Universal Design for Learning

 UDLs are intended to abolish barriers that make learning difficult and ensure that curriculum can be understood and applied by all. The guidelines help teachers develop lessons that support learning. 

1.  Which guideline am I already using? 

I believe I am already using action and expression by allowing students multiple ways to express their learning. Frequently I create choice boards with varied levels and different types of activities that allow students to show mastery of content.  One space on the board always says "your choice" with teacher approval so they are left with more options than I have created.

2.  Which could I easily add to my curriculum?

 I feel I could easily add representation by creating station activities that appeal to various interests and learning styles.  Each station could present the  Content in a different manner depending on the students chosen form of information whether it be visual, auditory or kinesthetic.

3.  Which of the guidelines do I feel I need more information or help with?

 I feel like I could use help with offering engagement activities to interest the students and I am unclear how this is different between action and expression so I wouldn't need help in distinguishing that.


 I'm always concerned with equity as I feel like  I could do a better job of it in my classroom.  Based on the guidelines, it may sound difficult to implement as many teachers may see it and think they have to create a complex lesson plan on many different levels with different representation, engagement and expression activities for every student. But it really just means personalizing learning experience for every child and technology may already help with that. Equity just means ensuring that all students have equal access to the information regardless of ability or disability. " Many technologies began as ways to assist disabled students, but have become useful for everyone."  Touch screen and speech to text begin as technology tools to assist disabled students but now they are used by people everywhere regardless of ability (Snelling). Tools such as these can help develop equity in the classroom and also support ULD. Students can use various technological tools to express their learning and teachers can use technology to represent content in different ways and give students more choice.


Citation:

Snelling,  J. (2021, October 23). Focusing on UDL when using classroom technology.  ISTE. https://www.iste.org/explore/classroom/focus-udl-when-using-classroom-technology


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