Universal
Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students
I must
say that I loved that this article and video covered such a key fact to
learning; that we are all diverse learners that comprehend and approach
learning differently. Taking down the walls/ barriers of an inflexible
curriculum, and reshaping it to meet the needs of all students. “The UDL framework
provides a flexible, responsive curriculum that reduces or eliminates barriers
to learning. Using a UDL approach, SLPs and other educators offer curriculum
options that present information and content in varied ways, differentiate the
manner in which learners can express what they know, and engage students in
meaningful, authentic learning.”(the article by Patti Ralabate) In the video
it covers the concept of 3 brain networks: recognition- the what of learning,
skills/ strategies- the how of learning, and caring/ prioritizing- the why of
learning. These are such value concepts in my book and I loved that the UDL
program covers it. All learning starts with interest of the learner, through
the what of learning students can identify a basic understanding, with the why
of learning it allows students to make connections and to apply what they have learned.
The why of learning helps to connect interest with answers and gives reasons to
how things work, to comprehend things as a whole. I know from experience, that
when you are working with students of vastly different needs/ supports and
different ways of learning, it can be hard to meet all needs and it’s essential
to have access to a flexible curriculum that helps to cut down the initial
barrier.
The UDL program seems to
connect well with ISTE student standards #1 (creativity and innovation), and #4
(critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making). Students can use
their existing knowledge to create new solutions and ideas, and discovering new
information through the UDL program that is unique to them. They can also use
their critical thinking and problem solving skills to identify new problems and
solutions, to complete tasks, and to discover new information and alternative
solutions through differing perspectives.
Article: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/universal-design-learning-meeting-needs-all-students
Being to offer students a various amount of interactions with the material is something that I feel is very conducive to learning. I love when people realize that there is a wide spectrum when considering the diversity of learners out there and I agree that as educators, we need to remember to continue to find ways have making the curriculum more flexible in order to reach a wider audience. The UDL approach does exactly that. It was so hear that it covered all the bases of learning including the what, how, and why. I consider it the holy trilogy of the learning process, touching all three results is engaging and successful learning! Thank you so much for your article!
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