Universal Design for Learning

What is Universal Design for Learning?

"Like each person’s fingerprints, every brain is remarkably unique in its anatomy, chemistry, and physiology."

The technical definition is that it provides a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.  

An easier way to break it down is to ask yourself: How can I make learning more inclusive to everyone?  

As an English teacher, I incorporate the following UDL guidelines into my lessons: 

• Recruiting Interest-I allow students autonomy when choosing books they want to read, research topics they want to write about, articles they want to analyze
• Foster collaboration and community- I use turn and talks, peer tutors, rubrics for group work, literature circles, socratic seminars, positive behavior support-ticket system with student choice of rewards
• Provide options for comprehension-I use graphic organizers, chunking information, gradual release, checklists, electronic reminders, use of analogies
• Expression and communication-I use sentence starters, concept mapping, prezi, google slides
• Executive Functions-I provide a guide for goal setting. We revisit these goals after each assessment to see if they met their goals.

The following would be great to add to my lessons: 

• Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
• Build fluencies with graduated levels of support-provide differentiated feedback that is customized to the learner

The following would be great to implement, but I would need help with:

• Language and Symbols-clarify syntax and structure

Exploring UDL

I would like to explore more in using multiple media use for communication.  Students should be given the opportunity to express themselves in a variety of ways.  

Why is this important?

It allows the teacher to differentiate their lesson plans and students' work. Howard Gardner created the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  He said, "Students possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, and understand in different ways."  

I would like to incorporate media use for students to demonstrate their understanding.  They will be given different choices to choose from.  In order for students to demonstrate their understanding of a novel, I would have them create a comic, video, or glogster.  Building in these options addresses multiple intelligences that Gardner deemed so important. "An assignment or activity where students can create a comic or graphic novel can explore all Gardner's Multiple Intelligences" (Haines, n.d.). Allowing students to choose not only their own novels, but how they want to produce their own work will generate interest which is another UDL concept.  

Education has come a long way.  Using many of the Universal Design for learning will help ensure that you are meeting the needs of diverse learners.  To start off, try implementing one in each lesson.  As you become more comfortable, many of these can be used simultaneously. The great thing?  Chances are you are already using some of these! 

References

Haines, J. (n.d.) Why teach with comics? Reading with pictures.

         Retrieved July 26, 2022 from                                                                                      https://www.readingwithpictures.org/2012/04/why-teach-with-comics/

Herndon, E. (2018). What are multiple intelligences and how do they affect learning?

         Cornerstone University. Retrieved July 26, 2022 from 

         https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/what-are-multiple-intelligences-and-how-               do-they-affect-learning/

Home. UDL. (2019, February 19). Retrieved July 26, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression/expression-communication/use-multimedia