Introduction to CAST

Video Transcription

Hi, my name is Ashley, and today's lesson is titled Introduction to CAST. In today's lesson, we will talk about CAST and the UDL Exchange. We'll also consider how CAST and the UDL Exchange can be helpful in incorporating the UDL approach in your classroom.

Here is the CAST website. CAST sands for Center for Applied Special Technology. On this website, you can find more information about UDL, Universal Design for Learning. This website is very similar to the iOS app UDL Links, which is available on iTunes as well as Android.

On the CAST website, there is a link for the UDL studio. This is a resource offered on the CAST website. On this site, teachers may choose the Discover link if you're looking for current projects that are already aligned with the UDL learning approach. You can go to the Work link, which allows you to create your own UDL lessons from scratch, or to implement other resources that you have found. And also in this section, you may find links on different texts, videos, and audios, and even images that you can incorporate in your own UDL lesson.

These are some very good resources to use. So make sure, when you had the chance, to come back and browse through these. There's also another resource called the UDL Exchange. The CAST UDL Exchange is very similar, where it allows teachers to find resources that are UDL aligned, also to find lessons. And then these are collections that are many lessons put together. You may browse by the content area, or even by grade.

Now that you've had a chance to take a sneak peek at the UDL Exchange and the CAST website, what can you actually do with these sites? Well of course, you can add resources. You can make an account and upload your own resources and lessons to the UDL Exchange. After you have uploaded your lessons, share them with others, and others can share their resources with you. And if a resource doesn't meet your full need, mix and match content, or as they like to call it on the CAST website, remix it to make it what you want it to be. Take bits and pieces from different lessons and make it into your own.

There's also a feature that allows you to recommend resources or other types of media to people you know. This will definitely come in handy for teachers who plan as a team and want to use similar resources. Lastly, store your favorites to create a shortcut for easy retrieval.

In today's lesson, we went over the sites CAST, the UDL Studio and the UDL Exchange. These sites all offer resources that are compliant with the principles of UDL and can provide guidance when creating your own UDL lessons.

As we bring the lesson to a close, don't forget to go back and review the resources we looked at today. Browse through the lessons and choose one that will be appropriate for your students.

As you reflect on how this information can be applied, you may want to explore the additional resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set.