Commuting No More!
After working for the past 17 years as a teacher in other communities, I feel fortunate to now work at a school library in my own town and in the same school district where my two kids attend school. I am elated to have a seven minute commute rather than a 30 to 40 minute daily commute. It definitely reduces the stress and exhaustion in my life and allows more time to be with my boys after school. Maybe you can relate to my experience!
Universal Design Initiative
In my current position in the school library, I am a part-time employee, so I am not required to attend faculty meetings or teacher institute days. However, I do know that my school district's new initiative is Universal Design for Learning, so I researched UDL to learn more about the initiative. Universal Design for Learning is a teaching methodology that meets the needs of all learners and removes learning barriers. UDL classrooms provide choices for students to demonstrate their learning, students participate in learning in many different ways, and information is presented in a variety of formats.
Equitable Access
While researching UDL, I discovered that many things we as educators are already doing in the classroom are considered a part of Universal Design for Learning. Teachers who use UDL in the classroom implement both collaboration and active learning to engage learners, and they use rubrics, peer review, and self-assessment to evaluate student work. UDL teachers place an emphasis on building strong relationships with their students and creating a community of learners in their classrooms. Additionally, UDL educators clearly define classroom expectations, prioritize meaningful discussions in person and online, and incorporate problem solving and critical thinking into their lessons.
Michigan Technology University
UDL Teacher Resources
To reiterate, Universal Design for Learning pushes teachers to provide students with multimodal ways of demonstrating their learning. Therefore, barriers are removed in the classroom and all learners have equitable access to educational experiences. As a result, I decided to create a Wakelet with resources for teachers to help them implement UDL in their classrooms. I think that providing students with multiple ways of showing us their learning is helpful for all students, especially for students with disabilities. However, one word of caution, teachers need to be mindful when planning projects and assessments, so that they maintain the rigor and do not lower the standards for students.
References
Student and Family Handbook - Amazon Web Services, campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/735181/c9be791c-b8dc-11e6-bf0d-22000bd8490f/2408412/b8c3ae2c-c73e-11ec-8b12-0ed8ab7563d9/file/District%2097%20Student-Family%20Handbook%202022-23.pdf. Accessed 16 June 2023.
“Teaching Resources: Center for Teaching Innovation.” Teaching Resources | Center for Teaching Innovation, teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources. Accessed 16 June 2023.
“Universal Design for Learning (UDL): William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning: Michigan Tech.” Michigan Technological University, 28 Mar. 2022, www.mtu.edu/ctl/instructional-resources/universal-design-for-learning/.
Anne, I find your blog post very insightful. As someone who is not a teacher, the concept of Universal Design for Learning was foreign to me, But I agree with you that many things we already do (collaboration, active learning, etc.) falls under UD. I think your reminder to make sure that quality remains a focus is important. Also, lots of great resources in your Wakelet! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the equity plan. I'm looking forward to checking out the Wakelet, too.
ReplyDeleteMaking a "community of learners" rather than teaching a classroom is more challenging than it seems. You are right to be cautious about lowering standards, but I believe students can find a way to challenge each other. Remember that UDL is the technique/technology, while you and the students bring the critical thinking.
ReplyDelete