UDL Implentation
The article I decided to dive into was, Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Standards-Based Lessons by Rao, K and Meo, G. As teachers, we have to be able to design a lesson that unpacks the lesson standards but also incorporating different methods of teaching so that all learners have been reached. Rao and Meo put it this way, "The UDL framework presents a structure for designing instructional environments and activities that take into account the varied ways in which these learning networks function for each individual" (2016). This is a great explanation of what UDL does for students and helps teachers think about what to incorporate when they are unpacking their lessons.
There are two process that UDL uses to help teachers incorporate the certain skills they need. Before teachers can implement anything into their lesson they have to unpack the standards. UDL helps teachers do this by tell them to unpack the standard by skill and concept (Rao, K. & Meo, G. 2016). This allows teachers to see what to specifically teach and help the students learn to reach that standard. "UDL can be applied to the four lesson components—goals, assessments, methods, and materials—in relation to the skills and concepts denoted in an academic standard" (Rao, K. & Meo, G. 2016). This article does a great job of showing us teachers how to apply what we have unpacked from the standard. The example they gave helps me understand how I can take this process back into what I am doing. This also showed me that I am doing some of UDL already but I didn't realize it had a name to it.
Part of the example from the article:
The lesson I am working on is with Jamie Castle! We are planning on sharing with students over the standards 7.A.1.1 Identify a relationship between two varying quantities, x and y, as proportional if it can be expressed in the form y/x = k or y=kx and 7.A.2.3 Use proportional reasoning to solve problems involving ratios. Within this unit we have already incorporated some of the UDL without realizing we had! The three categories that we are incorporating are: (5.1) Use multiple media for communication, (5.2) Use Multiple tools for conversation, and (8.2) Optimize challenge and support (Cast, 2024). We are achieving these three categories by letting students explore on PHET which will be new and challenging for my students. This creates challenge and a sense of pushing through to get to the answer. Students will also be allowed to present their findings from foot to height ratio through speaking, slides, or graphing from google sheets. Students will be able to collaborate through each part of these lessons as they explore and build their knowledge on proportional relationships.
"Closing this digital use divide— ensuring all students have transformative, active, creative, critically thoughtful experiences supported by technology—" is what many teachers and districts need to strive for (A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides 2024 National Educational Technology Plan, 2024). This is the main goal of NETP, which closely aligns to UDL practices. For our students to have the same success with technology, teachers first need to be able to learn the tool themselves so that they can implement them into their classes. Until the value of technology is seen across all teachers, our students will continue to have this divide of technology knowledge. UDL is one way for teachers to start thinking about how to implement technology in a way to enhance the learning. The PHET simulation tool supports the NETP's call for students to engage, be creative, and interact meaningfully with technology.
I have a question for you, the reader, what is your first step to help integrate technology into your class to that you enhance your students learning?
Citation:
Rao, K., & Meo, G. (2016). Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Standards-Based Lessons. SAGE Open, 6(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016680688
A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. (2024). https://portal.ct.gov/das/-/media/das/ctedtech/publications/2025/2025-used-oet-archive/netp24.pdf
CAST. (2024). The UDL Guidelines. CAST. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Karlie, I think it is awesome that you have a partner teacher to work on the lesson plan with! In answer to your question, my first step would be looking at where my students are getting stuck and ask myself, "What could make this easier for them?" I am a SPED teacher, and with the group I teach, access is everything. Once I notice a specific barrier, I like to start small and choose one tool that can remove the barrier. I have found that when I introduce just one meaningful tool at a time, my students will actually use it and benefit from it instead of feeling overwhelmed. I want to find tools that help my students feel supported and comfortable in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteKamille, I think that is a wonderful idea! Incorporating one tool at a time is a great way to get students involved and engaged. Thank you for your reply!
DeleteHey Karli! I really loved how you used the graphics in your post to break down the UDL strategies. They made everything so much clearer. Your point about offering multiple ways for students to engage with the lesson felt spot-on. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMultiply ways for students to be engaged is a super important detail which can be overlooked for sure. Especially when we all get so busy with other things!
DeleteKarlie--Your definitions here were really clear and succinct. You convey a lot of complicated ideas into a relatively short and clear blogpost--I know I had trouble working through summarizing the source I chose! I find the UDL framework a really helpful tool for integrating technology in my classroom, but I find that often my first step when considering new tech is to ask why I need it and to try and pit it against what I'm replacing. Sometimes, a simple answer is that a tool can increase accessibility or efficiency, which I highly value and can fit UDL frameworks well, but I also tend to be skeptical of new technologies in class. I find that our general assumptions about the benevolence of technological "progress" can lead us leaping from new offering to new offering, so my first step in integrating new technology is often to ask why we really need it.
ReplyDeleteI love your response! You are completely right when it comes to integrating new technology to our students, because sometimes we do just put new in front of them without asking why. I love that questioning that you talked about.
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