PLC - Universal Design for Learning
PLC - Universal Design for Learning
Course Question
How does Universal Design for Learning benefit all students?
Study Guide
Complete this study guide Download study guide to help you focus on the most important aspects of the readings.
MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS
One important part of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support model is providing quality instruction to all students at tier one. Students with and without disabilities will receive tier one instruction. How can we teach most effectively and ensure that a high number of learners get the information at tier one? Universal Design for Learning helps to answer this question. Universal Design for learning deals with providing high quality instruction that is accessible to the majority of your students. Many students with disabilities who receive quality instruction using the principles of Universal Design for Learning at tier one will not need tier two and tier three supports. After you complete the readings for this lesson, you will plan a lesson using the principles of Universal Design for Learning.
UDL AT A GLANCE
This video will give you a brief overview of the principles of UDL. It provides a rationale for why UDL helps meet the needs of a variety of students in your classroom. Students with disabilities often need help to overcome the barriers to learning in your course. They are not the only students who may experience these barriers. By designing instruction that addresses the needs of your students with disabilities, you will often plan supports and tools that will actually benefit all the students in your class. In many ways, the students with disabilities help you to become a better teacher to all your students. Watch this video to see how the main principles of UDL work in a classroom.
What to watch for:
- What characteristics create diverse learners in your classroom?
- What is meant by universal curriculum?
- How does universally designed curriculum benefit all learners?
- What question should a teacher ask themselves when designing universal curriculum in their classroom?
- What are the three areas to consider when using Universal Design for Learning?
UDL GUIDELINES
This graphic organizer provides an overall structure of how to approach Universal Design for Learning in your classroom. The three main areas of UDL are listed. Below each main area are three options to consider and listed under each option are three specific methods to use to provide Universally Designed Instruction and Learning Activities. UDL Guidelines Download UDL Guidelines
What to look for:
- How do I provide support in the three main areas of Universal Design for Learning?
- What stands out to me as something I have already been taught to do to enhance learning in my class?
- What are the ultimate goals for learners listed at the bottom of each column?
PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF REPRESENTATION
This reading will go into more detail about the first principle of UDL. This principle addresses how a teacher presents content to their learners. This reading takes the information in the graphic organizer you just read and provides detailed information. Please read the description of Principle I and the information about each guideline. Read at least one checkpoint in each guideline section. Choose the checkpoints that are most applicable to your subject area.
Article: How to Teach with Multiple Means of Representation Links to an external site.
What to look for:
- What is the main idea of Multiple Means of Representation?
- What is the main idea of each guideline?
- What is the main idea of one checkpoint under each guideline?
PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF EXPRESSION
This reading will go into more detail about the second principle of UDL. This principle addresses how a teacher provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. This reading takes the information in the graphic organizer you just read and provides detailed information. Please read the description of Principle II and the information about each guideline. Read at least one checkpoint in each guideline section. Choose the checkpoints that are most applicable to your subject area.
Article: How Students Demonstrate their Learning Links to an external site.
What to look for:
- What is the main idea of Multiple Action and Expression?
- What is the main idea of each guideline?
- What is the main idea of one checkpoint under each guideline?
PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF ENGAGEMENT
This reading will go into more detail about the third principle of UDL. This principle addresses how a teacher helps learners to stay engaged. This reading takes the information in the graphic organizer you just read and provides detailed information. Please read the description of Principle III at the top and the information about each guideline. Read at least one checkpoint in each guideline section. Choose the checkpoints that are most applicable to your subject area.
Article: How Students Engage with New Content Links to an external site.
What to look for:
- What is the main idea of Multiple Means of Engagement?
- What is the main idea of each guideline?
- What is the main idea of one checkpoint under each guideline?
IMPLEMENTING UDL IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL
This video shows how a teacher implements Universal Design for Learning in her science class and the impact it has had on her classroom.
What to look for:
- UDL finds the curriculum to have disabilities rather than the student to have disabilities. What does this mean? Do you agree or disagree?
- What is the lesson that the teacher will be teaching in the video?
- What is the ultimate result of teaching using UDL in her classroom?
ASSIGNMENTS
- Complete the closed book, closed notes quiz.
- Create a UDL lesson plan individually.