UDL Toolkit – Part C (Action and Expression)

EDUC 4702 – Fall 2020

Brianna Nolan

Overview

Google Slides Link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WhYoMn70zOVkcAPW4QBnUOIoA2gjdidCvl3E8CEk5VI/edit?
usp=sharing

What is the Principle of Action and Expression?

The Principle of Action and Expression is one of three UDL principles, made up of three guidelines:

1. Provide options for Physical Action,

2. Provide options for Expression & Communication, and
3. Provide options for Executive Functions.

Within each of these three guidelines are checkpoints that educators can use to better their lessons by
ensuring there are a variety of ways for students to demonstrate and express their learning. The
Principle of Action and Expression focusses on the strategic networks in the brain and has educators
focus on the “how” of learning. When students do not understand “how” they are supposed to learn or
demonstrate that learning, it can often be related to how each student operates in the learning
environment. This can have a range of meanings and implications for the classroom. Possible examples
of this would be that a classroom is not set up to physically accommodate a student with mobility issues,
or there is a lack of speech devices for students with English Language Learners (ELL). The goal of this
principle is to have students learning in with the supports they need to become expert learners –
purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed.

A Tool for Action and Expression: Number Talks

What are number talks?

A number talk is a relatively short discussion, usually 5-15 minutes in length, about a mental math
problem selected by the teacher (Zimmerman, 2018). Number talks get students practicing their mental
math strategies while working towards stronger understandings of the basic mathematical operations –
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (Lake, 2019). In a number talk, students are given time
to think through their answer and to share their answers as well as their reasoning. After students are
done sharing their different answers, if there is not a consensus on the correct answer, together with
the teacher they work to decide on the best answer, if one exists. There is a general process that is
followed when conducting a number talk with a group of students. The first step is to show students a
problem to solve mentally – while solving the problem mentally, it is important that there is an
appropriate amount of time for them to solve it. Students should be given a silent signal to display when
they have an answer for the problem (Zimmerman, 2018). A silent display to indicate they have come up
with an answer helps prevent a small group of students from shutting other down (2019). When all or
almost all students have indicated that they have an answer, the teacher can ask for students to share
just their answer (Zimmerman, 2018). The teacher writes down their answer on the board for further
discussion in the next step. When asking for students to share their answers, it is important that the
teacher does not appear to favour one answer over another (2019). Each student who shares an answer
should share their thinking and reasoning for that answer. (Zimmerman, 2018). An important part of a
number talk is to have students explain their thinking from their seat while the teacher writes down
their steps on the board (2019). Once many students have shared their answer, the teacher should lead
students through debate and discussion about which is the best answer, if there is one (Zimmerman,
2018). To extend a number talk, a teacher can ask follow-up questions to build on the concept they have
discovered through the original problem (2019).

Under the Principle of Action and Expression, number talks best support the guideline that relates to
providing options for executive functioning. More specifically, it is a strategy supported by the
checkpoint: support planning and strategy development.

What are some reasons number talks should be used in inclusive classrooms?

One benefit of number talks is that students are led to the realization that multiple strategies can often
be used to solve a problem (Gray, 2017). That is, students begin to develop a conceptual understanding
(Lake, 2019). Number talks allow for students to see a problem solved using multiple different strategies
which means they might just find the one that works for them (Lake, 2019). Since number talks bring up
a variety of strategies, some that may have never been shown in class before, they act as a good activity
to get students explaining their thinking (Jorgensen, 2018).

Another benefit of number talks in the classroom is that teachers can discover misconceptions in student
understanding and address it quickly (Jorgensen, 2018). The teacher can carefully choose the problem
for a number talk ensuring that they choose a variety to check-in on student understanding. Number
talks are done as a part of a safe classroom environment, so when an answer is not correct, the student
does not need to feel bad about themselves or their answer. Number talks provide teachers with
immediate feedback and can act as a formative assessment method (McCalum, 2018).

What are some concerns to consider about using concept maps in inclusive classrooms?

One concern to consider when using number talks in a classroom is that they require a whole class
approach (Jorgensen, 2018). While teachers like to use strategies that involve the whole class, there are
students who lose focus and zone out faster than we think. The number talk strategy has the potential
to lose these students throughout the process (Jorgensen, 2018).

Another concern with the use of number talks in a classroom is that going deeper requires time (Gray,
2017) – something that often limits the depth of an activity. Number talks are meant to be short
discussions, and sometimes can get carried away – which is not always a bad thing. The problem results
when students start missing concepts from the curriculum because they have been so involved in a
number talk. Additionally, when number talks begin to take up more time, the students who are not
actively engaged start losing interest (Gray, 2017).

Sources

D. (2019). How Number Talks Work. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from
https://mathforlove.com/lesson/number-talks/
Gray, K. (2017, May 21). Number Talk: Which Numbers Are Helpful? Retrieved December 05, 2020, from
https://kgmathminds.com/2017/05/21/number-talk-which-numbers-are-helpful/

Jorgensen, S. (2018). Number Talks. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from

https://khps5and6.weebly.com/math/number-talks

Lake, B. (2019, October 28). 5 Reasons Number Talks Should be a Regular Part of Your Math Routine.
Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://mathgeekmama.com/number-talks/

McCallum, D. (2018, January 21). Number Talks. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from
https://bigideasineducation.ca/2018/01/21/number-talks/

The UDL Guidelines. (2020, October 06). Retrieved December 05, 2020, from
http://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Zimmerman, A. (2018, November 13). "Number Talks" to Grow Mathematical Minds. Retrieved
December 05, 2020, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/alycia-
zimmerman/number-talks-grow-mathematical-minds/