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This teacher needs to meet a curriculum goal
and she's got a very diverse group of
students.
And so does this teacher,
and this one. Most do.
In fact, research shows that the way people
learn is as unique as their fingerprints.
What does this mean for teachers of today?
Classrooms are highly diverse and curriculum
needs to be designed from the start to meet
this diversity.
Unversal Design for Learning is an approach
to curriculum that minimizes barriers and
maximizes learning for all students.
Whoa that's a fancy term. "Universal Design
for Learning". Let's unpack it a bit.
Lets think about the word universal. By
universal we mean curriculum that can be
used and understood by everyone.
Each Learner in and a classroom brings their
own background,
strengths,
needs,
and interests.
Curriculum should provide genuine learning
opportunities for each and every student.
Now lets think about the word "learning".
Learning is not one thing. Neuro science tells
us that our brains have three broad networks.
One for recognition, the what of learning;
one for skills and strategies, the how of learning;
and one for caring and prioritizing, the why
of learning. Students need to gain knowledge,
skills, and enthusiasm for learning.
and the curriculum needs to help them do all
three.
But every learner is unique and one size does
not fit all. So how do we make a curricullum
that challenges and engages diverse learners.
This is where the word design comes in. A
universally designed building is planned to be
flexible and to accommodate all kinds of users,
with and without disabilities. It turns out that if
you design for those in the margins, your
building works better for everyone.
Curb cuts and ramps are used by people in
wheel chairs, people with strollers, and people
on bikes.
Captioning on TV service people who are
deaf, people learning English, people in gyms,
and spouses who get to sleep at different
times. UDL takes this idea and applies it
to the design of flexible curriculum.
UDL goes beyond access because we need to
build in support and challenge. So how do we
use the UDL framework to make learning
goals, methods, materials, and assessments
that work for everyone.
First ask yourself what is my goal. What do I
want my students to know, do, and care about.
Then ask what barriers in the classroom
might interfer with my diverse students
reaching these goals. To eliminate the
barriers, use the three UDL principles to
create flexible paths to learning so that each
student can progress.
Number one, provide multiple means of
representation. Present content and
information in multiple media and provide
varied supporrts. Use graphics and animation,
highlight the critical features, activate
background knowledge, and support
vocabulary so that students can acquire the
knowledge being taught.
Number two, provide multiple means of action
and expression. Give students plenty of
options for expressing what they know and
provide models, feedback, and supports for
their different levels of proficiency.
Number three, provide multiple means of
engagment.What fires up one student won't
fire up another. Give students choices to fuel
their interests and autonomy. Help them risk
mistakes and learn from them. If they love
learning they will persis through challenges.
And remember, always keep in mind the
learning goal. Get rid of barriers caused by
the curriculum and keep the challenge where
it belongs. And that's it. OK. Quick recap.
Show the information in different ways; allow
your students to approach the learning tasks
and demonstrate what they know in different
ways; and offer options that engage students
and keep their interests.
Universal Design for Learning equals learning
opportunities for all.
For more information on UDL go to
www.cast.org.
