Teaching & Learning

The Monty Learning Framework

At Montague School we use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as the anchoring framework for our teaching and learning.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to learning that addresses and redresses the primary barrier to learning: inflexible, one-size-fits-all curricula that raise unintentional barriers. UDL helps meet the challenges of diversity by recommending the use of flexible instructional materials, techniques, and strategies that empower educators to meet students’ diverse needs. A universally designed curriculum is shaped from the outset to meet the needs of the greatest number of users, making costly, time-consuming, and after-the-fact changes to the curriculum unnecessary.

The UDL framework was developed to switch the focus from “fixing” students so they can be successful in the curriculum to fixing the curriculum so that it’s accessible to more students at the outset. The UDL framework helps students become learners who are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-oriented through three primary principles:

Multiple means of engagement (how students are motivated to learn);
Multiple means of representation (how information is provided with the content); and
Multiple means of action and expression (how students show what they know).

Teaching for Inclusion with UDL

One of the benefits of UDL is that it allows teachers to design and deliver instruction to meet the needs of all learners. UDL is best described as a “framework to improve and optimise teaching and learning for all students based on scientific insights into how we learn. Our teachers use UDL to design instruction that provides special education students with what they need and at the same time benefits all learners. UDL capitalises on the concept that what is good for some is good for all.

Ultimately, the goal of UDL is to support learners to become “expert learners” who are, each in their own way, purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal driven. UDL aims to change the design of the environment rather than changing the learner. When environments are intentionally designed to reduce barriers, all learners can engage in rigorous, meaningful learning.

Individual Education Plan (IEP) with UDL

Example: A student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) requires the use of voice-to-text technologies to complete assignments, but within UDL’s principle of multiple means of representation, the same option can be provided to all students. Or a student might have the option to dictate responses through an IEP accommodation, and the teacher might allow all students to use the same format by creating a video answer, perhaps providing some students with added motivation. In this way, the UDL framework increases opportunities to introduce inclusive practices. Our teachers plan for multiple means before the lesson instead of after, and our students see their peers accessing the curriculum and demonstrating knowledge in a variety of ways.

Differentiation with UDL

Differentiation is planning on a micro level: Teachers design instruction with specific students in mind, and the emphasis is not on student choice. Both are necessary and complementary, but using UDL first will often lessen the time needed to create differentiation. Differentiation is also included in that overlapping continuum, but it is important to know how UDL differs from differentiation. Both focus on changing the learning environment instead of changing the student, but UDL is preplanning on a macro level, without specific students in mind. UDL also leads students to make choices and become experts in their own learning.

The Monty Support Continuum

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Universal Support

Tier 1 is the typical classroom environment. The teaching strategies and instruction used here reflect both methods of differentiated instruction and universal design for learning. Classes are structured and planned to reach every student in the class, regardless of exceptionality, and the curriculum goals are not modified. Throughout this process, the classroom teacher monitors the progress of students and notes students who are struggling and falling behind their peers.

Targeted Intervention

Once the teacher has gathered enough evidence to show that a student or several students are struggling to learn, they are moved to Tier 2. Tier 2 includes more intensive, systematic instruction, often tailored towards a small group of students demonstrating similar difficulties. This could include extra help during school or after school, extra homework, varied readings, or co-teaching support. This Tier does not typically involve removal from the regular classroom environment; rather “the interventions take place in the original classroom, over a set period of time, with different students involved, depending on the skill or concept being addressed. Results of instruction and assessment are closely monitored. Once an individual or group of students has mastered the concept or skill, they can return to instruction at Tier 1 for future concepts and skills.

Intensive Intervention

If students are still struggling with material after a period of group instruction at Tier 2, they are moved to Tier 3. This tier involves increased intensity (more instructional time, smaller group size or individual instruction) and increased explicitness (more focus on teaching specific skills). At this level, resources from outside the classroom are brought in to facilitate the learning. This could include a special education teacher, resource room teacher, or administrator. Instruction is tailored to the specific student and is precise and personalised. Interventions in the third tier could also include instruction in learning strategies provided outside the content area classroom that will enable students to learn independently once they are in content area classes.

The Monty Lesson Model

Modelled Teaching

Guided Teaching

Supported Teaching

Lesson Closure

1. Introduction

Introduce new learning

Provide direct, teacher-led and obvious scaffolding

Demonstrate/exemplify processes or products

Check for understanding and provide more modelled teaching as required.

2. Support and Practise

Students and teachers assume equal responsibility for their learning

Students practise and apply new learning with ‘just enough’ teacher support to be successful

Students practise new learning collaboratively

Monitor student performance and provide feedback

Check for understanding and provide more modelled and guided teaching as required.

3. Practise and Support

Students assume a greater degree of responsibility for their learning

Students require minimal support to be successful

Students demonstrate their new learning

Students transfer and apply the learning to other contexts.

4. Reflect on Learning

Summary of the purpose of the lesson

Review of key ideas/ skills/ lesson tasks and how they supported the learning intention/goal

Students articulate in some way what they have learnt in the lesson

Teacher and students assess what learning has taken place, and how effectively.

A brief history of our school

We love what we learn

Specialised support

The World is our classroom

A different learning experience