Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is used to individualize instruction for students mainly by given them choices. The UDL focuses on support of differerent learning parts of the brain refered to networks. The three networks are recognition learning, strategic learning, and afftective learning (Rose & Meyer 2002). In a nutshell the what, how and why we learn are the networks and we need teaching strategies and options when teaching and learning to support the different learning styles and ablilities of students.


After planning a lesson in CAST's UDL Lesson Builder, http:lessonbuilder.cast.org/, I can really see the benefit of starting with the end in mind to know what you want the students to learn. Then exploring how the students are going to demonstrate that knowledge and strategies used to continue the learning including homework, reviews and presentations. This is strategy of planning is working backwards in designing lessons for students. The UDL is broken down into so many parts that you really learn what skills, benchmarks, goals, and standards you are addressing and what concepts you want the students to learn.


I did find the process very redundant at times and confusing when trying to type the details into the program. But when I used the word document template provided on the website, the process seemed to move much smoother. We integrated science and technology standards. When I build my next lesson with the UDL program, I will use a lesson already in the curriculum guide and incorporate the technology components which should make the process go much easier.


Overall, I can see the benefit of composing lessons using the UDL model. I wouldn't ask the teachers I work with to do more than one a six weeks though. I am afraid they would boycott. It does require you to evaluate the lesson at the very basics to ensure all students are addressed. You must think of the objectives, skills, lessons, options for students, abilities, cooperative work, individual work, feedback, documentation, assessment and knowledge demonstration. I believe after working through several of these lessons, the process would get easier. But even so, lesson planning would take on a whole new light.

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Website. Chapter 6. Retrieved on November 30, 2009, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Web Conference Dec. 5, 2009

This web conference was vital in clarifying questions that I didn't know I had until others started asking questions which then triggered questions of my own that needed clarification. I send the web conference blog to my team so if they cannot attend they will have an idea of what transpired.



Week 3 assignment:

• Unit goal should be the same - the common thread for the unit.


• Each member should have their own lesson. Make sure that each lesson differentiates instruction.


• Make sure to address each network in the unit. It is allowable that each member have a different network to cover.


• Book reflection could be a URL link to a document or each person on a page on the site as long as coach/professors know who wrote what.


• Look at zoom text, jaws, dragon speak to address the blind student. Some sort of audio will suffice. Do a search on the UDL site for blind or deaf to develop plan to address these needs in the classroom.

Action Plan:

• Could clean up the brainstorming page.


• It shows that the team knows what each is supposed to do.


• Can place the URL to the google site or upload the document.


• Each of the 4 questions need to be addressed.


• Don't have to have the formal assessments yet. Just the ideas. That will be addressed in week 4 in the solution with professional development and assessment of the intervention plan.


• The final will have the example of the rubrics.

Next Conference:

• Thursday 8pm Dec.. 10


• Tuesday Dec. 15


• Look for email/announcements

Solution:

• Final week will address the teacher and professional development


• address how to evaluate the intervention program


• May need prof. development for them to implement or it might be job embedded where the tech demos in the classroom

Week 5:

• Ends Dec 18 at 11:59 pm


• Discussions need to be posted by Tues. of that week.


• there will be a web conference on Tuesday.


• 5 questions to answer. May want to start a document and begin answering the question and finish in week 5.