelines:

Engagement (the “why”)

Representation (the “what”)

Action & Expression (the “how”)

Definition: A framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how people learn.

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WHY USE UDL CHOICE BOARDS?

Addresses diverse learning needs

Increases student motivation and autonomy

Encourages ownership of learning

Flexible pathways for demonstrating understanding

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WHAT IS A CHOICE BOARD?

  • Graphic organizer that gives students a menu of activity options to choose from, often designed around a specific learning goal or topic.
  • Benefits:
    • Learners choose how they will engage and demonstrate understanding.
    • Tasks can be scaffolded for multiple levels of readiness.
    • Encourages exploration of interests and multiple formats.
    • Naturally supports flexible means of engagement, representation, and expression.

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UDL ALIGNMENT IN CHOICE BOARDS

  • Let’s analyze a sample board: Walk through each task and ID how it aligns with UDL
    • Engagement: Are there game-like tasks, self-paced work, or peer options?
    • Representation: Is content delivered through multiple media types?
    • Action & Expression: Do students have more than one way to demonstrate learning (e.g., video, podcast, poster, essay)?

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    • Activity Prompt: In small groups, review a provided choice board, and highlight the UDL principles you observe.
    • Reflection Question: Which UDL principle is hardest to implement? Which do you naturally include most often?

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Reflection Question: Which UDL principle is hardest to implement? Which do you naturally include most often?

Engagement

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Representation

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Action & Expression

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WEBSITES TO USE FOR CHOICE BOARDS

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CANVA

  • Create visually appealing choice boards with drag-and-drop templates.
  • Use Canva’s “Whiteboard” or “Grid” templates to design interactive choice boards.
  • Add images, videos, hyperlinks, and icons to make tasks visually engaging.
  • Easy to collaborate with co-teachers or students.

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GOOGLE SLIDES

Build interactive, clickable choice boards with embedded links.

Use Slides to create digital choice boards that students can access in Google Classroom or shared drives.

Allows for real-time updates and collaborative editing.

Supports embedding videos, images, audio clips, and external websites.

Using Digital Choice Boards + Interactive Slides for Distance Learning (+ FREE Google Drive Templates!) — helloteacherlady.com

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WHEN TO USE CHOICE BOARDS & TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Start small: one board per unit or marking period.

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Ensure tasks are equally rigorous, not just equally available.

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Provide clear rubrics and expectations for all options.

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Include scaffolds and supports for struggling learners.

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Reflect on student feedback and adjust accordingly.

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WRAP-UP & REFLECTION

  • UDL Choice Boards support engagement, differentiation, and student choice.
  • They can be used across content areas and grade levels.
  • Tech tools (like MagicSchool.ai) can make creation easier.

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  • Exit Ticket:
    • What’s one way you plan to use a choice board in your classroom next year?

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THANK YOU!

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?