Jennifer R Smith

A Comprehensive Approach to RTI: Embedding Universal Design for Learning and Technology

                Let’s face it most educators consider themselves lifelong learners. The passion teachers for teaching are strongly related to the passion for learning. Therefore, teachers are always researching new learning activities that are meaningful for their students when they are trying to grasp new concepts. These new and meaningful activities should provide positive results for all students, despite learning need or disability. The article, “A Comprehensive Approach to RTI: Embedding Universal Design for Learning and Technology” discusses how teachers can effectively help their students, specifically their special needs students.

The authors believe that Response to Intervention (RtI) should include universal design for learning (UDL) which helps the students by “proactively planning for instructional, environmental, and technology supports” that give students the opportunity to become more engaged in RtI. The article goes on to discuss how both RtI and UDL share many similar features and purposes that are consistent with No Child Left Behind in 2001 and IDEA in 2004. First, RtI and UDL provide a system that centers around giving meaningful and positive results in the education of special needs students. Second, RtI and UDL share an “ecological approach” that concentrates on developing and delivering effective instruction and intervention. Third, RtI and UDL concentrate on the problem-solving process. This is important for students who do not always learn from traditional instruction.

The authors also developed three-tiered RtI model that focuses on UDL also and connects both throughout the entire RtI process. In tier 1 reading instruction, there would be differentiation in reading by utilizing digital text from various formats. Tier 2 would continue the differentiation in reading levels in the classroom. However, there would be smaller groups and an inclusion of text-to-speech software to help with comprehension. Finally, Tier 3 becomes more individualized as far as a 1:1. The technology for this type of support would include text-to-speech, vocabulary, and comprehension.

                The recommendations for implementing the incorporation of RtI and UDL includes creating teams at the district and the school levels, utilizing specific “implementation tools” that would support team decisions, planning and sustainability, and leadership, and finally utilizing quality coaching and professional development to maintain this practice in the classroom.

The authors end the article by encouraging schools to adopt the consolidation of RtI and UDl because most school districts already use these supports. However, they are used separately. By incorporating them the process could become more “streamlined” for the students and the teachers.

As for my Triple E lesson, Cartoon Narrative, I specifically chose to use the UDL guidelines, Language & Symbol (guideline 2).

 •   Clarify vocabulary and symbols (checkpoint 2.1)

•    Clarify syntax and structure (checkpoint 2.2)

•    Support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols (checkpoint 2.3)

•    Promote understanding across languages (checkpoint 2.4)

•   Illustrate through multiple media (checkpoint 2.5)

                Another UDL guideline I will incorporate into this lesson as well as many others is Expression & Communication (guideline5)

• Use multiple media for communication (checkpoint 5.1)
•   Use multiple tools for construction and composition (checkpoint 5.2)
•    Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance (checkpoint 5.3)

                I teach English Language Arts to ML’s who have an average WIDA Score of about a 1.3. This means, they only know basic words in English. Thus, to have them write a narrative story in English would be terrifying for them. For this reason, I chose to have them create a short story that they can turn into a visual story. The language & symbol guideline supports new vocabulary, decoding text, and supports language acquisition. All the lessons that lead up to this final Assessment are created with this guideline in mind. Though most of my ML’s have not had a need for RtI, I still see an important use for the UDL’s when it concerns them. Another UDL is Expression & Communication. Again, this standard mixes very easily with the WIDA standards as well as the Oklahoma English Language Arts Standards. Each of my students has a Chromebook and they work on it every day using various software’s, learning websites and apps to help in learning the English Language and English Language Arts concepts. I am glad I now know about UDL. Now I can put a name to something I already do.

 

Reference

Basham, J. D., Israel, M., Graden, J., Poth, R., & Winston, M. (2010). A comprehensive approach to             RTI:Embedding Universal Design for Learning and Technology. Learning Disability Quarterly,             33(4),243–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/073194871003300403