Mrs. Parker used a number of Evidence-Based Practices effectively. She started the lesson by stating her objective verbally as well as having it written on the whiteboard.  This provides both a visual and an auditory experience.  She referred to work that they did the previous Friday, and then set the purpose. This allowed for the students to know what was expected of them and made a connection to their prior learning.  This gradually builds their knowledge base of the subject.

​She did very well at reviewing the vocabulary for the lesson.  Mrs. Parker recapped what they did in class the previous Friday by pointing to vocabulary as she says the words and asks them to repeat them.  She teaches them how they are going to respond to each other when they are in their groups and how the students need to use the specific vocabulary in their responses. She utilized word strips with the vocabulary words on them.

Mrs. Parker used small groups discussion and pair-share in the lesson. Her small group discussion was well organized because she set clear expectations. It appears that the rules were written (it was hard to see for sure) and she reviews each group objective during whole-class instruction.  This provided very clear expectations for the students.  She walked around to observe each group and to keep them on task.  Small group work is followed up with pair-share after the students moved to the carpeted area. This gave the students an opportunity what they liked/learned with their partner.  It was another way to reinforce learning. 

​Mrs. Parker really missed an opportunity to make real-world connections in this lesson.  She could have done this by utilizing multiple means of engagement.  She could have brought in objects that represented each of the three-dimensional geometric shapes that were covered during the lesson. e.g. a party hat for a cone, a can for a cylinder, a ball for a sphere, etc.  She could have also provided the students with a tactile learning activity by giving each student a hunk of clay and having them form the shapes.  In addition, she did activate prior knowledge from the previous Friday’s lesson, but she missed the opportunity to elicit prior experiences directly from the students.  She could have asked each small group to list three objects they know represent each shape and list them in a chart with the shapes noted across the top.  Students would have to discuss and agree whether or not the objects are a good representation of each of the shapes before listing them. 

​Mrs. Parker did not collect any data to determine the effects of her instruction.  She could have provided the class with a pretest riddle prior to providing any instruction.  After the instruction, the students could be given the same riddle to solve.  This would show student progress and how they were able to transfer knowledge from the lesson to this riddle.  Of course, the particular riddle used in these pre- & post-assessments would not be covered during the lesson. This formative assessment would show individual progress. She could also utilize a check list as she observes the small groups working.  She could look for things such as the correct use of vocabulary and that students are justifying their answers during discussion. 

As you view Mr. Sowell’s Science class in the video below, notice the various teaching methodologies that he incorporates in the lesson.

In the short three-minute video clip, Mr. Sowell uses multiple ways of representing the concept of force from a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) perspective.  He utilizes verbal, visual and demonstrative ways of explaining the topic.  He demonstrated force by pushing on the wall, having the students pull on the stapler, by pushing and pulling on the students’ chair, and by blowing on the walkie talkie. He also used recall and repetition revisiting the previous day’s lesson, and repeated the two overriding concepts of force and movement multiple times, including at the very end of the lesson. He made sure to respond positively even when answers were not complete or exactly what he was looking for. In addition, he wrote the concepts on the board after pulling the ideas out of the students instead of simply giving them the answer. 

While Mr. Sowell utilized large group discussion, he could have improved in the area of Multiple Means of Action and Expression. For example, students could have been more actively involved in the demonstrations and/or had the students write the statements about force on the board.  Two small groups could have each been assigned a concept and been given the responsibility of teaching the concept to the rest of the class. 

The multiple methodologies that he used, in addition to including activities that are more active and engage all learners would likely reach all students (including students with disabilities).


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What is technology? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Technology is “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry” Therefore when we speak of Assistive Technologies or AT we are looking at any type of technological device, place, and/or equipment that benefits a person with a disability that helps them work around their challenges. Assistive Technologies can help people read, write, spell, move from palace to palace, etc. Assistive Technologies come in all shapes, sizes and forms.  AT could be a piece of paper with darker lines for a student with a visual impairment to a device that allows a student that does not have the use of his arms to play an instrument, or even a grip corrector on a pencil.