What does decolonize the curriculum mean? Decolonization is “the process of deconstructing colonial ideologies of the superiority and privilege of Western thought and approaches. Decolonization involves valuing and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge and approaches and weeding out Western biases or assumptions…
What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework developed by CAST. UDL guides the design of learning experiences to meet the needs of all learners proactively. When you use UDL, you assume that barriers to…
Purpose This quick method of polling keeps everyone involved in a lesson and lets you quickly assess student understanding or opinions. Breaking It Down ■ Ask a yes-or-no, agree-or-disagree type question. ■ Have the students give thumbs up to respond…
Purpose As with Random Reporter, this simple questioning technique keeps all the students involved in class discussions and provides an opportunity for every student to share an answer to every question. It takes the fear out of class discussion by…
Purpose Round Table is a technique that allows teams to quickly brainstorm answers to a question or to make lists of questions, facts, ideas, or conclusions. It is a time-saving way to generate responses from all team members that helps…
Purpose Jigsaw is a cooperative learning technique developed by Elliot Aronson (1978) in which students leave their teams to work in expert groups to gather specific information or complete a portion of a task. It allows teams to divide a…
Purpose This is a structured opportunity for students to discuss an issue with their teammates, make an argument, and support their position with evidence. Having students discuss and defend their ideas allows them to review and revise their thinking, and…
Purpose This simple technique keeps all the students involved by giving every child the opportunity (and the responsibility) to contribute to team discussions. It is an effective way to nudge reluctant speakers to participate and to rein in students with…
Purpose Routine questions like “Where do we write our name?” and “What’s the date?” usually do not need a response directly from the teacher. The Ask Three Before Me strategy frees you to answer those questions that clearly require teacher…