Wonderful Resources

My experience of learning about UDL has introduced me to some great resources. In this post I will review some of the resources I have found so far and explore some new ones.

1. CAST This website provides information about UDL. It breaks down the three principles; multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement. 

2. Curriculum Toolkit The UDL toolkit is a wonderful resource which provides applications to help strengthen and develop lessons.

3. PAL Toolkit This toolkit is about planning for all learners. This page explains the basics of UDL and how to use it. It includes procedures, templates, links, and examples.

4. UDL Principles & Practices This link goes to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning YouTube channel. There are so many wonderful videos that explain UDL and how to use it in the classroom to meet all learners and their needs.

5. UDL Fast Facts This website is a wonderful resource for individuals that are new to UDL. This would have been a wonderful site to begin my journey of UDL. Many of the concepts mentioned on the CAST website are also discussed on this site. I liked that this website broke down the curriculum barrier template and gave specific examples for each area.

Each of these posts have helped me to understand UDL a bit more. I am happy that through my journey I have found so many wonderful resources to help me implement UDL for my future students.

UDL Reflection

Throughout my journey of learning about UDL I have had the opportunity to find new resources, complete activities, and read case studies. Each one of these experiences has brought me closer to understanding more about UDL.

Through my exploration I found a video that was posted by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning. This video is the perfect resource for anyone to watch and learn more about UDL. The National Center on Universal Design for Learning also has an array of videos that are geared towards specific grade levels and subjects to help understand the guidelines of UDL for those specific areas.

Using the guidelines of UDL I pre-assessed one of my previous lessons. I found that some of the areas I was stronger in than others. I believe that I am effective in providing multiple means of representation. In my lesson I offered ways of customizing the display of information. I clarified vocabulary and activated background knowledge. I feel that I most need to improve in providing multiple means for engagements. I need to give students more choices, foster collaboration, and facilitate personal coping skills and strategies. Knowing the areas that need improvement can help me to create better lesson plans that will serve all learners in my classroom.

Reference: UDL Principles & Practices

Curriculum Barrier Template

Learning about UDL has been an eye opening experience. It has made me think about the ways that I plan instruction. With that in mind I wanted to practice the use of UDL. As discussed in my previous posts the CAST website is a wonderful resource for UDL. The CAST website has activities to practice implementing UDL. After playing around wit the curriculum barrier template I decided to give it a try with one of my past students.

Isaiah gets along with his classmates. He enjoys science and shows an interest in exploration. He learns by participating in hands on activities. He has difficulty staying on task and following directions.

The curriculum barrier template is something that I will use to think about the characteristics of my students. It will help me to eliminate the barriers I may not to able to see.

References: CAST

Getting to know UDL

In order to carry on my journey of learning about UDL I continued to explore the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). CAST explains the basics of UDL and provides activities to learn more. They describe the goal of education in the 21st century as not only mastering content knowledge but also mastering the learning process. UDL helps us meet these goals by providing a framework for creating curricula that meets the needs of all learners from the start. This framework starts with addressing the representation, expression, and engagement of our lessons.

As discussed in my previous post, there are three main networks of the brain that we require to complete everyday tasks. These brain networks need to be considered when planning along with the strengths, challenges, and interest of our students. In order to understand this process a bit more the CAST website provides an activity to show the importance in knowing strengths and challenges in each network of the brain. The following image is an example of figuring out the strengths and challenges when trying to cook an Indian dish.

Considering the brain networks and characteristics that students can bring to learning can help teachers to understand students' strengths and challenges, which is the ultimate goal of UDL.

Tailoring for individual skills, needs, and interests

In my previous post I began my journey in learning about UDL. I am going to continue to learn about UDL and the components of implementing the principles for curriculum development. The CAST website is a wonderful resource about this topic. CAST helps us to understand how to create instructional goals and assessments that work for everyone. There is no longer a one-size- fits-all solution. A big part of why UDL is so important has to do with the individual skills, needs, and interest that we each have. Our three primary brain networks come into play when considering UDL.

This table on the CAST website provides links to the UDL center. The UDL center offers links to give more information about multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement.

References: CAST & UDL Center

What is UDL?

A professor once said to me that special education was like alphabet soup. The further I get into my education and experiences with special education the more I believe this to be true. There are so many acronyms and terms in special education that they can often be confusing.

One acronym that was recently introduced to me is UDL. This acronym stands for Universal Design for Learning. UDL is about using representation, engagement, and expression to promote learning for all students. In order to promote learning for ALL students we must think about the strategies and tools some students may need to help them succeed. This is where assistive technology or AT can be helpful. AT can be items that are high tech or even low tech. There are many free resources available from the internet to help students in so many different areas. These tools can be used to eliminate frustration and help students realize their full potential!

Reference: TechToolKit

Introduction to this blog

The purpose of this blog is to document my journey in learning about Assistive Technology. I am looking forward to this course and the content we will be learning about. I want to learn about the different types of Assistive Technology and how each one can impact a child with special needs. I expect through this course I will be introduced to Assistive Technology I have never see or heard of before. I also hope that all the information I learn throughout this course will benefit my future students.