(upbeat music)
- [Instructor] This teacher needs to meet a curriculum goal
and she's got a very diverse group of students,
and so does this teacher,
and this one.
Most do.
In fact, research shows that the way people learn
is as unique as their fingerprints.
What does this mean for teachers of today?
Classrooms are highly diverse
and curriculum needs to be designed from the start
to meet this diversity.
Universal Design for Learning is an approach to curriculum
that minimizes barriers and maximizes learning
for all students.
Whoa, that's a fancy term,
Universal Design for Learning.
Let's unpack it a bit.
Let's think about the word universal.
By universal, we mean curriculum that can be used
and understood by everyone.
Each learner in the classroom brings her own background,
strengths, needs, and interests.
Curriculum should provide genuine learning opportunities
for each and every student.
Now let's think about the word learning.
Learning is not one thing.
Neuroscience tells us that our brains
have three broad networks.
One for recognition, the what of learning,
one for skills and strategies, the how of learning,
and one for caring and prioritizing, the why of learning.
Students need to gain knowledge, skills,
and enthusiasm for learning,
and a curriculum needs to help them do all three.
But every learner is unique and one size does not fit all.
So, how do we make a curriculum that challenges
and engages diverse learners?
This is where the word design comes in.
A universally designed building is planned to be flexible
and to accommodate all kinds of users,
with and without disabilities.
It turns out, that if you design for those in the margins,
your building works better for everyone.
Curb cuts and ramps are used by people in wheelchairs,
people with strollers, and people on bikes.
Captioning on TV serves people who are deaf,
people learning English, people in gyms,
and spouses who get to sleep at different times.
UDL takes this idea and applies it
to the design of flexible curriculum.
UDL goes beyond access,
because we need to build and support and challenge.
So, how do we use the UDL framework
to make learning goals, methods, materials,
and assessments that work for everyone?
First, ask yourself, what is my goal,
what do I want my students to know, do, and care about?
Then ask, what barriers in the classroom might interfere
with my diverse students reaching these goals?
To eliminate the barriers, use the three UDL principles
to create flexible paths to learning
so that each student can progress.
Number one, provide multiple means of representation.
Present content and information in multiple media
and provide varied supports.
Use graphics and animation, highlight the critical features,
activate background knowledge, and support vocabulary
so that students can acquire the knowledge being taught.
Number two, provide multiple means of action and expression.
Give students plenty of options
for expressing what they know
and provide models, feedback, and supports
for their different levels of proficiency.
Number three, provide multiple means of engagement.
What fires up one student won't fire up another.
Give students choices to fuel their interests and autonomy.
Help them risk mistakes and learn from them.
If they love learning, they'll persist through challenges.
And remember, always keep in mind the learning goal.
Get rid of barriers caused by the curriculum
and keep the challenge where it belongs.
And that's it. Okay, quick recap.
Show the information in different ways,
allow your students to approach learning tasks
and demonstrate what they know in different ways,
and offer options that engage students
and keep their interest.
Universal Design for Learning
equals learning opportunities for all.
For more information on UDL, go to www.cast.org.