UDL & DIFFERENTIATION BY Cassandra Burton

Universal Design for Learning -Provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged -Reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students

Differentiation -Students learning styles vary -Includes many teaching approaches -Assessments are different -Used to effectively address students’ diverse education needs

Differentiation and Universal Design for Learning can be used in several ways in lesson plans. Engaging students in different ways to present their work will keep them motivated in the classroom. Advanced technology devices can be used for children with disabilities as well as with student who do not have any disabilities. Ipads are used in classrooms for children with hearing disabilities with the use of an application called TapToTalk. This enables the child to interact with his or her teacher and their fellow classmates. Both UDL and Differentiation are both flexible ways of teaching.

My Math Classroom With the use of a Smart Board and base ten pieces, I will use counters and pictures to represent numbers in terms of tens and ones. I will observe my students and model how to use the place value pieces to represent a chosen number which depicts the tens, and ones place. Students will practice choosing a number and representing the number. After all standards are reviewed, I will check for comprehension.

References Parlin, J., Marion, E., Lawrey, K.A., & Wilson, P. Universal Design for Learning Westwood, P. (2001). Differentiation’ as a strategy for inclusive classroom practice: Some difficulties identified. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 6(1), 5-11.