Univeral Design for Learning (UDL)

 Our blog assignment this week was to summarize an article about Universal Design for Learning. While I had heard that term on occasion, I had no real grasp of what the concept really was. For that reason, I chose to review an article that gave me a better understanding of what it is and how I should be implementing it in my classroom.  According to authors Lynn Kennette and Nathan Wilson, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is, "...an approach to curriculum development aimed at removing barriers in education to make it accessible to the largest number of learners" (CAST, 2011).  Ensuring access for all is a major, maybe the major, goal of UDL. It's not a tool or a kit one buys to magically make learning happen. Rather, it is a framework of thoughtfully designed strategies to help remove barriers to learning.  It is built on clear goals and flexible options for all learners.  

  Clear goals and flexible options/choice are among the things I make every effort to use to facilitate learning in my classroom. I didn't realize, however, that I was using UDL; I thought it was just good teaching.  The article points out that, "...properly applied UDL principles help meet the needs of students with exceptionalities and students of culturally diverse backgrounds while also benefiting all learners" (Kennette and Wilson, 2019).  The authors suggest several specific tips for implementing the UDL framework and I've tried to consider them thoughtfully as I design my lesson. The first principle of UDL is multiple means of representation.  With regards to my lesson, I have included several different representations of beat boxing: video samples, written samples, audio samples, and teacher modeling.  The hope is that at least one of those methods will "speak" to each of my students.  The article goes on to assert, "There is also evidence that supports the benefits of UDL's second principle: multiple means of action and expression" (Kennette and Wilson, 2019). Given that my lesson assessment is designed to be video-based, I need to rethink how I plan that assessment piece. I realize now that I need to add a student reflection section and an alternative for demonstrating the acquired knowledge (for choice).  With respect to the third principle, multiple means of engagement, my lesson utilizes an engaging website, exciting tools (Chromebooks and iPads), collaboration with peers, and YouTube video samples. I believe integrating these tools will aid in student engagement and result in a positive learning outcome for each of them.

     After visiting the CAST website, I have identified a few strategies I believe would enhance my lesson and remove any possible barriers to learning that might exist. Among those strategies are designing activities that produce authentic learning outcomes, communicating to real audiences, and reflecting a purpose that is clear to the participants.  Although the lesson plan was clear in my mind, I am not certain that I have planned to communicate the purpose of the lesson adequately to the students.  In order to achieve maximum engagement, I believe students must understand why the content is relevant and necessary. While I tried to make sure the content was appropriate for different racial, cultural, ethnic, and gender groups, I don't believe I focused on the culturally relevant aspect of the lesson.  I teach in a mid-sized district in south central Oklahoma. Will the majority of my students find beat boxing appealing? My purpose when I conceived this lesson was to expose students to a variety of musical genres they would most likely not listen to on their own. Now I find myself second guessing my own choices. Should I have allowed the students to choose their own genre? Could I have created the lesson in such a way that students would have had more control over their learning?  I included opportunities for collaboration through cooperative groupings with clear goals, roles and responsibilities but have I prepared them for successful collaboration with their peers?  I mentioned in my lesson plan that I would be utilizing a rubric for grading students' contributions to the project. I also need to remember to clearly establish the expectations and norms for working within those groups.  The CAST website and UDL have definitely given me a lot to think about and reconsider as I make the final revisions to this lesson plan. 

References:

CAST, Center for Applied Special Technology (2011) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines  version 2.0, Wakefield, MA.  Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines

Kennette, L. N. and Wilson, N. A. (2019).Universal Design for Learning (UDL): What is it and how do I implement it?  Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal. (12)1                                                                       

     

 Our assignment this week was to create an infographic to summarize our assigned readings.  I must say, this was probably one of my most favorite assignments to date. It allowed me an opportunity for creative demonstration of the learning that took place. I felt like I had control over how I would demonstrate said learning, and I was completely engaged in the activity.  In short, I found this assignment highly motivating. 😁 (See what I did there?) Motivation is, according to the assigned reading, "...critical to learning and achieving..." (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. p. 109).  The article identifies mindset as one of the most important factors pertaining to motivation, as well as.  As an elementary school teacher, I couldn't agree more. We refer to it as building a "growth mindset" and truly believes it makes a difference in one's motivation and willingness to try hard things.  The article also points out that students will work hard and be more invested if they truly understand the value in what they're being asked to do.  Another factor that determines one's motivation is interest.  One must be interested in the subject matter in order to be highly motivated. Choice and reward systems (both intrinsic and extrinsic) round out the factors affecting motivation according to the article.  While there was much scholarly research included in the article, it basically reiterated what good teachers have known for a long time:  Allowing students to have a voice (choice) in their assignments will increase their interest level thereby increasing their engagement and motivation to learn. For a closer look at my take-away points from chapter six, take a look at my infographic (below).  Thanks for stopping by today!

 

*These images are screen captures. The actual poster that I was able to download was too small to be read.

 

 

Week 2 Blog Assignement

 WEEK 2 BLOG ASSIGNMENT:

 Authentic Intellectual Work

     Authentic Intellectual Work, according to this week's reading, is, "...original application of knowledge and skills rather than rote facts and procedures" (Newman, 2007, p. 3). In the article, the author makes a point to describe the differences between the traditional approaches to instruction and assessment and that of authentic intellectual work. For authentic intellectual work to occur, one must construct knowledge to produce a fitting solution to a problem, participate in disciplined inquiry, and demonstrate that the accomplishment has relevance (value) outside of the school setting.  This differs greatly from the traditional approach to instruction in which a teacher generally facilitates learning through rote memorization and "regurgitation" of facts.  There is little to no higher order/critical thinking or problem solving skills involved. 

     Authentic Intellectual Work-setting high expectations and engaging in higher order/critical thinking- has proven benefits.  Consider, if you will, the Chicago 46-School Study (K-8).  This study looked at students' gains in basic skills on the Iowa Test of Basis Skills (ITBS) between 1996 and 1999.  The study concluded that students receiving high-quality (Authentic Intellectual work) assignments, "...gained about 20% more in basic skills thatn the Chicago average gain and almost 40% more than students receiving the lowest quality assignments" (Newman, 2007, p. 23). But the benefits don't stop there. The authors assert that students who take part in authentic intellectual work are actually more motivated to stick with difficult challenges and are more engaged in their schoolwork. How can one include authentic intellectual work to reach students in the early grades? Easy peasy!  In an elementary math class, students may be asked to evaluate word problems, identify clue words in each problem, then write word problems of their own to illustrate mathematical concepts. Doing so involves each participant in critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as demonstrating an actual application of  required skills. 

NETP

     Examples of opportunities for students to engage in authentic intellectual work can be found throughout this article. The one I most relate to is that of using project based learning, specifically the "Engaged Creation: (MOOC)" example. In this example, the Exploratorium in San Francisco co-created a six week course meant to inspire STEM "tinkering". The course utilized a variety of hands-on activities, videos, web chat discussions, and other technology-centered approaches to engage learners in high quality STEM activities. The experience provided authentic, real-world problems that fostered higher level thinking and problem solving skills.  Teachers were given support via step-by-step instructions for the activities, interviews with other teaching professionals who shared tips, and discussion forums.  Ties to technology integration and ISTE standards could be found in the creators' use of Coursera, various live streaming tools, the use of video technology, social media platforms, and videoconferencing (among other things) to facilitate student engagement and learning. I'm sure I feel drawn to this particular example because of its project based learning (PBL) approach. I personally believe education and learning should be an active, student-driven experience and that's exactly what PBL is, simply put. This project allowed students to explore concepts rooted in real-world issues and fostered creative thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, etc., all of which are necessary parts of Authentic Intellectual work. In this project, students were able to connect with real-life experts and artists and engage in discussions regarding their work as they built a variety of contraptions in the classroom.  Additionally, there were opportunities for reflection peppered throughout the experience. These things, along with the others I've outlined, are what makes this a perfect marriage of authentic intellectual work and technology.

Triple E Framework

    The Triple E framework and the AIW framework both focus on the importance of extending the learning outside of the school setting. AIW refers to it as the "Value Beyond School".  Both frameworks value real-world problems as meaningful opportunities for students to learn outside of their school day. Further, they both aim for students to develop skills that are applicable in their everyday lives. The example I highlighted above was rooted in real-world problem solving, allowed students to extend their learning outside of their school day, and helped them build practical skills they could use in their daily lives.That, in a nutshell, exemplifies the extend "E".  The way the technology was used to facilitate collaboration between teachers, professionals, and students allowed for the students to create scaffolds and develop a deeper understanding of the concepts being explored. As for the engagement "E", students were definitely active learners in the process.  Simply stated, the use of the technology in the example explored above added value to the lesson (enhancement), aided in the engagement and time on task for students (engagement), and encouraged students to extend their learning outside of their regular school day (extension).

Kolb, L. (2020). Learning first, technology second in practice. Portland, OR: ISTE. 

Newmann, F.M., King, M.B., & Carmichael, D.L. (2007). Authentic instruction and assessment: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects.

Office of Educational Technology. (2017). Reimagining the role of technology in education:  2017 National Education Technology Plan update.  Retrieved from http://tech.ed.gov.