Thought Kandi

To be honest, when I first looked at the guidelines for the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) I thought "I don't do any of this, I am such a poser!" But upon closer inspection and understanding of each layer I realized I already incorporate many of the checkpoints.   UDL was created based on scientific research on how the brain functions when learning new things. It has been divided according to 3 regions of the brain that address the "What," "How," and "Why" of learning. The principle of Representation is the "What" of learning, Action & Expression the "How," and Engagement the "Why."  Within each principle are guidelines for accessing, building, and internalizing knowledge. Each guideline contains checkpoints that provide further details on what these will look like in the classroom.  Finally, there is a goal for each principle to create expert learners who are resourceful & knowledgeable (Representat...

Applegate, K., Castelano, P. (2020). The one and only Bob. NY: HarperCollins. Bob, Ivan, Ruby This book is a sequel to The One and Only Ivan which has been made into a movie. I was not familiar with either prior to reading this adorable story. Bob is a former stray, now comfy at home with his humans. When he was a stray, he made friends with gorilla Ivan and young elephant Ruby. Ivan and Ruby are now living in an animal sanctuary and Bob can visit them. On the day contained within this book, Bob gets to visit Ivan and Ruby when a tornado hits and the sanctuary grounds are damaged. There are ups and downs as Bob, Ivan, and Ruby work to make sure all their friends are safe after the storm. Bob ends up in an animal shelter where he is placed in a cage with his sister who he thought was dead. It is an interesting but easy read, and great for animal lovers. There is some sadness as Bob describes his early life at the hands of not-nice humans, but everything wraps up nicely in the end. G...

  Takei, G. (2019). They called us enemy. GA: Top Shelf Productions. What a powerful graphic memoir. The story of the internment camps is one that I have gradually been learning more about as I have had to teach them as a part of the WWII era in Texas History. I was first introduced to this part of America’s past through a movie then later a television show. Putting George Takei’s first-hand account of the experience into graphic format helped to convey so much of the story that could have otherwise been too cumbersome to read. I appreciate that Takei conveys the story as a child when it happened, clueless to many of the details, as a teenager having after dinner talks with his father incredulous that the internees didn’t fight back more, and as an adult bringing it all together with the advantage of maturity and having the platform to speak publicly about America’s treatment of Japanese during WWII. You May Also Like: the March trilogy by John Lewis, Dear Martin by Nic Stone

  Phelan, M. (2016). Snow white. MA: Candlewick Press. This was my first graphic novel. I was a proponent of GN for what they could offer struggling readers. I was surprised by this one as it contains so few words. At first, I wondered if I had perhaps picked up the wrong book but as I continued, I realized how much I enjoyed that the graphics allowed me to visually process quickly what would have taken many more words to express. It was almost like watching a good movie adaptation of a book. In this version of the classic fairy-tale, Snow White lives in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. The evil stepmother is labeled as “Queen of the Follies” and rather than a mirror, the ticker tape in her husband’s office tells her to do dark things to gain power. Of course, she sets out to get rid of Snow White who hides out, finding company with seven boys rather than sever dwarfs. Once her stepmother has given her the poisoned apple, Snow White is found in the Macy’s window. It is a De...

  Lewis, J., Aydin, A., Powell, N. (2016). March: Book three. GA: Top Shelf Productions. An important graphic novel that talks about the civil rights activism as told by participant John Lewis. Sometimes the graphics contained too much to fully process but like They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, it ultimately makes the information more accessible, especially to middle grade students. John Lewis tells about events and protests during the 1960s. This final installment of 3 opens with the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL in 1963. It closes with the President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the 1965 Voting Rights Act into law. Along the way we learn about his experience with local and national protests. He describes interactions with prominent leaders during the era such as Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I would have liked to have had some sort of glossary to remember what the various acronyms stood for as they were a bit overwhelming and there were many I wa...

  Carter, A. (2018). Not if I save you first. NY: Scholastic Press. The story of a young girl who witnesses first-hand the attempted abduction of the first lady. Maddie is best friends with the president’s son Logan and daughter of the head of the president’s secret service detail. She is in the white house for an important state dinner and while exploring with her friend they are nearly run over by a group of men pushing a cart. When the men come back, she notices that the cart seems to be heavier than before, then they see a bit of red fabric peeking out and realize that is the first lady’s dress, Logan pushes his emergency button. The secret service responds immediately, a firefight ensues. Her father is shot, and her friend is grazed by a bullet. Shortly after, her father resigns and moves them to Alaska. She spends the next 6 years learning the skills of survival as her father flies supply runs. The president’s son has grown into a troubled teen who continues to act out, so ...