Chap+4+-+Brad

Chapter 4 - What is Universal Design for learning?

Origins of UDL is in architecture...designing for all

UDL's key concept is that curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible for as many students as possible, not just students with disabilities.

UDL helps to remove barriers from our teaching to allow access to curriculum

The 3 Principles
 * UDL looks not to the student but to the curricula itself to solve the problem.**
 * 1) Recognize essential cues and patterns
 * 2) master skillful strategies for action
 * 3) engage with learning

Teachers should be be careful..increasing access to information can actually undermine learning because it reduces the challenge that is essential for real learning to take place.

UDL should not be unfamilar to you....these are teaching practices that good teachers already use WHEN THEY CAN...except UDL has an emphasis on using digital media sources. It helps to empower us to teach every student, not just most or some.

Example: Using a chart to represent facts Barriers: Blindness, color recognition, spatial problems, key/symbol recognition Instead: give verbal description, a tactile graph, a highlighted version for students with special needs

Example: previous Blind/deaf student