Nicole Laster says...
Learning about UDL has really made me a better teacher already. All of the assignments that I have been doing in this class made my lesson plans even better. It has also allowed me to really explore the technology curriculum and get my students up to date with skills that they should have. It is very interesting how modules such as UDL are not being spread throughout school districts like wild fire. Schools do get money and funding is out there, but why isn’t technology a priority? It seems crazy. There are so many other subjects and content areas that can seamlessly be integrated with the UDL module. Since learning about the UDL it seems as though this design would make things easier rather than harder. I don’t look at it as one more thing on my plate, it is an essential part of my and my students’ plate. “UDL provides a research-based framework for teachers to incorporate flexible materials, techniques, and strategies for delivering instruction and for students to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways” (http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/udl/udl_01.html). I think that I have already believed in UDL I just didn’t know that it had a name! When completing the STAR legacy model online it was interesting to hear and reflect about the Sycamore Middle School scenario and be reflective in what I would change there. It seems only logical to use UDL so that ALL students benefit. This reminds me of the SIOP (sheltered instruction observation protocol) which is geared towards ELLs but the strategies and detailed lesson plans accommodate everyone. SIOP and UDL seem to go hand in hand especially if teachers are open and willing to make the switch of mostly teacher directed to more student centered.
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2 comments:
Nicole...UDL and SIOP do seem rather similar. I agree with your statement that it's interesting that UDL hasn't been introduced into many schools. I never heard of it until this class. However, I will say that many of our teachers use many of the strategies that UDL suggests, such as using visuals or audio for students and plenty of time to practice a skill.
Response to Nicole:
I would just like to say that your quote “I don’t look at it as one more thing on my plate, it is an essential part of mine and my students’ plate” is absolutely genius! There are many, many teachers that are set in their comfortable ways and do not like to have new items added to their collective to-do lists. If we can convince them that this is a framework and not another program for them to buy into…or better yet, lead by example, it would only benefit students all the more. I also agree with you in that this is a framework that can benefit ALL students, not simply those with “special needs.” In reality, all students have unique learning needs. UDL allows us to reach students at their level of highest comprehension…and why wouldn’t we want to do that?! Great post!
-Alyson Boone
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