The Universal Design for Learning Guidelines and the way they are presented has helped to give me a clearer and more specific understanding of how to reach all learners as I plan my lessons. The way that the information has been broken down and specified will give me a guideline to follow as I create lesson plans using multiple ways of teaching, learning and assessing. For me...the awareness of these Learning Guidelines will improve my instruction. I appreciate the organization of the 3 parts...Representation, Action and Expression, and Engagement. As I looked through the checklist I was able to identify what I am doing well, what I need to do more intentionally and what I need to become educated on.
Even though it may seem obvious to have teachers to begin with the end in mind, I believe often teachers get wrapped up in the planning of a great lesson and the lesson itself instead of the main learning goal or objective. It seems that we as teachers believe that if we have covered the material in a fabulous way that the students must have grasped it. Sometimes I think we try too hard to be creative instead of being real focusing on the goal and how students learn....being afraid to only be the facilitator.
It intrigues me that if we can focus and learn more about how students learn that we could be more effective than we think. The idea of the teacher becoming the facilitator and providing the tools for the students to take responsibility for their own learning is empowering!
Through out the guidelines it continues to express options....This seems like the most effective way of reaching all learners.
D - I think you hit on a very key part of the UDL process - that being the awareness of it to begin with. I agree with you that when I do curriculum development with others, we don't often start with learning outcomes for ALL learners, instead the focus is on the content first.
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