Hello and welcome to Teachings in Education. In this video, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about universal design for learning. Let's begin with the question of why should educators use a universal design for learning?
The purpose of UDL is to provide all students, regardless of their background, with an equal opportunity to learn and succeed in the classroom. A UDL approach must serve the needs of each classroom's diverse group of learners, regardless of the student's cultural background, race, socioeconomic status, gender, language ability, reading, writing, or math proficiency, and even the student's motivation. This approach will empower both students and educators. Now, let's look at some specific benefits of UDL. First off, students are individuals, and some have specific barriers to learning.
UDL curriculum designs aim to help students get around those barriers. Still, the approach incorporates assessments, lessons, and objectives that are both challenging and at the same time achievable for each student. This in turn will increase student engagement. Educators are empowered and able to enhance their curriculum for the benefit of their students.
Enhanced curriculum includes new technology, exciting lessons, and added materials. Other than removing barriers, UDL should also build on student strength. Too often educators spend all of their time focusing on deficiencies as opposed to accentuating student positives.
On to the next section which is the three guiding principles of UDL. The first principle is offering multiple ways to represent content. Besides just using a textbook, offer audio content, video to view, news articles, and more options.
The second principle is to allow students to express their mastery of content. A teacher may allow some students to take a paper test and other students can do an oral presentation. The third principle is providing various ways to motivate and engage students to learn.
Consider game-based learning, gamification, Culture Studies, the language experience approach. Next, let's take a practical look at how to incorporate UDL in the classroom. Choice assignments are one staple of a UDL classroom.
Not only do students feel a sense of autonomy, they feel more obligated to complete the assignment because they chose it. Next, teachers need a variety of materials on hand. For this reason, it's important to get department chairs and school principals on board to help secure supplies.
Flexible assessment is another key component of UDL implementation. This goes back to building on students'strengths and designing assessments based off of those strengths. Teachers should look to vary presentation of content. For example, not everyone has the attention for a lecture. There are many types of engaging videos on the internet as an alternative format.
Also important is having supports in place for students. Identify students and their specific needs. Scaffold assignments and lessons. Teachers can be supported in many ways. Right now I'm going to take a quick break and ask that you hit that subscribe button.
Also I ask that you hit the thumbs up button and give this video a like as well. Now let's get back to it. Collaboration. The inclusion classroom is the most common place you would find implementation of Universal Design for Learning and that's because the collaboration can take place between the special education teacher and general education teacher. Collaboration of educators, teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals should all be centered around shared goals and visions.
Still, communication is what really drives collaboration. UDL requires open lines of communication between educators in a very professional way. The best thing to do is to create set times and places to meet and collaborate.
It's easier to fall off with these set times and meetings. At these meetings, educators should work together on planning for UDL. implementing those plans, and eventually assessing the overall effects of the UDL approach.
The next topic is lesson planning for the UDL. One way to get started is to create a class profile. Get an understanding of each student's strengths and weaknesses, their likes and dislikes, etc. and so forth.
You don't want to plan a lesson without having a viable curriculum. Educators may have to audit the current curriculum and find out ways to improve the quality of that curriculum. Special education and general education teachers should work together to develop smart goals for their students. Smart meaning specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Examining any UDL approach-centered lesson should have a lot of variety and different components.
Lesson plans should not look the same day-to-day. After planning these wonderful UDL lessons, teachers need to take a look back and reflect on what worked and what did not work. And now the last section of this presentation.
Actual classroom examples of UDL at work. A UDL approach comes with a flexible learning environment where the teacher is always accessible, students may be working alone or in groups, and they may be at the teacher's desk or designated areas or working independently. Lessons are multi-sensory in nature, meaning that they can incorporate music or visual graphics, video, or any other thing that you might like. Projects are an easy way to get new activities out for the students.
and teachers can get really creative because there are so many projects out there. With these projects, there is always options to create groups. Teachers can go back to their classes, look at their student profiles, and figure out ways to design these groups.
Because UDL has to meet the needs of so many, it should not rely heavily on teacher-driven lecture, but rather a student-centered approach to learning. Anyway, right now, I just want to say thank you for your time. Don't forget to check out the description link below for resources.
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