The Storm Report

November 3, 2022 | Volume 9 | Issue 12

UDL Makerspace Inspires New Ideas

By Amy Holmes, Lucy Phelps, & Eileen Hammond

Lucy Phelps, biology faculty, and Eileen Hammond, communication faculty, attended the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Makerspace in October. Lucy and Eileen were both peer reviewers during DDCC's 2022 Summer Institute so this virtual conference extended their UDL skills. Here's what they had to say about the UDL Makerspace.

Lucy Phelps:

I have never been a part of a global "makerspace" like this– the exchange of ideas and exposure to international perspectives on UDL was neat to experience.

Some takeaways for me:

I enjoyed discussions about focusing learning around creativity and experimentation as opposed to merely consuming information. It reminds me that my students will retain knowledge more effectively if they "discover" or experience it for themselves, which should be implicit in the sciences but can sometimes get lost in the day to day… facilitating that in a way that is effective for everyone is the challenge.
I also enjoyed presentations on neurodiversity, as well as exploring tips and ideas for intentional implementation of UDL on the course level. I felt challenged to consider the diversity in my classroom and appreciated hearing ideas about what others are doing to remove student obstacles to learning.

Eileen Hammond:

One conference session that I found particularly engaging was “Crafting your UDL Elevator Pitch,” hosted by Leslie C. Johnson, an Instructional Designer at the University of Montana Western. She walked us through a series of prompts to help develop our own elevator speeches for getting others interested in UDL. Here was her brainstorming process:

Distill what you want to say about UDL in just one word.
Imagine you’re writing an email to invite colleagues to a UDL workshop; what is the email subject line?
Write a tweet (140 characters or less) to promote UDL or dispel objections to UDL.
Pick a buzzword your administrators love to hear and use it in a one-sentence promotion of UDL.
Write a metaphor or a simile for UDL, describe the reference, and make your point.

After going through each of these steps, can you put together a 1-minute pitch for UDL? Let’s hear it!

Eileen and Lucy are great resources for learning about UDL and how to apply various strategies in any course. Staff are encouraged to use UDL strategies as they work with students as well.

Be on the lookout for Eileen's UDL elevator pitch in a future issue of The Storm Report!

Upcoming Events

Student Study Abroad Panel: November 8 from 9:00-10:00 am in Gee N111
Science Digital Accessibility Workshop: November 14 from 3:00-4:00 pm
Science Digital Accessibility Workshop: November 18 from 1:00-2:00 pm
Rowan-Cabarrus CC's Diversity & Equity Virtual Conference: November 18 from 9:00 am-4:00 pm (Register for free)

Student Reflection on Study Abroad in Italy

By Brenna Leahy

On my study abroad trip in Italy, I bonded with new friends over gelato in front of the Colosseum at night. I almost broke my neck craning to stare, mesmerized, at the Sistine Chapel. I became known for bargaining at the Italian leather market in Florence. I ate a ton of delicious pasta, and I'll never be able to eat American tiramisu again after having the authentic version. The experience almost seems unreal, like I dreamt seeing Michelangelo's David or walking among thousands of years old history.

Video Discussions with "Flip"

By Phil Tietjen

Are you looking to enliven the discussions that take place in your online or hybrid classes? Are you interested in having your students cultivate a stronger online presence or build a stronger sense of community? One tech tool that many teachers have found helpful for doing this is Flip (previously known as Flipgrid). Flip is a free video discussion tool where students can use their mobile devices or desktop web browsers to post short videos. They can also add emojis and various sorts of augmented reality-like effects.

With Flip, students can share their reactions to a reading or question prompt as a video post. Other possible examples include using it for language learning where students can practice their pronunciation, technology or tool demonstrations, ice-breakers or reflections. If you're interested in learning more about how to use Flip, please contact Learning Design.

*Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash