More UDL Ideas to Get you Started

At the beginning of the month I wrote about Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This is a concept that is becoming more and more popular, so I decided to pursue it again this week. David Rose from CAST, said the following in the UDL: Principles and Practices videos (which can be viewed at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGLTJw0GSxk&feature=related) really made an impression:

“When we first began our work we, like most people, were focused on learners who were doing poorly, who looked like they had disabilities. Over time, we began to change our focus because we could see when we were in classrooms that the classrooms were in fact disabling, that they were not designed properly to ensure that every child would succeed.”

The classrooms and way that many topics and subjects are and have been taught forever, are just not working anymore (but did they really ever?). Many teachers have already begun the move to universal design without even knowing it, which is good. However, we need all teachers to purposefully and deliberately start creating curricula that is universal.

So, what can they do? Well, there is a lot that can be done, but here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

-          Use of technology: our children are now born into a technology saturated world – use it! Interactive whiteboards; laptops; videos; Internet resources, games, networking; text-to-speech software, etc.

-          Use of hands-on activities: our children are able to learn a concept easier if they can touch it, feel it, manipulate it – conducting experiments, using manipulatives, acting out a problem/situation, etc.

-          Use of motivational topics: appeal to real-life interests and situations to entice learning more – elementary students: use favorite heroes, TV shows, video games, foods; secondary students: use various activities such as driving, dating, working, hanging out with friends, sports, movies, etc.

-          Use of choice: students are more apt to want to learn if they are given choices in their learning – provide them with a choice to: work in a group or by themselves; present in front of the class or write a paper; draw a picture or make a video, etc.

                                                                                                                                                                           

Growing up I had some awesome teachers that incorporated some of these ideas into their classes and I learned a lot and wanted to learn more. Then, I had the teachers that just lectured the whole time and I counted the minutes until the bell rang. We’ve all had these experiences. Think about your favorite teachers and then think about some of the methods they used.

UDL is about making the curriculum interesting, challenging to all learners whether they have a learning disability, are English-language learners, or are gifted. What ideas do you have to make curriculum accessible to all learners?

ADHD Student Desks?

  What adult can sit still for very long while working? As adults, we fidget, get up and take a quick walk, stretch, cross and uncross our legs, etc. So, why do we expect our children to be able to sit still in class. If you know how hard it is for all students to sit still through an entire class, you know how difficult it can be for students who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  Many teachers are now setting up their classrooms to allow students to move around when needed. I love when my children get a teacher like this because it allows them to get their energy out, while still learning. While at a recent meeting at a local school district, the Director of Student Services talked about these cool new desks, so I just had to look them up. This school bought several to try in a classroom at the high school. The students sign up to use them and they have become very popular.
  So, what exactly are they? Developed by SAFCO, they are called AlphaBetter® desks. Here is why they are so popular with students:
- Students can sit and work (just like any other desk)
- Students can easily raise the desk from 26" to 42" so they can stand and continue working
- Students can use the footrest to swing their legs

  Students no longer have to sit still in their desk all day. Now, they can move, change position, fidget and still be productive. What student wouldn't want this, especially students with ADHD who have to fidget in order to pay attention and focus on a task.

Learning – the Universal Way

You may be familiar with the term universal design (UD). It originated back in 1961 as barrier-free design and eventually became law in 1990 with The Americans with Disabilities Act. UD allows for the design of public buildings, environments and products so that they are accessible to everyone, specifically individuals with disabilities. We use UD everyday and most of the time without realizing it. Curb cuts are needed by people who use wheelchairs, however, mothers with strollers and bicyclists benefit from them as well. Automatic doors, toggle light switches, ramps, closed captioning, lever sink handles are just some examples of universally designed products in our environment.

What about universally designed curriculum? UDL or Universal Design for Learning is the practice of making every lesson in the classroom accessible to all learners. We all know that learning styles differ vastly, but a lot of the time, the lessons presented do not accommodate for each student’s individual learning style.

UDL is made up of three primary principles (taken from http://www.cast.org/index.html):

• “Multiple means of representation, to give diverse learners options for acquiring information and knowledge.”
• “Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners options for demonstrating what they know.”
• “Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation.”

So, what does this all mean? Well, to put it in very basic terms:

1)      Provide the lesson in many different formats: text (digital and/or print), video, audio, hands-on activities, etc.

2)      Provide students with many different ways to show what they have learned: tests, verbal presentations, papers, blogs, video presentations, etc.

3)      Provide different ways to learn and demonstrate what has been learned: rigid and spontaneous learning opportunities, working in a group or working alone, etc.

Each student has their own preference and interests when it comes to learning and these should be used whenever possible.

Here is an example of a universally designed reading assignment – students need to read a particular book and answer specific questions.

-          Students are provided with the book in both print and digital formats.

-          The digital format has the following features: ability to read on own, ability to have it read to them, additional auditory feedback as appropriate (sound effects related to text).

-          Worksheets with questions are presented in both print and digital format. (Again, the digital format will provide text-to-speech capability.)

A great resource for learning more about UDL is CAST: www.cast.org/udl

CAST also has several great learning tools that I highly recommend. Here are just a few:

-          UDL Book Builder (create your own digital text or use books already developed)

-          UDL Lesson Builder (help make your lessons accessible to all learners in your classroom)

-          WiggleWorks (interactive books)