RuthAnn Lane & Stephany Kiel- 1st Grade CSA Fodrea
Stephany Kiel
This is my 4th year as a 1st grade facilitator at CSA Fodrea. Before teaching at CSA Fodrea, I student taught, did cadet teaching, and worked in the after school Beacon program at Fodrea from the time I was a Junior in high school. I feel so lucky to work in such an amazing school! I love teaching math and have a passion for STEM! RuthAnn Lane and I lead a STEM club for girls after school and I am a STEM mentor. I love incorporating STEM into my daily teaching. I am also a Jr. Lego League Coach, technology mentor, and am Project Based Learning Certified. I have chosen to do these things so that I will have many tools to help my students reach their full potential. I want to inspire my students to explore their passions and not be afraid to try new things or get out of their comfort zones. I also work hard to create a strong sense of community in my classroom. Each week we study a trait of good citizens and practice giving "kindness cards" to different people in our class. I think students need to have the ability to recognize others for their accomplishments. When I'm not at school, I love spending time with my family, traveling, cooking, gardening, and playing with my dogs, Pax and Basil.
RuthAnn Lane
Mrs. Lane has been teaching for 5 years. She has taught 4th, 5th, and 1st grade. After teaching for two years in Florida, she and her husband moved up to Indiana to be closer to family. She enjoys teaching at CSA Fodrea because of the wonderful students, staff, and parents she gets to interact with each day. Mrs. Lane loves teaching through Project Based Learning and incorporating real world issues into lessons. She thinks it is amazing to see what elementary aged children can do to make a difference in the world. Mrs. Lane is married to a wonderful guy named Harrison, who works in the sales department at TLS.net. They have a dog named Penny Lane. One of her favorite things to do is travel and share her travels with her students. She enjoys reading books, shopping for books, and talking about books!
UDL in Action
Students in Mrs. Lane's and Miss Kiel's 1st grade learning environments were recently observed engaging in both large and small group instruction during their math and language blocks. Students were observed utilizing the SmartBoard during large group instruction as a way to provide options for perception and decoding math. The SmartBoard also supports options for physical action while varying the methods for response and navigation of information. (Video link below)
Math goals are clearly posted with words and pictures and referred to during large group instruction. Goals and options are displayed at small group stations as well.
. Students are provided options for mathematical expressions through the use of manipulatives.
Low Tech - No Tech
Students in Mrs. Lane's learning environment were provided many low tech no tech options during language arts. Students utilized a word wall and peer support during writing activities.
Students were also provided options for physical action, individual choice, and autonomy in order to engage and recruit interest. Tools and resources are readily available in order to further support planning as strategy development while also promoting self-directed learning.
Molly Fountain-Northside Middle School
Molly Fountain has taught Social Studies at NMS for 7 years, including 8th grade US History for 5 years, and is now in her second year teaching 7th grade World History.She loves experiencing all of the wacky adventures and day-to-day happenings that middle school brings. Mrs. Fountain is married to her husband of five years, Marc. They have a rambunctious 22-month old son, Henry, and are expecting another little boy in May! In her free time, Mrs. Fountain loves to travel and spend time with her family, friends, and two dogs, Abby Denali and Franklin Yosemite.
UDL in Action - Low Tech No Tech options
Students in Mrs. Fountain's learning environment recently addressed the essential question: "What is Imperialism?" Students were provided support and an opportunity to foster collaboration and community as they worked in small groups to generate a collective definition of imperialism. Students then shared and posted their outcome. (Pictured above.) Students were then provided an opportunity for physical action as they were also given an opportunity to clarify and synthesize the vocabulary as they worked to piece together political cartoons (Pictured below) portraying imperialism.
Students were then provided options for comprehension through guided support as the cartoons were discussed and interpreted. Options for perception were further supported as cartoons were displayed on the SmartBoard as well.
A word about Technology from Mrs. Fountain:
What do you see as the greatest benefit of having a SmartBoard? The SmartBoard acts as a great collaborative tool for students. We can easily compile lists of information, questions, etc. from class to class. We can also review information in a more engaging way - students can take turns to come up to the SmartBoard and match terms and definitions, for example. Finally, when it comes to teaching World History and talking about so many far-away places, the SmartBoard serves as an easy way to provide students with visual examples, whether through images, Google Earth, or YouTube clips of other travelers’ adventures around the world. What do you find helpful with regard to students having one to one devices? The greatest thing about Northside students having one-to-one devices is that it provides another means of engagement, expression, and representation in the classroom. While students in my classroom always have the option of receiving paper copies of the work we are doing, they also have the added benefit of actually completing work on their Chromebooks. A lot of students choose to use their devices as a way to effectively navigate tough primary sources, by using Read and Write for Google. For ELL students in particular, the devices have given them another way to communicate with classmates and to collaborate with others easily, as well as receive work that is modified to their needs.
Technology Highlight
Read&Write for Google supports Universal Design for Learning by providing students with options for perception and options for language. It additionally provides students with options to build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance. RWG further promotes individual choice and autonomy while providing options for sustaining effort and persistence.
Read&Write for Google is available to students on their devices.
You may also contact your building UDL Facilitator or one of the UDL Coordinators for further assistance regarding Read&Write for Google.