Module 4: What Does UDL Look Like in Practice?

Objectives

• Understand how a UDL classroom is different from a “traditional” classroom setting.
• Learn about the importance of learner voice and choice.
• Explore the value of scaffolds and exemplars to support student learning.

Video & Transcript

• Video Introduction
• Transcript

Introduction

Let’s face it, there is a good chance that we all went to school in a traditional classroom and that we all followed a similar routine and did the same things, at the same time. We used the same text books, sat through the same lectures, and were not provided with accommodations unless we received special education services. We know that this “one size fits all” environment did not work well for lots of learners.

Using the best practices of UDL, teachers can create classrooms that offer flexibility in the methods, materials and assessments they use so all students have the opportunity to meet rigorous grade-level standards. For example, here is how a lesson might look in a traditional classroom:

• All students participate in a lecture, where the teacher talks for 30 minutes straight. Students are then asked to read aloud from Chapter 5 of their textbooks. After reading, child are given a multiple choice test on paper to assess their understanding.

In a UDL classroom, things might look different:

• Students take part in a brief 10 minute lecture. The teacher starts by clearly outlining the objectives of the lesson and giving students an opportunity to discuss the goal. She then provides visual supports to correspond with the content. The class moves on to self-differentiated learning time, where students can choose to read from the text book, watch a short video, or listen to a podcast. Students are then provided with time to discuss the lesson, and are offered discussion prompts and sentence starters to help guide the conversation. To show what they know, students can make a poster, write an essay, or do a brief presentation.

Which classroom do you think accommodates more students? Where will they be more successful? Through UDL, teachers proactively embrace student variability and value expert learning, so students are encouraged to make choices, reflect, and move forward. This change in learning is not only a transformation for students, but also for their teachers, so being supportive of your child’s teacher as they learn to work more flexibility into your child’s classroom is critical to helping them grow and transform classrooms.

The UDL guidelines are specific evidence-based strategies that teachers can use to provide flexible pathways to students to increase their engagement, support their acquisition of knowledge and skills, and assist them with expressing what they know or can do in flexible ways. In this module, we want to dig a bit deeper into the UDL Guidelines and see what they look like in practice.

Discussion Prompts

• What kind of flexibility do you already see in your child’s classroom? Where is there opportunity for more support and choice?
• What works for your student in their current classroom? Where do they struggle? What options and choices might make learning more accessible?

Resources

Please read, watch or listen to at least two of the resources below to better understand how UDL is implemented in your child’s classroom.

Self-Assessment