This creation was made at the request of my colleague Dr. Elizabeth Davidson. When Liz was planning a unit on ghosts and stories for Latin II this year, she asked me if I could find a way to incorporate some culture into the lesson. Amara's Guide to Ghostbusting was the product. 

This became a 2 day lesson with a video (see below) and a digital escape room in Latin. Students used what they'd learned from the stories and the video to help them solve the haunted house. 

What was really great about this was finding a unique and creative way to do this that would serve students in the classroom and home, as we are teaching concurrently during the pandemic. 

I hope you enjoy!

This is an announcement of a new resource! I wrote a short children's story in Latin called "Are you my mother"? While loosely inspired by the English children's book, this takes a different story line in that the dog travels around finding animals thinking they are his mother only to find that they too need a mother. The pack grows larger and larger. Will they find what they are looking for?

Using Google is a great way to provide audio input for students. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with visual representations allowing students multiple means of engagement and representation. Audio is a great tool to support students with dyslexia, who are vision students, or students with processing concerns. Below are some ways we've used Google audio in the past, including an experience that showed us where we had room to grow. 

When Rachel and I wrote and published Pluto: fabula amoris, we wanted to include audio readings of each chapter. You will find those linked below. We often use these in conjunction with readings. Students can follow along while they read and they provide important input for vision students who are in our program. 

Linked below is my first attempt at Latin listening radio. I wrote this horror story a few years ago for a novice high Latin listener. It makes use of a variety of tools to engage students in listening when reading is not available. In addition to reading with expression, each sentence is accompanied with a sound or two to help set the tone and make meaning clear. For example, when the main character slams a door, the audience hears the sound of a door slam. 

One of the great things about technology is all its uses for providing appropriate accommodations and supports for students. Universal Design for Learning says that through multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression we can set students up for success. This is similar to the principles of Comprehensible Input. 

This particular blog page is going to be dedicated to times when I use technology to provides UDL through audio and video. For more information on how UDL can be used, consider checking out my site dedicated to my work and research with special education.