Universal Design for Learning

NCLB, says the… General education curriculum…. – Serves as the foundation for the education for all students in a district or state. It contains the skills and knowledge a graduate of the systems should know and demonstrate. – Specific, measurable and tested. FOR ALL LEARNERS!!!

What curriculum source exists for the exceptional learners in your future classrooms?

Inclusion… Historic we have made the child fit the classroom, through accommodation and modification Resulting in an awkward and inefficient retrofits of curriculum materials and classroom activities, also… Led to isolation, especially if a paraprofessional was assigned to the student

UDL’s beginning In the 1990’s curriculum researchers looked to to the field of architecture and their concept of Universal Design Consideration of how digital media and technology might impact the learning process Rose and Meyer (2006) posed the question, “What if all learners had a genuine opportunity to learn in inclusive environment?” and “What if we recognize that the curriculum might be disabled and not so much the student?”

UDL

Assistive Technology Advances in hardware and software made digital materials more flexible and accessible to all individuals, with minimal or no retrofitting required. New ways to: – Input data – Display information – Interact with technology auditorily, visually, and physically

CAST Center for Applied Special Technology – National Instructional Materials Access Center –

UDL continues From access to instruction – IDEA 2004 mandates an exploration of UDL – Rose, Meyers and Hitchcock, as well as CAST develop three core principles.

3 principles Representation—multiple and flexible means of presenting/representing information Expression—multiple and flexible means for learners to express or demonstrate competencies Engagement-multiple and flexible means for learners to engage effectively in the learning environment

2 more Scott, McGuire and Foley (2001) – Community of Learners—establishing an environment that promotes supportive interaction and communication among and between students and educators – Instructional Climate—designing instruction to be welcoming and inclusive

Universal Teachers might/should create within every learning environment a variety of learning experiences that allow leaners to select those that are the best fit and that maximize their progress.

Students with disabilities, like students with higher abilities, fall along a continuum of learner differences, rather than constituting a separate category.

Teacher adjustments for learning differences should occur for all students, not just for those with learning problems. Flexibility should be built in as choice/options throughout the lesson and be available to all students.

Curriculum materials should be varied and diverse, including digital and online resources whenever appropriate rather than centering on a single textbook.

Instead of remediating individual students so that they can learn from a set curriculum, the curriculum should be made more flexible to accommodate all learners differences. (CEC, 2005)

Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose and Jackson (2002) Goals can be differentiated to provide appropriate levels of challenge for all students, while assuring that core competencies are developed.

Materials used to present content should be varied and flexible, providing choices in how student receive content within an across lesson periods.

Instructional methods should be flexible and diverse, providing challenge, choice, and support to all students as they engage in learning activities.

Assessments should be flexible enough to provide information that helps teachers and students alike accurately monitor learning and make adjustments where needed.

The 3 questions What all students will learn. What most students will learn. What some students will learn.

UDL/DI Content: what s most important for all students to learn, and what may be desirable for some to encounter? Process of learning: Are there varying ways for learners to encounter the content? Products of learning: In what ways can students practice and demonstrate what they have learned? Learning environment: How can the classroom environment best be arranged to support varied academic and affective learning needs.

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