Rosey is an expert on accessibility and Universal Design for Learning. This books offers a wealth of ideas for teachers using Book Creator to create differentiated lessons for their students.

Using Book Creator for Differentiated Learning

Check out this series of Book Creator ebooks. These experienced educators share their tips, ideas and resources to help you supercharge your lessons!

Using Book Creator in the classroom

UDL is all about removing barriers during the designing of learning experiences to make sure everyone learns. As educators, we understand that students enter our classrooms each day with a wide range of skills, interests, needs and learning styles. The use of technology can make content and learning resources accessible and support learner variability. Book Creator provides learners with relevant content, customized options for representing that content and alternative choices for support. Book Creator and the UDL framework address the range of systematic variability presented in every classroom from the onset.

Book Creator Ambassador Rosey McQuillan

Rosey is an assistive and educational technology consultant. She has been a special educator for over 25 years working with students ages 3-22. Currently, she is a Special Education Program Supervisor at Lesley University and an Instructor with EdTechTeacher.&nbsp; She is a Google Certified Trainer, an Apple Teacher and a Microsoft Innovative Educator. Rosey works with teachers to design accessible curriculum for all learners.

rosey@edtechteacher.org <a href="https://twitter.com/romcquill">Tweet @romcquill</a> <a href="https://edtechteacher.org/blog/">Blog Posts </a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/edtechteacher21/featured">YouTube Channel</a>

Audio responses can be used for brainstorming, reflecting and to demonstrate understanding.

Audio and video are two options for students to construct new ideas about their learning when paper and pencil do not meet their needs. Audio recordings can speed up the brainstorming process for some. Hesitant writers can get stuck and only complete a sentence or two. Creating an audio response allows students to focus on thinking creatively instead of worrying about spelling and grammar. Students who may not be comfortable participating in whole-group discussions may be more apt to participate through a recorded video or podcast that they can do at home.

In this example, a teacher has created a graphic organizer to assist with persuasive writing. The student used images from the web and camera, text and audio to convey their ideas as a pre-writing task.

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BQUyyuSZuCsBBP5jTM7nGfg_Tj3KKtro/view">Book Creator on Chrome Accessibility Report</a> Wendy Torres <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2017/01/5-easy-accessibility-tips-book-creator-authors/">5 Easy Accessibility Tips for Book Creator</a> Luis Perez <a href="http://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/adapting-ibooks-children-multiple-disabilities-book-creator-app">Adapting iBooks for Children with Multiple Disabilities: Book Creator App</a> Julie Johnson <a href="https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-LCESe5qTaw-qLZCBqm3/book/k4SA4B5_SJ-L93mTB4U76w">Supporting Language Learners with Book Creator</a> Ramona Towner &amp; Lucia Carrera <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2016/01/book-creator-helps-transform-experience-families-affected-disability/">Book Creator helps transform the therapy experience of families affected by disability</a> Plumtree <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2015/11/increasing-student-engagement-with-book-creator-in-special-education/">Increasing student engagement with Book Creator in Special Education</a> Caitriona Tynan

Multiple Means of Representation

Students differ in how they acquire information. There is not one means of representing the curriculum that will meet the needs of everyone.

Classroom materials are dominated by text. Print materials present information in a fixed and permanent way. Digital materials can display the same information in a customizable manner through the use of images, text to speech and physical manipulatives. Book Creator provides all users with a wide range of options to display the same information. Displaying information in flexible ways such as&nbsp;font size, style and visual layout, can assist in the perceptual clarity of the information presented.

Four icons depicting audio, text, pen tool and camera.

<a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/en/articles/2398671-use-your-device-camera">Using your device camera and microphone</a> <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-photos-and-video/upload-a-photo-or-video-from-your-computer">Uploading a photo or video</a> <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-photos-and-video/working-with-video">Working with video</a>

12. Get Ready, Do, Done Templates

These templates are teacher and student created books to assist with the planning and execution of classroom projects.

This example is using the Get Ready, Do, Done model created by <a href="https://twitter.com/KJSLP">Kristen Jacobsen</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/swardtherapy">Sarah Ward</a> from 360 Thinking. This includes the visual strategies needed to help the student be more independent.

Original by Kate Blaser Dienel, OT extraordinaire, Wellesley Public Schools, Wellesley, MA.

What Can I Make and Do?

Often a soft yellow background is easier to read than a stark white background for some students.

Working with students to select which page color works for them can make a significant difference in decreasing eye fatigue, reading and editing, engagement and making sense of the information presented.

What is a habitat? Student book made in Book Creator

Diagram showing how to calculate the area of various shapes

Introduction ........................................................................................

<a href="bookcreator://page/7f2nilBBQNOtn-slc6Ay3g">Teaching and learning through Universal Design for Learning</a> ....

<a href="bookcreator://page/YX71e0F2SdWsU41fg8xnjw">Multiple Means of Engagement</a> ........................................................

<a href="bookcreator://page/8Et0jO-TS_GT4LA_-iosmg">Multiple Means of Representation</a> ....................................................

<a href="bookcreator://page/Cp2KKkqRSm2ds9mZCGpFCg">Multiple Means of Action and Expression</a> .......................................

<a href="bookcreator://page/A37pLr71QUmjtO45efpAgQ">Book Creator in the classroom: some specific examples</a> .............

<a href="bookcreator://page/1SQnaeGPRlC_Ie8pP2z7hg">Concluding comments</a> .......................................................................

<a href="bookcreator://page/1SQnaeGPRlC_Ie8pP2z7hg">About the author</a> .................................................................................

<a href="bookcreator://page/59XI6BO5QRSLi300BVoReQ">Additional resources for teachers</a> .....................................................

Read to Me allows students to independently read words that are too difficult to decode independently.

Digital and printed text can create obstacles for some students with decoding issues. Most students will skip or guess at a word they do not know. With this feature, students can independently determine single words or lengthier pieces of writing by listening to the text read aloud. With Book Creator’s <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/reading-books/read-to-me-in-book-creator">Read to Me</a> option, students are provided with&nbsp;a multi-sensory approach to reading. They see the text and hear the text at the same time.

Students listen to the text Words are highlighted Assists with word recognition Shifts the focus to comprehension rather than decoding Pairing text with audio assists in improving reading and comprehension.

The Read to Me feature allows the user to slow the speech rate which can also augment comprehension.&nbsp; Students can select the dialect in which the digital voice reads (e.g. Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew). Some languages have more than one voice dialect from which to choose.

Luis Perez explains how to use Read to Me in Book Creator for iPad

Luis Perez demos how to use Read to Me in Book Creator on iOS.

Teaching and learning through Universal Design for Learning

<a href="http://udlguidelines.cast.org/">Universal Design for Learning</a> (UDL) is a framework which guides teachers in the planning for systematic support of learner variability in their classroom.

Why Book Creator and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

Universal Design for Learning is a content-based framework which is aimed at meeting student variability in a classroom. UDL plays a significant role in making the curriculum accessible while providing options for students to demonstrate their understanding and become expert learners. Book Creator offers a range of tools to customize and present curriculum content to support learners. The multimodal tools allow for personalizing the user experience while minimizing barriers and maximizing access to both information and learning. We will explore ways that Book Creator can be used to differentiate lessons and provide accessibility for all your students.

Mockup of a laptop and tablet with Book Creator books on display

Changing the medium can be a great way to keep students engaged with learning.

Using comics as a narrative experience can make the writing and reading process more manageable. Comics provide authentic learning opportunities while decreasing the amount of text used, lessening the reading and writing demands. They give students the opportunity to read material that by nature has built in supports through images, text and symbols. Sorting and classifying is a standard activity in many classrooms. Creating digital options for students with motor challenges makes this task accessible.

Sorting Activity with audio instructions to move the objects to the correct color. Kennedy School, Cupertino CA.

Multiple Means of Representation ...................

7. <a href="bookcreator://page/7RZw--yLRaKz_BjACfVwVg">Read to me</a> ...........................................................

1. <a href="bookcreator://page/lqnAYh0oRUOXEM2bJJp5jA">Customizing the user experience</a> ......................

8. <a href="bookcreator://page/pZ1cbV_kTLKFkyerp-vtYw">Read to me for writing</a> ........................................

2. <a href="bookcreator://page/6XtwiBgoTK-23M0VhuJmGw">Page color</a> .............................................................

9. <a href="bookcreator://page/QT2ls515S6Cr9hi5DNhvFQ">Visual literacy</a> .....................................................

3. <a href="bookcreator://page/JtH2YxwyTvmS7n91wc8Eqg">Background paper</a>................................................

10. <a href="bookcreator://page/GFhix0cNR3CruL0oBK1zOQ">Adding symbols &amp; sign language to books</a> ...

4. <a href="bookcreator://page/I0eEMLZ8SoWXXsG30ljEHQ">Font style</a>................................................................

11. <a href="bookcreator://page/K4SAe2z1TIWLoXPtkrUZ3w">Interactive hotspots</a> ...........................................

5. <a href="bookcreator://page/FyMOvtNiQiuc2D89u3XJWg">Text size</a>..................................................................

12. <a href="bookcreator://page/5jTCmlHUS-G3v7J4RZSsiQ">'Get ready, do, done' templates</a> .......................

6. <a href="bookcreator://page/pys9Nq36TgOFQatZ0oya_Q">Audio support</a> .......................................................

13. <a href="bookcreator://page/f6lHMEnPSEmc4ySJiMWEPA">Alternative text (ALT text)</a> ..................................

Book Creator in the classroom: Specific examples

To wrap up, let's look at a few more real-life examples of special education teachers making the most of Book Creator.

Social Stories are an essential component of many inclusive classrooms. Social Stories were first created by <a href="https://carolgraysocialstories.com/social-stories/">Carol Gray </a>and are widely used in classrooms across the country. They are short scripts or books describing a particular situation, event or an activity. Social stories help students in knowing what to expect in a given situation. Book Creator is a fantastic tool to pull all the resources together to create a comprehensive social stories. Faced with the problem of motivating a group of disenchanted special education kids, Jon Smith challenged them to write and publish a series of books on inappropriate social skills interactions. This is what they came up with.

Social Skills Volume 1, by Andre, Corbyn and Jack

Read the case study: <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2014/01/using-book-creator-support-autistic-students/">Using Book Creator to support students with autism</a>

Multiple Means of Action &amp; Expression .............................

1. <a href="bookcreator://page/bmmaO0zqRACPfluAWmkJzQ">Speech to text</a> ........................................................................

2. <a href="bookcreator://page/x-u4iYs5RnycNHNv8uCVLQ">Predictive text on an iPad</a> ....................................................

3. <a href="bookcreator://page/4Tdr9F4HRZ--sFA5mxqRNA">Using audio</a> ............................................................................

4. <a href="bookcreator://page/y40erJlUS9KrdVlSwUUszA">Using video</a> .............................................................................

5. <a href="bookcreator://page/Y0LRvZoHQ62AjQ3AaOptxA">Digital stories</a> .........................................................................

6. <a href="bookcreator://page/YImRpmY_ScKGPBzFS47CyA">Using shapes to demonstrate understanding in Math</a>....

7. <a href="bookcreator://page/pQ0Q9jTGRUelsyIXaGADCw">Using shapes to demonstrate math concepts</a>...................

8. <a href="bookcreator://page/X_KSNSkYQlml9zsuoG71Ww">The pen tool: Making thinking visible</a>..................................

A good starting point for text size is 18 font point to ensure that the text is large enough.

18px is the default setting in Book Creator. Make sure you create a “test” page and check it in <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/reading-books/switch-to-read-mode-in-book-creator">Read Mode</a> or export to Apple Books to see if the text is large enough when exported. The text on the right is written in Open Dyslexic which is a commonly used Sans Serif font.

10. Adding symbols and sign language to books

Experience the use of audio, video and sign language when teaching new words to students.

The Little Kitten Visits the Zoo

Student created ebook with visual illustrations in several formats. Using images, text and sign language to convey meaning.

Book of Action Words

Example of a student created picture dictionary to learn new words, symbols and signs to participate in art class.

Tech Tip: Closed Captioning

UPDATE January 2020: You can now generate closed captions on videos in Book Creator.

<a href="https://bookcreator.com/2014/12/creating-sign-language-books-book-creator/">Creating sign language books in Book Creator</a> <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2017/01/creating-dictionary-deaf-students-book-creator/">Creating a dictionary with sign language supports</a>

Font style can affect the overall readability of the text.

It can impact reading speed, accuracy and focus. All readers can benefit from Sans Serif fonts (no hooks at the ends of letters) when reading digitally. Book Creator has many Sans Serif fonts to select from such as:

The straight lines of the font helps dyslexic users to better see the shapes of the letters. The lack of serifs increases the spacing between letters (for example Noto Sans) and makes them more distinguishable.

Sans Serif Font: Noto Sans Refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery Alabama city bus in 1955, Rosa Parks is credited for helping begin the Civil Rights Movement.

Serif Font: Noto Serif Refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus in 1955, Rosa Parks is credited for helping begin the Civil Rights Movement.

6. Using graphic organizer templates

Graphic organizers have many applications in education including brainstorming, planning before writing, note taking, organizing ideas, outlining,&nbsp;summarizing and showing the relationship between concepts.

Students can add multimedia to their organizer template by pulling images from their Photo library, taking pictures with the camera or uploading images from the computer or the web. These&nbsp;can be added to effectively communicate ideas while aiding in the recall of information.

Teacher created template for story retell with Boardmaker symbols. Kennedy School, Cupertino, CA.

Using the <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-shapes-and-drawings/working-with-shapes">Shapes tool</a> to create a graphic organizer How to <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/cut-copy-paste-and-lock">lock items</a> in place

Book Creator has some default paper backgrounds that can be used to support students in math and writing.

Select various graph papers as a background to be used for number lines, hundred charts, ten frames, arrays and lining up numbers both vertically and horizontally. Book Creator offers lined paper as an option for writing. Some students want to write like their peers but standard paper and pencil is unforgiving. They may struggle with letter formation, legibility and spelling. Using the various lined papers with the pen tool or typing, students can write their ideas demonstrating what they know.

Screenshot from a book made by a young student - image of a cat and hand-written text

Graph showing the favorite fruit of students in a class

11. Interactive Hotspots

Hotspots in Book Creator take a standard digital book to the next level by adding interactive elements within the text or image.

Hotspots can contain audio as well as links to video. Interactive hotspots can be used for labelling, defining, and clarifying digital content.

Tech Tip: Adding hotspots

Book image taken from the <a href="https://www.n2y.com/unique-learning-system/">Unique Curriculum</a>

Screenshot showing the Inspector in Book Creator, allowing you to make a hotspot invisible

UPDATE January 2020: You can now also generate audio transcripts for your hotspots.

<a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-audio/make-an-audio-hotspot-invisible">Make an audio hotspot invisible</a> <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2014/12/book-creator-core-vocabulary/">Book Creator and core vocabulary</a>

1. Teacher created interactive notebooks

Scaffolding content through the use of interactive notebooks is easy with Book Creator. Interactive notebooks can house varying ranges of supports and resources in a variety of formats.

Teachers can differ the range of complexity, resources and activities all within a single notebook. Students have a variety of tools to demonstrate understanding. Interactive notebooks are mistake tolerant. Content can be moved, copied, modified and linked to outside resources. Text can be supported with images and video explanations. It can be read aloud and ideas can be dictated, edited and all with spelling support.

<a href="https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-LCESe5qTaw-qLZCBqm3/book/KdFQSD6gTSqd7QuG7gAfDA">The Ultimate Guide to Embedding Content</a> Workflow with <a href="https://support.bookcreator.com/hc/en-us/articles/201908361-How-to-send-your-book-using-AirDrop">Airdrop with iPads</a> <a href="https://support.bookcreator.com/hc/en-us/articles/204894321-How-to-back-up-and-share-your-book-with-Google-Drive">Backing up and sharing your book </a>in Google Drive

Experiment 14A: Heating Baking Soda

Science Notebook WPS Middle School

Multiple Means of Engagement

Students differ greatly in how they can be engaged and motivated. They differ in learning styles and interests. 

The tools in Book Creator offer teachers a myriad of ways to present content. Our goal as educators is to engage students while providing opportunities for student agency. Digital materials can provide multiple means for students to access and process information. Listening, reading or interactive assignments can assist in the learning process. Book Creator offers differing ways for students to demonstrate their learning: Multimedia presentations Video reflections Written responses Concept maps using shapes Comic layouts as digital posters Book Creator allows teachers to represent content through images, video, symbols, text, drawings and audio. Content can vary page to page to keep students engaged, motivated and on task.

Screenshot of the Book Creator Media menu

Some students need visual images to help them read, make connections and understand the text.

Interpreting images may come long before they can read the same words. Pictures can help readers understand what is happening in a story. They also help students to comprehend and remember text. You can capture images to help students make sense of the text by snapping a picture using the camera,&nbsp;or upload photos you’ve already taken using the import tool. In Book Creator for Chrome, you can also access the safe Google Image search that's built into the app.

The Media menu in Book Creator with Photos and Camera highlighted

<a href="https://support.bookcreator.com/hc/en-us/articles/201908161-How-to-transfer-images-to-your-iPad">Importing images in Book Creator for iPad</a> <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2015/12/the-top-5-sources-for-images-and-photos-on-your-ipad/">Our top 5 sites for sourcing great images and photos on your iPad</a> <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-photos-and-video/working-with-images">Importing images in Book Creator for Chrome</a> <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-photos-and-video/add-a-photo-from-google-image-search">Using Google Image search</a>

Choice boards are graphic organizers that provide a menu of activities.

With Book Creator, we can bring choice boards to life with interactivity. Choice boards can be created and adapted to be used with any age group and subject area.

Add <a href="bookcreator://page/QT2ls515S6Cr9hi5DNhvFQ">images</a> to your book.

Use the <a href="bookcreator://page/I49kpOvmRO-YECzoNyiADQ">graphic organizer</a> provided or create your own.

Select a <a href="bookcreator://page/I0eEMLZ8SoWXXsG30ljEHQ">Sans Serif font</a> for text.

START HERE

Use <a href="bookcreator://page/4Tdr9F4HRZ--sFA5mxqRNA">audio</a> for brainstorming and interviewing.

<a href="bookcreator://page/nqywXanbTDKCPZgMkRh2-Q">Discuss</a> your idea with a peer.

Add a <a href="bookcreator://page/y40erJlUS9KrdVlSwUUszA">video </a>of someone you interviewed

Change the <a href="bookcreator://page/6XtwiBgoTK-23M0VhuJmGw">page color</a> of your organizer to your favorite color.

3. Multiple accessibility options

Book Creator provides several options for student access. Students can use a mouse, touch, stylus, and keyboard depending on their device. Some students may also use switch access.

Using two switches on an iPad: one for page turning and one to read the book. Video compliments of Wendy Buckley, Assistive Technology Specialist, Teacher, Perkins School f/t Blind.

8. The Pen Tool: making thinking visible

Book Creator might not come to mind as a tool for sketchnoting. Yet, beyond typing of text, the pen tool provides a way to make the verbal visual. Students can sketch out ideas, brainstorming visually or visualize solutions to challenges in the curriculum or their environment.&nbsp; One major benefit is that students can use all those color options and then erase anything they want without starting all over! The pen tool is mistake tolerant. Drawing out ideas, solutions, or steps to a problem is easy. Students can then return to add photos, videos and audio for additional visual support. Making thinking truly visible!

Student sketchnote example of a coastal food chain.

<a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-shapes-and-drawings/using-the-pen-tool">Using the Pen Tool</a>

Moving beyond pencil and paper to creating digital stories can be highly motivating for students.

Digital stories offer students an alternative means to demonstrate their learning. Making digital stories involves creativity, critical thinking, reflection and imagination. Book Creator provides authors of any age, the ability to weave video, photos, audio and narration to tell their story. Students can select the media that best allows them to express their ideas.

Hammerhead Sharks

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icDro5k6lbw&amp;list=PLwflOcLg7wbmgEBGl_CU-VDwcQ3w7_IKx&amp;index=6">Webinar on Digital Storytelling</a>

6. Using shapes to demonstrate understanding in Math

Demonstrating foundational math skills can be challenging.

Counting, measurement, number sense, patterns and spatial awareness can be demonstrated and supported through the use of Book Creator. We often ask students to sort collections into sets and compare them. Students can use manipulatives to create, sort and compare sets of objects and use the camera to talk about how they sorted the sets and why. This gives teachers an understanding of the student's thought process. The built in shapes allow students to define and classify by shape attributes. They can be combined and separated (composed and decomposed) to create new ones. Everything in one place, on one surface and easy to manipulate. Encourage mathematical thinking by allowing students to manipulate, describe (audio, video, text), label and construct patterns and numbers.

Photos showing a rectangle, circle, square and triangle

Multiple Means of Engagement ............................................

1. <a href="bookcreator://page/KuZjcLJPQE2wwDvlqu0-LQ">Teacher created interactive notebooks</a> ..............................

2. <a href="bookcreator://page/7op8lAX-Qxy38BR-MEL2IA">Changing the medium</a> ...........................................................

3. <a href="bookcreator://page/TKdE8vwwSjq-93h2YeaJUg">Multiple accessibility options</a>................................................

4. <a href="bookcreator://page/S4yXh4dPRUiVIXfkOzPGOA">Choice Boards</a>.........................................................................

5. <a href="bookcreator://page/nqywXanbTDKCPZgMkRh2-Q">Collaboration</a>...........................................................................

6. <a href="bookcreator://page/I49kpOvmRO-YECzoNyiADQ">Graphic Organizer Templates</a>...............................................

7. <a href="bookcreator://page/pFAujkDcSK2o5WbHtu3vhg">Publishing to an authentic audience</a> ..................................

For some students, using a keyboard can be a barrier to expressing ideas.

If typing or spelling is an issue, students tend to use shorter sentences and less sophisticated vocabulary. In these cases, let the student use speech to text to do the typing for them. Using the microphone, students can say what they want to type and their words are then converted to text. <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-text/using-your-voice-to-type">Dictation is built into Book Creator for Chrome</a>, and is <a href="https://bookcreator.com/2014/11/dictate-book-book-creator/">easily accessible as part of iOS</a> on iPads.

Using a keyboard can be a barrier to expressing ideas for some students. In Book Creator students can use speech to text to do the typing for them.

Choose Text, and instead of typing click the record button up here in the right hand side of the text box.

If I speak clearly the text will appear as I speak and when I'm done, I can click this red stop button. 

But at any point in time, if I'm not finished I can go back in and edit this text using the keyboard or adding additional ideas using the text to speak option.

Using Speech to Text in Book Creator for Chrome

Digital portfolios are a great way to chronicle student work. The collection of artifacts is easily done and stored within Book Creator. 

The ability to flex the use of the camera means teachers and students can take physical artifacts and make them digital. Students can then reflect on their work by using the audio or video tool. This is specially beneficial for students that tend to shut down when presented with physical aspects of written output. It is important that students not only reflect on what they have learned, but also how and why, so they can build deeper connections. For students with special needs, portfolios can be used to document milestones, goals reached and shown to parents during the IEP process. Book Creator offers several options for saving the portfolio. They can be published and/or exported in a variety of formats. The example book here is from Google Education Trainer and EdTechTeacher Instructor Avra Robinson.

Cameron's Digital Portfolio

13. Alternative text (Alt Text)

Alt Text is a description of an image that is used by screen readers to help visually impaired users read a book.&nbsp;

Adding alternative text descriptions to images is a principle of digital accessibility. Visually impaired users using screen readers will be read the&nbsp;alternative description to better understand on-page images. You can also add captions to any images inserted into books in Book Creator (including maps, like the example below). Just highlight the image then click on the Inspector (i) button.

Screenshot showing the Inspector options for a map in Book Creator

Multiple Means of Action and Expression

As we focus on action and expression for students, many of the tools and strategies mentioned previously can be used to demonstrate understanding.

Providing a variety of tools to respond to an assignment as an alternative to writing, such as a video response, audio podcast or to create a comic strip, promote a successful UDL classroom. The ability for students to self select how they will demonstrate what they have learned, helps students to stay engaged. Here is an example of a chart used by students to keep track of how they are feeling each day. Students can track progress over time. The teacher can add audio supports to assist students in identifying their feelings.

Screenshot from a Book Creator book showing emotion options

1. Customizing the user experience

There are many ways to personalize the reading experience for students in Book Creator.

Book Creator gives you the ability to consider the needs of your students by customizing font style, text size, color considerations and layout. Far too often these are overlooked as potential supports for reading. These changes can help students with visual tracking and sustaining attention and focus. When personalizing the reading experience, consider the following: <a href="bookcreator://page/6XtwiBgoTK-23M0VhuJmGw">Page and background color</a> <a href="bookcreator://page/I0eEMLZ8SoWXXsG30ljEHQ">Font style</a> <a href="bookcreator://page/FyMOvtNiQiuc2D89u3XJWg">Text size</a> <a href="bookcreator://page/pys9Nq36TgOFQatZ0oya_Q">Audio support</a> <a href="bookcreator://page/7RZw--yLRaKz_BjACfVwVg">Read to Me</a>

Screenshot of the text options in Book Creator

Collaboration plays an important role in students staying engaged, working towards a common goal, and gaining knowledge while building social skills.

It can happen independently or in a small group, yet success is mutually dependent on the work completed. When working with other students and co-creating, they learn to listen, share and discuss new ideas and approaches to solving the task. Collaboration allows all to recognize and value each other’s contributions. Book Creator's tools and features allow all students to be active members in the collaborative process giving them voice and choice in how they will demonstrate their learning. Using Book Creator, groups of students can create individual pages for an ebook which can then be combined as a whole class book which includes pages contributed by all students. See the example book below.

Book Week - Online Collaborative Project

<a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/collaboration/how-to-collaborate-in-real-time">Collaboration in real-time</a> <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/collaboration/how-to-combine-books">Combining books</a>

Book Creator is the perfect app to support student variability in the classroom.

Book Creator's multimodal tools and supports make lessons accessible while building in student voice and choice. As educators, we understand that our students bring different learner profiles, strengths, challenges and interests to learning. Meeting student variability and planning differing approaches can be a challenge. Differentiated instruction gives students multiple options for taking in information, making sense of the ideas and then expressing what they know. We need to plan alternative approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and how they will show what they have learned. Join me as we explore a variety of ways to use Book Creator to support student variability.

In this book you will find examples and practical tips on how Book Creator can be used to differentiate lessons for students in your classroom.&nbsp;You will find a variety of options to customize the user experience which enables students to document their learning while keeping the focus on demonstrating understanding and curriculum access. Book Creator has tools that can support the three principals of Universal Design for Learning. Students bring different gifts and challenges to the classroom. Looking through a UDL lens helps us to identify barriers to learning. We will explore how Book Creator can be used for both teachers and students to create content and demonstrate thinking.

6. Publishing to an authentic audience

Writing is one way to reflect on learning. When students have an authentic audience, it keeps them engaged and gives them a purpose.

Sharing their creations can take many forms. With the ability to publish, students can share their work with families, classmates and students in other areas of their town, county or world. Book Creator can be published online. Teachers determine how and with whom they share the published link. Publishing student work is an easy and effective way to create that home-school connection. This allows parents to see first hand the work happening at school.

The share menu for books, with Published online highlighted

<a href="https://bookcreator.com/privacy-policy/">Book Creator Privacy overview</a> <a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/sharing-books/publishing-your-book-online">Publishing your book onlin</a><a href="https://support.bookcreator.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002981105-Publishing-your-book-online">e</a>

7. Using shapes to demonstrate Math concepts

Students use the number frames to count, represent, compare, and compute with numbers.

8. Read to Me for writing

Read to Me is also a great way to identify grammar mistakes, listen for atypical word order or to assist with spelling or grammar during writing.

Some students learn better when hearing what they have written. Listening to their written work is a necessary step in the revision process. This is a way to listen to their text and find places that they can revise. Read to Me adds and auditory component to text. Our brains often over look some errors as we reread the text as we intended, not as it is written. Read to Me increases kids’ staying power for both reading and writing assignments. This option eliminates some of the obstacles present in classrooms with students being able to access the curriculum.

Try the Read to Me option

Teachers can supplement text with an audio recording of themselves giving directions or prompts.

Although Book Creator features text to speech, some students prefer to hear a human or familiar voice reading text or giving instructions. Teachers can add directions to books that can then be shared with students, customizing the material presented. Directions can be listened to multiple times, fostering self advocacy.&nbsp;As a supplement to text, audio recordings allow students to listen to tone, voice and pronunciation. This enables students the opportunity to focus on thinking, while giving them an alternative means of acquiring content.

<a href="https://intercom.help/bookcreator/creating-books/adding-audio/adding-an-audio-hotspot">Adding an audio hotspot</a>

Universal Design for Learning uses three guiding principles: