Educational Blog!

This week's reading pertained to the UDL - Universal Design for Learning. 

       According to the UDL Center, "the goal of education in the 21st century is not simply the mastery of content knowledge or use of new technologies. It is the mastery of the learning process." This is why Universal Design for Learning is about helping teachers meet their goal by providing a navigational curriculum which can be adapted by all different types of learners. UDL guidelines can help teachers recognize barriers within the system, as well as how to reduce these barriers and optimize levels of challenges and support. It is very vital that a curriculum is able to be grasped by all the learners of a classroom and not a particular group. The UDL Guidelines are organized according to the three main principles of UDL that address representation, expression, and engagement. These three principles provide structure for the guidelines.

       The first principle is representation. Even further broken down, it is perception. It is impossible to learn something if the material is unable to be perceived by the learner, and is often challenging when it is presented in ways that required extra effort or assistance. Presenting the information in a way that can be manipulated by the learner to fit the learner's needs is the way to go (ex: sounds, size of text). It is important to have alternative strategies. When showing a picture, image or graph to children, it can be interpreted in many different ways. The purpose of education is not to make information accessible, but rather to teach learners how to transform accessible information into usable knowledge.

       The second principle is providing multiple meanings of expression and action. This can best be  exemplified by how a child with dyslexia may excel in story telling exercises, but may suffer when that same story is in written form. It is important to provide different canvases for expression, not only to level the playing field, but to make ensure that knowledge, concepts, and ideas are appropriately expressed in the learning environment. 

       The final principle is providing multiple means of engagement. This principle encourages teachers to create lessons that are openly inviting for students to interact with one another, as well as independently when needed. Key ideas would be to minimize distractions in the learning environment, vary demands to optimize challenges, and encourage collaboration and group effort at appropriate times.