A Teacher's Perspective

Collaboratively Designing Learning

Emer's Key Steps:

1. Identify the Learning Outcomes

2. Identify the links to PLUs for example in Communication and Literacy

1.7 Identify a range of non-verbal communications methods, e.g. facial expression, tones of voice, symbols, clothing, colours to signal mood/appropriate action

3. Learning experience 

Choral Reading and a soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet

Create story boards of key moments

Students were invited to explain in their own words what was happening in the key moment and to use symbols/visuals to display their learning.

4. Assessment

Students have a Portfolio in OneNote - in a Class Notebook - A team of teachers use this. There are sections. In each section, each Learning Outcome has a different page. 

For example, a student who worked on a particular outcome, their learning is recorded and uploaded as evidence. It might be an oral comment on what they did well or what aspects they have achieved.

Key Points - What worked for Emer's context:

• A Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach was used - building support and challenge into lessons

• All students benefit from material presented on a pale yellow background and in Comic Sans font

• Text outlined in boxes to aid concentration

• Activities are varied encompassing challenge, choice and flexibility. Students have choice to perform their learning, orally capture what they have learned or use any other means suitable to demonstrate learning

• Use of group work, pair, individual work, short tasks, varied stimuli work well

• Use symbols to identify what the instruction/activity is. For example: a symbol to write, to take out an iPad, record something in your copy etc

• Use of Immersive Reader and speech to text functions