In this collection of interactive essays, authors from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) discuss how educators can support students in becoming skilled listeners and expert learners. In particular, the authors address how this can be accomplished by drawing on the framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a research-based approach to creating inclusive learning environments and curricula.
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Listening is an essential literacy skill that can and ought to be explicitly taught, assessed and refined. This introductory essay makes the case that learners with diverse needs, abilities and styles will all benefit from developing listening skills in keeping with the Universal Design for Learning framework.
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How can audio be used to enhance the curriculum and increase student achievement in the multimedia classrooms of the 21
st century? Sound elements in the curriculum expand options for presentation, expression and engagement in any learning activity. In this essay, the authors cite selected relevant research and provide examples of how auditory options (and digital audio in particular) can enhance learning.
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In this essay, the authors highlight some of the many effective audio tools for learning in the UDL classroom. A suite of readily available utilities and tools can expand the teaching and learning repertoire, supporting increased understanding, wider options for expression and increased student interest. These tools may range from free or low-cost applications to more expensive dedicated audio utilities. This essay explains where these tools can be found and how they can be integrated into day-to-day classroom practice, and it does so by categorizing the tools' functionality and their implications for learning.
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This essay features interviews with four adults who are, by necessity, expert listeners. They include a doctor, a musician, a blind programmer and a psychotherapist. The interviews provide a good reminder that expert listeners are made, not born, and share key strategies that anyone can use to become a better listener.
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This essay focuses on the ways in which listening in the classroom supports the development of reading skills. In doing so, the authors look at listening as a foundation for reading and at building key areas of support for reading: background knowledge, phonemic awareness, vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies.
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Effective listening skills can be taught, demonstrated and practiced every day and everywhere - including at home and with family. This chapter discusses the listening process, ways in which parents and caregivers can support listening and different activities that can be incorporated into time spent with children.
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