Learning Environment Design Guide

Ethan Nikiel
SPED 413 - 001
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 Classroom Description
This will be a ninth-grade classroom with a total of 25 students. The students in this class will be around 13/14 years old and be

starting their first year in high school. There will be 14 girls and 11 guys in the class. Several types of students will be in the classroom.

Some types of kids that would be in the class would be attention seeking and hard working. There would also be a couple of students

that have limited English proficiency and would be there to learn basic English in a full immersion setting. This class will be taught in a

ninth grade English class setting. Students will have access to classroom materials. Classroom materials will vary in numbers, but there

will be several of each material to use when need be. The materials available to the students will be printer paper, scissors, glue sticks,

markers, crayons, colored pencils, rulers, and construction paper. Depending on how long the district deems its classes, classes could be

anywhere from 60 90 minutes long.

 Learning Environment Design Guide Template
Click on UDL Principles and Checkpoints for additional information!
III. PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT:
1. Provide options for self-regulation
Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.

Guideline 9.1. Having the seats that close to the teachers desk allows for a little bit more control or the teachers part. From that position,
the teacher would be able to help control any sort of outbursts that may arise from the students that are a result of frustration with the
10 material being learned, or from any other source. The students would also have more of an incentive to be on task because of how close
they are in proximity to the teacher. Due to this the students would get more work done in a timelier manner and also the students
actions that involved disruptive behaviors would lesson all together.

2. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence

Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.
Guideline 8.3. The student table would be a place where students could go to and spread out to do their work with each other. This table
would be used for bigger group projects, or to have big groups of students come and work together on a task that the teacher would
require them to accomplish. With a bunch of students together it can also create an opportunity for students to help one another out as
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well. They could help others understand information, or even coach them in a way through difficult material if the teacher is with another
student or group helping them out. This creates a more student-centered learning environment where the students take control of their
own learning and the learning of others in their class in order to progress.
Guideline 8.3. The bean bag chairs and rug are also used as a way for students to collaborate. This option though would differ because it
would be used for much smaller groups though. With smaller groups conversations can become a little more intimate and create a closer
connection between students leading to deeper conversations when the time calls for it. These smaller groups can also lead to one on one
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tutoring between students when the need arises. Compared to the bigger table where many people can contribute and help others
understand, while the bean bags allow for one on one personal attention which can provide a higher rate of success if an individual needs a
lot of support.
Guideline 8.4. Having the teacher desk surrounded by desks allows for a group of students to work with the teacher, so that they can
receive feedback on assignments and receive additional help from the teacher as well. This also gives the students time to work on an
9 assignment where they can get quick feedback from the professor on whether or not they are understanding the material. In the position
where the teachers desk is, they would be able to monitor and regulate the behaviors of the entire class as well making sure that everyone
was doing they were supposed to.
3. Provide options for recruiting interest
Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.
 Guideline 7.1. The bean bag chairs allow for the students to choose the place where they can sit and be most comfortable doing work.
With many different areas and places to sit it allows for autonomy, but the students need to do their work in order to get this privilege.
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The teacher would be able to choose when students would be able to pick their own seats throughout the class =, as well as take the
privilege away or potentially move them if their behavior acts up or is not where it should be.
Guideline 7.1. The couches provide a choice for students to sit in the classroom. It gives them an alternative to the typical desk and gives
more control on how they choose to learn at the same time. The couches also follow another UDL example which shows that they
14 minimize distractions. With this in mind these couches become an optimal spot for students to work, since anything that would cause
them to lose focus on their work would nullified. The couches also give autonomy, since the students would be able to choose wherever
they want to sit during work time.
Guideline 7.3. The shelves separate one area of the room with another area. This creates a quieter spot that eliminates distraction and
1 allows for students to work and stay focused on the task at hand. With the distractions eliminated, students are able to focus more on the
work that they need to complete and can use the class time wisely instead of goofing off and wasting time.
I. PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF REPRESENTATION:
4. Provide options for comprehension
Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.

5. Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols

Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.

6. Provide options for perception

Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.

II. PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS FOR ACTION AND EXPRESSION:

7. Provide options for executive functions
Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.
Guideline 6.4. The desk can be used for monitoring progress because it creates a more self-involved environment. With the desk being
separate from the other people a student can concentrate more on the work that needs to be completed. The teacher can also provide the
students with a folder of past work that they have done, so that they can see how far that they have improved from the previous
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assignments and reflect on the process that it took to get there. Being close to the teacher allows easy access to this material and it also
allows for the students to ask the teacher for advice on how to fix areas that they have notice in their work now that they have had time to
review it.
Guideline 6.3. The desks in the front of the classroom are ideal for passing out documents and important papers that the students need or
could use to help with the lesson that day. The teacher could pass out graphic organizers, note templates, or even checklists of things to
look out for that class period. The organizers that could be passed out would help to facilitate their learning without the teacher having to
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tell the students everything that they need to be paying attention for, but giving hints as well as a setup for their notes that they can take
and use if that is how they want to. The graphic organizers also help the teacher to chunk the information creating an easier way for the
students to memorize information.
Guideline 6.2. This table can be used as a way to put examples of assignments on, so that students can have a reference to what the
finished product should look like once it is completed. It can also be used to remind students of important dates that are coming up, using
it as a kind of calendar in a sense. Having a calendar here would give the students a visual representative of how far away a due date is, and
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push them to complete it in a timely manner through small goals that they can achieve along the way. These goals would then make sure
that each and every student would be completing assignments in a timely manner over the course of several days or weeks, instead of all
at once at the last minute.
8. Provide options for expression and communication
Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.
Guideline 5.2. The computers allow the student to produce assignments in a more flexible option. They can create PowerPoints, type
their papers, or even use other programs in order to produce a product other than a typical hand-written product. This also give students
2 that may have a difficulty doing an ordinary task, like holding a pencil, another way to do the assignment that everyone else is doing. The
computer can also be used for visuals as well as audio recordings of a text. For those students that have a hard time reading a text on their
own having a audio version of the text being played off of the computer can be very helpful.
Guideline 5.1. The projector allows for the teacher to deliver information in another way that does not involve the teacher just talking the
entire class period. Another thing is that the teacher is able to bring in videos or other forms of media through the projector as well, which
4 can then grab the students attention in a way that makes them want to know more about a particular subject. The projector can be used
to display presentations that the teacher has made to the students through programs, like Animoto or ToonDoo, that give a little bit more
of a creative flare that can catch the students attention and keep them engaged on the information being delivered.
Guideline 5.1. The television provides an alternative way for the teacher to deliver information to the students. Due to where it is placed it
6 is out of the way of distractions keeping the students focused on what is being played on the screen. The television can also be used to
connect the lesson to real life events that may be happening. If the lesson had a historical component then a documentary could be played
 to help reinforce the information, or if the teacher had a lesson that involved a real-world event that directly correlated with the lesson
then it could tie in.
9. Provide options for physical action
Number Discuss how the option/example aligns with the guideline.
Guideline 4.2. Computers can contain assistive technology, allowing students to get work done with greater ease. These can be from
3 Larger keyboards to easier to use mice or even an eye gaze device for those that need even more help with their work. With the
computers placed where they are, any student can access them to do the required assignments that need to be completed.
Guideline 4.1. The whiteboard represents a way to provide many different ways to respond to questions. Students can respond to
questions on the whiteboard in many ways, whether it be by using a marker or having the teacher project a game such as Kahoot onto the
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board for everyone to be a part of. The white would also be a way for a student using an eye gaze device to have their work displayed to
the entire class, so that they can participate in discussions where projects are to be displayed and then explained to the other students.