Science Blog #5

The line that really sums up what UDL is (in the article we had to read for last week: Smart from the Start…) the one that says, “…UDL is startingly simple: Think about the needs of the entire range of learners who are or could be in today’s classrooms, and then design curricula, materials, methods, and environments that support and challenge each learner as appropriately and consistently as possible.” Basically, UDL refers to what we have been learning in the SOE all along. We have to take the needs of each individual student into consideration when planning our lessons. UDL seems to refer more to the preplanning of all of our lessons to fit these needs based on what our students potential needs could be. It is absolutely impossible to do this ahead of time. Even if we plan our lessons to fit every mental, physical, emotional, and learning disability that has ever existed, we could still easily exclude the needs of our prospective students. I think that UDL is really only useful when we have an idea of what the needs of our actual students are, and then we work to design the curricula, methods and environments to suit their needs. However, I can do small things ahead of time to ensure that the first few weeks of school meet everyone’s needs before I have gotten to know them. I can set up the classroom in a way that is accessible to everyone (including wheelchair access) in both physical space and in atmosphere. I can make sure to write up directions in large print and to speak slowly and clearly to give students different ways to access the directions. I will take time to get to know the students and to talk with their parents about what they have noticed that has helped their student succeed. I will ask the students what they need. From here, I will incorporate as necessary. There is no need to make extra work for myself trying to accommodate every possible need when I will know what the specific needs of the group of students I do have are. I haven’t really observed anything that specifically would be considered UDL practice in my classroom this semester, but a few years ago I was in a classroom where there was a student who had really poor vision. He needed glasses and large print to be able to see the text. The teacher made copies of everything they would be reading for the day and enlarged the copies so the student could read it. My only confusion with UDL is the difference between this and differentiation? I think it is incredibly important to teach in way that accommodates all students’ needs, but what is so important about UDL specifally?