Course Content

Visual and Multimodal Teaching Strategies

This course explores how visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modes can be integrated into instructional design to support access, engagement, and understanding for all learners. Multimodal strategies move beyond text-based approaches, offering students multiple ways to connect with and express learning. The course emphasizes how intentionally designed visuals and sensory-rich tools can enhance inclusivity for students with diverse needs, including language learners and students with disabilities.

This course blends storytelling with practical learning. As you move through the course, you will alternate between reading your chosen story and engaging in Learning Interludes that deepen your understanding of inclusive education.

To view the course content, click on each section header below. This will reveal the readings and materials for that part of the course.

How the Course Flows

The course follows a consistent sequence:
Prologue → Learning Interlude 1 → Chapter 1 → Learning Interlude 2 → Chapter 2 → Learning Interlude 3 → Chapter 3 → Learning Interlude 4 → Chapter 4 → Learning Interlude 5 → Epilogue → Learning Interlude 6

Each chapter of your story highlights key ideas in action. After each chapter, you will complete a Learning Interlude that unpacks those ideas through guided content, tools, and activities.

What’s in a Learning Interlude?

Each Learning Interlude contains three Learning Links. A Learning Link is a short, focused learning unit that includes:

A short video explaining an essential concept.
A follow-up activity to help you apply what you have learned.

After each Learning Link, you will find both individual and group activities. Choose the activities that are most meaningful and relevant to your role, goals, and context. There is no requirement to complete them all.

If you are facilitating this course for a group, Facilitator Notes are included at the beginning of each Learning Interlude. These provide guidance, timing suggestions, and tips for leading group discussions and activities.

You will also find:

Printable tools and templates to support your planning.
Reflection prompts to help connect new ideas to your own practice.

These interludes help you make sense of what you have read and offer practical strategies you can use right away, whether you are learning individually or with a group.

▶ Inside the Story: Prologue

Inside the Story: Prologue

As you move through this course, we encourage you to return to the story you selected during the “Inside the Story” sections. Each chapter aligns with the learning interludes and offers a vivid, contextualized look at inclusive design in action. Feel free to explore additional stories if you're curious how the same principles play out in different contexts. Short overviews of the chapter are included here to help you discern if you want to explore other stories.

Amara's Story: The Multimodal Social Studies Unit

Prologue: The Text Wall ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Amara begins teaching Grade 4 in a culturally and linguistically diverse classroom. She’s excited about the curriculum but quickly notices a wall forming between her instruction and many of her students. Her usual approach of projecting content-heavy slides, assigning textbook readings, and collecting paragraph responses seems to engage only a few. Several students disengage, fidget, or tune out, and multilingual learners seem hesitant to participate. She begins to question how accessible her lessons really are.

Wayfinder Middle School: A Sensory-Aware Classroom

Prologue: The Noise Between the Bells ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

A chaotic hallway transition prompts a few teachers at Wayfinder Middle School to question the hidden impact of their learning environments. Observing student stress and shutdowns, they begin to wonder if their classrooms are unintentionally contributing to the overwhelm. A single question of what if it’s the space? sparks a shift in perspective that sets the stage for deeper inquiry into sensory-aware, inclusive design.

Leo's Story: A Voice Beyond Words

Prologue: The Quiet Observer ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

When Leo, a non-speaking Grade 5 student, arrives at Riverstone Elementary mid-year, his new teachers quickly notice his quiet attentiveness. He tracks lessons, explores materials, and watches classroom routines closely but without spoken words, his thoughts remain a mystery. Ms. Howell and Mr. Tran feel the weight of not knowing how to support him, yet sense that there’s more to Leo than they can yet see. Their uncertainty becomes the spark for change, setting the stage for a journey that begins not with answers, but with a commitment to listen differently.

Jin's Story: A Newcomer Learns with His Hands

Prologue: The Language Barrier ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

When Jin joins Grade 6 at Harvest Hill Elementary after immigrating from South Korea, his silence feels heavy. Though his academic records show strong ability, his limited English and unfamiliarity with classroom routines leave him isolated and hesitant. Ms. Cameron wants to help, but her initial focus on one-on-one support doesn’t shift the dynamic. It’s not until she reimagines communication through movement, visuals, and hands-on learning that Jin begins to engage. A quiet transformation begins, not just in Jin, but in how the classroom listens, invites, and responds.

Dana's Story: Coaching for Clarity and Impact

Prologue: Visual Noise ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

As Dana visits classrooms across the division, she notices a pattern: visual tools are everywhere, but often misaligned with how students actually learn. Some rooms overflow with charts and colors; others are sparse and inaccessible. Dana begins to ask not if visuals should be used, but how they can support clarity, regulation, and inclusion. Her observations spark a shift from decoration to intentional design and lay the foundation for a year of collaborative coaching rooted in Universal Design for Learning.

▶ Learning Interlude 1: Multimodal Foundations

Learning Interlude 1: Multimodal Foundations

Occurs After Prologue → Before Chapter 1
Module Name: Why Modes Matter

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can define multimodal teaching and name its benefits.
I can identify how I currently use different modes in my teaching.

🎬 Learning Link 1: What Is Multimodal Teaching?

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Multimodal Reflection Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on how you currently use visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modes.
“Modes in Action” Observation Log (📄PDF): Track and analyze the modes used in one lesson or learning activity.
Personal Modal Strengths Snapshot (📄PDF): Explore your own strengths and preferences as a communicator and teacher.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Modal Brainstorm Wall (📄PDF): Collaboratively list as many instructional modes and examples as possible.
What’s Multimodal? Gallery Walk (📄PDF): Share artifacts or descriptions of multimodal strategies used in your setting.
Multimodal Sorting Challenge (📄PDF): Work as a team to sort common strategies by primary mode and discuss overlaps.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Sensory Pathways and Engagement

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Sensory Pathways and My Students Map (📄PDF): Identify how different students respond to different sensory pathways.
Engagement Through the Senses Inventory (📄PDF): Reflect on how current lessons engage students across sensory domains.
Student Sensory Profiles Sketch (📄PDF): Create fictional or real profiles of 2–3 students and map their preferred pathways.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Multisensory Design Swap (📄PDF): Share a lesson with a colleague and brainstorm ways to add another sensory pathway.
Sensory Mode Simulation (📄PDF): Experience a learning task in various sensory modes, then reflect as a group.
Sensory Inclusion Protocol (📄PDF): Discuss how to better include students with sensory sensitivities or access needs.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Meeting Learning Variability Through Design

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Modal Design Analysis Tool (📄PDF): Choose a past lesson and analyze how effectively it met variability through multiple modes.
UDL & Modes Reflection Prompt (📄PDF): Write about how multimodal design supports UDL and access.
Barrier Spotting Through Modal Lens (📄PDF): Identify where mode limitations may create access barriers for some students.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Design Challenge: Modal Makeover (📄PDF): As a team, redesign a teacher-selected task to enhance multimodal input.
Learning Variability Mapping (📄PDF): Brainstorm common learner differences and brainstorm modal responses.
Modal Equity Conversation Starter (📄PDF): Reflect on who benefits most and least from current instruction modes.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Multimodal Inventory Chart (📄PDF): A tool to take stock of modes currently embedded in instruction.
Planning for Modal Diversity Tool (📄PDF): Template for designing with intention across multiple modalities.
Modal Engagement Entry Points Menu (📄PDF): A brainstorm menu for adding more sensory variety to teaching.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes key research and frameworks on multimodal learning, sensory pathways, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and inclusive instructional design.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 1

Inside the Story: Chapter 1

Amara's Story: The Multimodal Social Studies Unit

Chapter 1: First Shifts in Vision ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

After attending a workshop on multimodal strategies, Amara experiments with small changes: she adds historical images, color-coded timelines, and storytelling to introduce key concepts. She notices an immediate spark. Students lean in, ask questions, and some who rarely spoke begin contributing. It’s a subtle shift, but it ignites a curiosity in her to explore deeper.

Wayfinder Middle School: A Sensory-Aware Classroom

Chapter 1: Looking Through a New Lens ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

A small team of teachers begins to question the default assumptions embedded in their classroom layouts and teaching strategies. They attend a district-led professional development session focused on multimodal design and regulation. Through this session, they’re introduced to the idea that the physical and sensory environment can either contribute to student stress or support focus and calm. A visit to a model classroom brings this concept to life: soothing colors, defined spaces, visual anchors, and flexible furniture show them what’s possible. They return to Wayfinder energized and committed to experimenting with small, tangible shifts.

Leo's Story: A Voice Beyond Words

Chapter 1: Learning New Languages ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Leo’s teachers, Ms. Howell and Mr. Tran, feel stuck in their first few weeks. They notice that Leo is engaged, but they struggle to understand his communication attempts and aren’t sure how to support him in group tasks or written work. With support from their inclusive education coordinator, they connect with a speech-language pathologist who introduces them to AAC and the broader concept of multimodal communication. They realize that Leo’s silence doesn’t mean he has nothing to say. It means they need to learn how to listen differently. Inspired, the team commits to learning new communication tools and rethinking their approach to classroom interaction.

Jin's Story: A Newcomer Learns with His Hands

Chapter 1: Welcome Through Movement ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

In the first few weeks, Jin sits silently through most lessons, avoiding eye contact and participation. Ms. Cameron notices he often watches her hands when she teaches. Inspired by this, she begins incorporating more gestures and facial expressions when giving instructions. She introduces math manipulatives and invites the whole class to demonstrate thinking with their hands. Jin responds. First with eye contact, then with small smiles, and eventually with participation in low-verbal group tasks. His body begins to speak before his words do.

Dana's Story: Coaching for Clarity and Impact

Chapter 1: Introducing the Why ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Dana begins her journey by organizing a series of low-pressure "lunch-and-learn" sessions at several schools. She introduces teachers to foundational ideas around multimodal learning, UDL principles, and cognitive load. Instead of focusing on deficits, she frames visual design as a tool for equity and access. Teachers begin reflecting on their current practices, realizing that even well-intentioned visuals can be overwhelming if not aligned with student needs. A few express excitement at the idea of revisiting their classroom environments with a new lens.

▶ Learning Interlude 2: Visual Tools for Clarity

Learning Interlude 2: Visual Tools for Clarity

Occurs After Chapter 1 → Before Chapter 2

Module Name: Designing for Visual Comprehension

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can use at least two visual tools to clarify key concepts.
I can match visual tools to different stages of learning.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Why Visual Tools Work

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Visual Learning Reflection Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on personal experiences with visual learning and its impact.
Cognitive Load Sketch (📄PDF): Draw a learning moment that felt overwhelming, then brainstorm how a visual tool might have helped.
Concept Clarification Snapshot (📄PDF): Choose a recent concept you taught and describe how a visual could have clarified it.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Visual Tools Brainstorm Wall (📄PDF): Collaboratively list visual tools currently used and sort them by learning stage.
Clarifying the Complex Protocol (📄PDF): Present a difficult concept and co-create a visual that supports clarity.
Visual Strategy Share-Out (📄PDF): Each participant brings one visual they’ve used and explains its purpose and impact.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Anchor Charts, Diagrams, and Organizers

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Anchor Chart Planning Sheet (📄PDF): Sketch out an anchor chart that could be co-created with your class.
Visual Organizer Remix (📄PDF): Take an existing graphic organizer and redesign it for a different stage of learning.
Diagram for Depth Task (📄PDF): Create a diagram to explain a concept students often struggle with.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Organizer Swap Workshop (📄PDF): Exchange and give feedback on each other’s graphic organizers.
Anchor Chart Design Sprint (📄PDF): In teams, co-create an anchor chart for a core concept and explain your design choices.
Diagram-Driven Instruction Simulation (📄PDF): Practice teaching a mini-lesson using only a diagram as a guide.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Supporting Memory and Organization

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Memory Support Design Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on how visual tools can help students retain and organize learning.
Learning Sequence Graphic Tool (📄PDF): Design a visual timeline or sequence tool to help students organize their thinking.
Student Strategy Guide Poster (📄PDF): Create a student-facing visual reference for organizing work or tasks.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Memory Supports Gallery Walk (📄PDF): Share visual strategies designed to support retention and categorization.
Clarity Through Visuals Roundtable (📄PDF): Discuss where confusion arises in learning and brainstorm how visuals can help.
Classroom Visuals Audit (📄PDF): Evaluate a classroom space or shared resource through the lens of visual clarity.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Graphic Organizer Builder (📄PDF): A tool for customizing organizers based on content and learning stage.
Visual Anchor Template (📄PDF): Scaffold for designing anchor charts with clarity and student ownership in mind.
Concept-to-Visual Planning Grid (📄PDF): Help match instructional goals to effective visual representations.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes research on visual learning, dual coding theory, graphic organizers, and strategies for supporting working memory and conceptual clarity through visual tools.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 2

Inside the Story: Chapter 2

Amara's Story: The Multimodal Social Studies Unit

Chapter 2: A Unit Reimagined ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Amara takes a bold step and reimagines an entire social studies unit. She incorporates tactile maps, video clips of historical events, role-play, and physical modeling. Students handle materials, reenact events, and use color and motion to make sense of complex ideas. Multilingual students are contributing more, and students with ADHD are staying engaged longer. The unit begins to feel alive.

Wayfinder Middle School: A Sensory-Aware Classroom

Chapter 2: Designing for Calm ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The teachers begin redesigning their own learning spaces. They introduce calming color schemes, reduce visual clutter, and arrange flexible seating zones with options like wobble stools, floor cushions, and standing desks. Visual schedules are posted and auditory cues signal transitions with consistent, soothing sounds. As students enter the updated rooms, teachers notice a change in tone: fewer arguments, quieter starts, and more eye contact. Students begin choosing where to sit based on how they feel, and classroom management starts to shift from reaction to prevention.

Leo's Story: A Voice Beyond Words

Chapter 2: Designing Entry Points ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Armed with new knowledge, the team begins embedding accessible tools into their science instruction. They create tactile object-symbol references (e.g., a small globe for Earth studies), simplify lab instructions using visual sequences, and introduce color-coded materials for steps and roles. During one lab, Leo uses a laminated step guide to follow along without prompting. When he reaches for the correct object and presses a touch-based “yes” button to confirm, his team cheers. The small changes begin to add up. Leo is no longer on the sidelines. He’s part of the flow.

Jin's Story: A Newcomer Learns with His Hands

Chapter 2: Making Connections Visible ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

To deepen understanding, Ms. Cameron integrates graphic organizers, labeled visuals, and math videos with subtitles. Word walls are updated to include images and student-created definitions. During a lesson on fractions, Jin uses a fraction strip tool and confidently places it on the board during a group task. Later, he points to the diagram during discussion to clarify his point. As multimodal resources multiply, Jin finds more entry points and begins to ask questions, often pointing or using short phrases. His quiet confidence grows.

Dana's Story: Coaching for Clarity and Impact

Chapter 2: Clearing the Clutter ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Dana works side-by-side with classroom teachers to analyze their current visual environment. Using classroom walkthroughs and photo reflections, they identify visual clutter (i.e., anchor charts with too much text, posters with inconsistent symbols, or displays that are no longer relevant). Teachers begin intentionally curating their visual spaces: simplifying charts, adding whitespace, and aligning content with current learning goals. For one teacher, redesigning a math wall with consistent iconography leads to noticeably improved focus for a student with dyslexia.

▶ Learning Interlude 3: Multisensory Input

Learning Interlude 3: Multisensory Input

Occurs After Chapter 2 → Before Chapter 3

Module Name: Hearing, Touching, Moving

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can embed at least one additional sensory pathway in a lesson.
I can reflect on how movement or rhythm impacts learning.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Engaging the Senses

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Sensory Scan Reflection Tool (📄PDF): Evaluate how many senses are currently engaged in a typical lesson.
Sensory Entry Points Journal (📄PDF): Identify one lesson and reflect on how it could be enriched through sound, touch, or movement.
My Learning Style Memory Map (📄PDF): Recall a memorable learning experience and analyze the sensory elements involved.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

5-Senses Brainstorm Carousel (📄PDF): Teams rotate to brainstorm lesson ideas for each sensory modality.
Sensory Strategy Sorting Game (📄PDF): Match activities with the primary sensory system they engage, then discuss their impact.
Multisensory Model Gallery (📄PDF): Share and explore examples of sensory-rich learning experiences.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Kinesthetic and Tactile Learning

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Movement Integration Planning Sheet (📄PDF): Identify opportunities to add kinesthetic elements to upcoming instruction.
Tactile Learning Builder (📄PDF): Plan a hands-on learning experience that involves physical manipulation or sensory materials.
“Move to Learn” Reflection Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on how movement influences your own focus, mood, or comprehension.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Kinesthetic Stations Walkthrough (📄PDF): Try out simple movement-based tasks and reflect on their learning potential.
Tactile Teaching Challenge (📄PDF): Redesign a paper-based task using at least one tactile component.
Learning in Motion Dialogue Protocol (📄PDF): Share perspectives on the value and barriers of movement in classrooms.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Cultural Responsiveness in Sensory Design

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Sensory Bias Reflection Guide (📄PDF): Reflect on how cultural context and neurodiversity influence sensory preferences.
Sensory Inclusion Planning Tool (📄PDF): Identify culturally inclusive ways to engage senses across different subjects.
Music & Rhythm Exploration Sheet (📄PDF): Consider how cultural soundscapes, songs, or rhythms can be integrated in learning.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Cultural Sensory Audit (📄PDF): Explore how classroom practices reflect or exclude diverse sensory traditions.
Inclusive Sensory Story Swap (📄PDF): Share classroom stories that highlight inclusive or nontraditional sensory design.
Community Culture Map Activity (📄PDF): Collaboratively map the cultural practices and sensory preferences present in your school community.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Multisensory Strategy Menu (📄PDF): Menu of strategies sorted by sensory input type and classroom application.
Sensory-Aware Planning Template (📄PDF): Tool to design lessons with intentional multisensory elements.
Kinesthetic Learning Integration Checklist (📄PDF): Helps identify simple ways to add movement into learning routines.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes sources on multisensory learning, embodied cognition, kinesthetic teaching, culturally responsive sensory practices, and inclusive design for diverse learners.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 3

Inside the Story: Chapter 3

Amara's Story: The Multimodal Social Studies Unit

Chapter 3: Expression Through Movement and Art ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Amara broadens the ways students can show what they’ve learned. Instead of just written reports, students sketch ideas, create freeze-frame tableaus, use gestures to show sequence, and record video explanations. She sees confidence grow as students who once hesitated now take pride in how they communicate their understanding.

Wayfinder Middle School: A Sensory-Aware Classroom

Chapter 3: Hands-On Engagement ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

With environmental changes underway, teachers begin rethinking how students interact with the content itself. They build tactile stations for science and math, add art-based expression options in English, and invite movement breaks between activities. Students create dioramas, act out history scenes, and sculpt vocabulary words out of clay. Kinesthetic learners, in particular, shine in ways they haven’t before. Rather than labeling students as “off task,” teachers begin to recognize varied pathways to focus and understanding. Students who once avoided participation begin leading group work and sharing their ideas with confidence.

Leo's Story: A Voice Beyond Words

Chapter 3: Group Work, New Voices ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

With scaffolds in place, the teachers take a risk: they assign Leo to a small group for a design challenge. His peers are given training on how Leo communicates and are invited to co-create meaning with him. At first unsure, the group soon begins to understand Leo’s gestures, watch for his button presses, and invite his contributions. One student holds up symbol cards and says, “Leo, which one do you think?” Slowly, a new rhythm forms. Leo’s contributions shape the project and his classmates begin to rethink what it means to collaborate.

Jin's Story: A Newcomer Learns with His Hands

Chapter 3: Showing What He Knows ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

As Jin becomes more comfortable, Ms. Cameron encourages students to use multiple ways to show their thinking. Jin uses modeling clay to build geometric shapes, draws comic strips to explain problem-solving steps, and acts out word problems during math theatre games. In one task, he builds a scaled model of a playground and labels key measurements using dual-language vocabulary cards. It’s clear to everyone Jin has been thinking deeply all along. He just needed a way to show it.

Dana's Story: Coaching for Clarity and Impact

Chapter 3: Learning Through Movement ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Dana expands her coaching beyond static visuals to include embodied learning and physical expression. She supports teams in designing movement-based tasks like acting out story sequences, creating hallway learning trails, and integrating gestures for vocabulary. Classrooms begin to hum with energy as students express understanding through their bodies, not just their words. In one class, a student who struggles with verbal language leads a kinesthetic activity explaining fractions using movement and props. Teachers see the power of combining visual and kinesthetic modes to engage diverse learners.

▶ Learning Interlude 4: Expression Through Modalities

Learning Interlude 4: Expression Through Modalities

Occurs After Chapter 3 → Before Chapter 4

Module Name: Flexible Ways to Show Learning

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can provide at least two non-text-based options for students to show learning.
I can plan for expression that reflects learner diversity.

🎬 Learning Link 1: What Counts as Communication?

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Communication Modes Reflection Sheet (📄PDF): Reflect on the modes of communication you value in your classroom.
Student Expression Inventory (📄PDF): Take stock of the ways students currently show learning and consider what’s missing.
Barrier to Expression Scan (📄PDF): Identify common barriers that might limit student communication.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Expression Brainstorm Wall (📄PDF): Collaboratively generate non-text-based ways for students to show learning.
Redesign an Assignment Protocol (📄PDF): Work in pairs to redesign a traditional assignment with multiple expression options.
Communication Roundtable (📄PDF): Share perspectives on what “counts” as communication and where biases may exist.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Moving Beyond Writing

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Modality Mapping Tool (📄PDF): Map out various ways students might demonstrate the same skill across modalities.
Visual and Verbal Expression Builder (📄PDF): Practice designing expression tasks using image, video, or spoken formats.
Audio Reflection Guide (📄PDF): Reflect on the power of oral communication and how to scaffold it for all learners.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Flexible Output Design Sprint (📄PDF): Rapidly generate options for expressing learning across different subject areas.
Gallery of Modal Options (📄PDF): Explore examples of multimodal student work and discuss learning indicators.
Pair & Plan Jamboard (📄PDF): Use a digital whiteboard to co-plan one flexible expression task.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Honouring Student Strengths

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Student Strengths Mapping Tool (📄PDF): Identify key communication strengths of specific learners.
Asset-Based Expression Planning Sheet (📄PDF): Design tasks that affirm and amplify student strengths.
Inclusive Feedback Reflection Tool (📄PDF): Reflect on how assessment and feedback align with expression diversity.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Strength Spotlight Circle (📄PDF): Share examples of how student strengths shaped your instructional design.
Expression Match-Up Game (📄PDF): Match student profiles with expression formats that might suit them.
Design for Strengths Studio (📄PDF): Co-design performance tasks that center learner assets.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Expression Options Planner (📄PDF): Template to help educators plan expression options aligned to learning goals.
Student Strengths Mapping Tool (📄PDF): Framework for identifying and incorporating individual learner strengths.
Flexible Assessment Menu (📄PDF): A menu of expression options categorized by mode and cognitive process.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes research on multimodal communication, universal design for expression, student strengths and voice, and equitable assessment practices.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 4

Inside the Story: Chapter 4

Amara's Story: The Multimodal Social Studies Unit

Chapter 4: Visuals for Independence ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

To support autonomy, Amara introduces classroom visuals: anchor charts, color-coded task boards, and rubrics with symbols. Her students begin managing transitions on their own, referring to visuals instead of waiting for instructions. The environment feels less chaotic and more responsive. Students with executive functioning challenges begin to thrive.

Wayfinder Middle School: A Sensory-Aware Classroom

Chapter 4: Tools for Independence ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The team shifts from scaffolding behavior to scaffolding ownership. They implement color-coded instructions, visual job charts, and self-monitoring checklists that empower students to navigate tasks on their own. Anchor visuals for routines, learning goals, and group expectations help students understand what’s expected without constant teacher intervention. One student who previously required daily redirection begins setting up materials for their group without being asked. Teachers notice that as the environment becomes clearer and more student-centered, their time is freed up to support deeper learning instead of managing compliance.

Leo's Story: A Voice Beyond Words

Chapter 4: Visuals for Agency ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Building on Leo’s momentum, the teachers invest in tools for greater independence. A visual schedule with removable symbols helps Leo track the day. Step-by-step routines for common tasks like lab setup or group transitions are introduced with images and symbols. As Leo gains fluency with the routines, he begins completing tasks with reduced adult support, signaling transitions with gestures and moving between activities using his visual prompts. The team reflects: these tools are helping many students, not just Leo, feel more confident and independent.

Jin's Story: A Newcomer Learns with His Hands

Chapter 4: Gaining Confidence ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

With scaffolds like visual vocabulary cards, bilingual anchor posters, and peer demonstration videos, Jin begins working more independently. He collaborates more actively with classmates, pairing verbal responses with gestures or written labels. Ms. Cameron notices that his sense of identity is shifting—he is no longer the quiet newcomer, but a capable, creative learner. His confidence in navigating class routines and participating in discussions improves daily, and he begins mentoring a newer student who also speaks Korean.

Dana's Story: Coaching for Clarity and Impact

Chapter 4: Systems That Support ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Recognizing the need for consistency, Dana collaborates with leadership teams to create a division-wide bank of standard visual supports: daily visual agendas, color-coded task cards, emotion check-in tools, and self-monitoring charts. Schools implement these tools in ways that match their unique culture, but with enough consistency to benefit students who move between classrooms. One principal notices fewer hallway meltdowns after all classrooms adopt the same visual transition cues. Teachers report that even small visual systems help reduce repetition and build student independence.

▶ Learning Interlude 5: Inclusive Design in Action

Learning Interlude 5: Inclusive Design in Action

Occurs After Chapter 4 → Before Epilogue

Module Name: Pulling It Together

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can evaluate my materials for accessibility and clarity.
I can redesign a lesson using multimodal strategies.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Avoiding Cognitive Overload

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Cognitive Load Self-Check (📄PDF): Use a checklist to analyze an existing lesson for potential overload.
Simplify & Streamline Worksheet (📄PDF): Identify one area of your content that could be made clearer or more digestible.
Lesson Chunking Practice (📄PDF): Practice breaking a complex concept into manageable learning chunks.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Overload Audit Protocol (📄PDF): Review sample materials and collaborate to reduce extraneous load.
Information Flow Mapping (📄PDF): Map out the steps in a lesson and evaluate the pacing together.
Chunk It! Challenge (📄PDF): Teams compete to simplify a dense piece of content for learner clarity.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Making Visuals Truly Inclusive

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Inclusive Visuals Checklist (📄PDF): Evaluate the accessibility of visuals in your own materials.
Redesign a Visual Task (📄PDF): Choose one graphic or anchor chart and redesign it for greater clarity and inclusion.
Alt Text & Caption Writing Practice (📄PDF): Practice writing alt text and descriptive captions for visuals.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Visual Accessibility Gallery Walk (📄PDF): Share and critique examples of inclusive and non-inclusive visuals.
Image Redesign Challenge (📄PDF): Groups choose one visual and improve it using the Inclusive Design Guide.
Language and Symbol Clarity Discussion (📄PDF): Discuss assumptions behind visual tools and symbols used in classrooms.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Multimodal Lesson Redesign

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Lesson Redesign Planner (📄PDF): Redesign a lesson with intentional multimodal strategies for input and output.
Modal Pathways Map (📄PDF): Identify where and how different senses are engaged in your redesigned lesson.
Inclusive Reflection Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on what has shifted in your approach to teaching and materials.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Peer Redesign Feedback Triads (📄PDF): Share your redesigned lesson and give/receive feedback using a structured protocol.
Try-It Teaching Demo (📄PDF): Practice teaching a 5-minute segment of your redesigned lesson to your group.
Multimodal Menu Swap (📄PDF): Exchange redesigned ideas and visual supports with peers to build a shared strategy bank.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Cognitive Load Checklist (📄PDF): Scan your lessons for potential overload and processing barriers.
Inclusive Visual Design Guide (📄PDF): Design visuals that are clear, inclusive, and accessible.
Lesson Redesign Template (📄PDF): Scaffold your planning for a multimodal, inclusive learning experience.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes resources on cognitive load theory, visual accessibility, multimodal instruction, and inclusive instructional design.

▶ Inside the Story: Epilogue

Inside the Story: Epilogue

Amara's Story: The Multimodal Social Studies Unit

Epilogue: The Museum Walk ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The unit culminates in a museum walk, where students share their learning through models, videos, posters, performances, and more. Families and staff visit, and Amara sees the pride in her students’ faces. She reflects not just on the success of the unit, but on how different her practice now feels more inclusive, more creative, and more connected to who her students are.

Wayfinder Middle School: A Sensory-Aware Classroom

Epilogue: Beyond Behavior ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

At a staff meeting, the team shares their journey with colleagues. What started as a strategy to reduce behavioral incidents has evolved into a deeper cultural shift. Students not only behave differently. They feel differently. They belong. Teachers reflect that the greatest change wasn’t just in the classroom decor or the tools they used. It was in how they saw their students. The shift toward sensory-aware, multimodal teaching has transformed not only the learning environment, but the relationships, trust, and shared ownership that define Wayfinder’s classrooms.

Leo's Story: A Voice Beyond Words

Epilogue: Leading the Lab ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The unit culminates in a science demonstration. Each group presents their findings. When it’s Leo’s team’s turn, he walks to the front with his group. Using a combination of symbol cards, gestures, and AAC buttons, Leo leads the class through their process. His classmates are silent, attentive, and proud. When he presses the “done” button at the end, the room erupts in applause. His teachers tear up. In that moment, they see not just a student who communicated. They see a classroom transformed by design, trust, and the belief that every student has a voice worth hearing.

Jin's Story: A Newcomer Learns with His Hands

Epilogue: Multilingual Pride ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

For his final math project, Jin creates a 3D model of a dream city park, narrating his design choices in a short video in Korean, with English subtitles. When the class presents their projects in a gallery walk, Jin’s is a standout. Peers compliment the visual clarity and creative use of space. Ms. Cameron watches as Jin explains part of his work to a visitor using both gestures and vocabulary cards. She reflects on how designing for multimodal access didn’t just support Jin. It allowed him to shine.

Dana's Story: Coaching for Clarity and Impact

Epilogue: A Toolkit for All ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Dana compiles the examples, resources, and teacher innovations she’s gathered into a shared digital toolkit for the division. It includes templates, before-and-after classroom photos, and reflection questions for teams. As she reviews the materials, Dana reflects on how her own coaching has evolved. From offering strategies to co-designing systems. She sees the lasting impact not just in the visuals on the walls, but in the increased confidence of teachers and the flourishing independence of students. Clarity, she’s learned, isn’t just about the visual. It’s about intention, alignment, and community learning.

▶ Learning Interlude 6: Writing Your Own Story

Learning Interlude 6: Writing Your Own Story

Occurs After Epilogue
Module Name: Taking It Forward

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can name one multimodal strategy I will integrate into my regular practice.
I can explain how multimodal teaching supports equity, access, and engagement for all learners.

🎬 Learning Link 1: What Will You Keep Doing?

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Practice Reflection Journal (📄PDF): Write about one multimodal strategy that felt impactful and why you’ll continue using it.
Keep, Tweak, Try Chart (📄PDF): Identify one strategy to keep, one to adapt, and one to explore next.
My Practice Snapshot (📄PDF): Capture a visual or written snapshot of a moment when multimodal teaching worked in your setting.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Strategy Roundtable (📄PDF): Share one practice you will keep and hear from others to expand your toolkit.
“Why It Works” Gallery Walk (📄PDF): Display your Practice Snapshot and explain its impact.
Next Step Pitch (📄PDF): Briefly present your next step plan and receive encouragement or feedback from peers.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Small Shifts, Big Impact

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Practice Shift Tracker (📄PDF): Record a specific change you’ve made or plan to make to increase modal diversity.
Lesson Planning Reflection (📄PDF): Annotate an upcoming lesson plan with added sensory and visual supports.
Barrier Reframing Sheet (📄PDF): Identify a barrier you’ve faced and reframe it as a design opportunity.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Try One Thing Wall (📄PDF): Each participant posts one small shift they plan to try and why.
Lesson Lift Protocol (📄PDF): Collaboratively brainstorm how to add multimodal supports to a shared lesson example.
Design Swap (📄PDF): Exchange adapted tools and strategies that support diverse learners.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Belonging Through Multimodal Practice

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Multimodal Equity Reflection (📄PDF): Write a reflection on how multimodal teaching helps ensure equity and access.
Inclusive Impact Statement (📄PDF): Create a 3–4 sentence statement linking your design decisions to belonging.
Next Steps Commitment Poster (📄PDF): Create a personal poster representing your future intentions for inclusive, multimodal practice.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Belonging Walk (📄PDF): Post and circulate commitment posters, reflecting on common themes and goals.
Shared Commitments Charter (📄PDF): Collaboratively write a team or school-wide statement for inclusive practice.
Future Vision Circle (📄PDF): Speak aloud your hopes for how multimodal design can transform learning.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Practice Shift Tracker (📄PDF): Identify, plan, and reflect on specific multimodal strategies.
Multimodal Planning Snapshot (📄PDF): Visual planning tool for embedding multiple modes in a single lesson.
Next Steps Commitment Poster (📄PDF): Creative template to capture and share your ongoing commitments.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes research on multimodal learning, universal design for learning (UDL), equity in classroom design, and the relationship between engagement, access, and belonging.

▶ Reflection and Recognition