Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning

[Jo Ann Estevez]

I just read Chapter 1 of the e-book, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning by David H. Rose and Anne Meyer. This is a wonderful way to learn about Universal Design. The many links allow for a greater depth of learning and the information provided is clear and up to date. In keeping with systematic implementation of UDL, in the video, Steve Rothenberg, the Technology Coordinator of Concord School District, Concord, NH expresses the high demand for digiitzed text books and how time consuming it is to digitize textbooks. With administrative support, the school now requires digital textbooks from the publishers. We need to then make the worksheets interactive, so the students can type their answers directly onto the page rather than printing out the worksheet and having to write it out and then hand it in.

Pressure for school accountability makes the implementation of UDL vital and yet a challenge. Extended time on projects and extended time on tests and quizes is still time, which then takes away from other assignments. It is as if the student is always trying to catch up.

Due to new brain research, we now recognize that our students have many multifaceted learning capacities, that they can have a disability in one area and extraordinary skill in another area. We see this with students' creations using digital media and the struggles with reading text.

Donna Palley, Special Education Coordinator/Technology Specialist for the Concord, New Hampshire, was responsible for the UDL initiatives in her school district. The vision of UDL is that of breaking away from the traditional model of the teacher as the provider of information to an environment where the student is actively constructing meaning and the teachers participate and support learning.

The educational approaches of UDL support differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and demonstrated learning with the use of media. Time, admiinstrative support, teacher support, parent support and student motivation are all variables that need consideration to successfully implement UDL.

[Deb Franciosi]

Examining ways of expanding public education beyond the traditional model to allow accessibility and innovation is HUGELY important and long overdue. I hesitated as I read that a major justification for this push relies on multiple intelligences and learning styles theories, however, because the brain research is NOT supporting these theories. Education research does not support these theories, either. Gardner theorized localized brain activity corresponding to the intelligences, yet scans demonstrate that the brain activity is spread over large areas of the brain. Gardner himself said there is no evidence to support MI theory (2000). The thing about addressing learning styles in the classroom is that doing so ENGAGES kids, stimulates learning by virtue of its difference from the norm, involves a level of enthusiasm on the part of the teacher... all worth doing in the name of learning. The intricate networking of neurons in the brain is the best argument for more inclusive education -- multiple pathways with built in redundancies are a clear signal (to me) that all students can learn (even if we haven't figured out how yet).

[Joey Serim]

I emphatically agree with you about accessibility and expansion of public ed. philosophies and practices being long, long overdue! If possible, it seems to be even slower to happen in parts of the southwest, where folks have never heard of UDL!
I've noticed that the All Kinds of Minds Institute, founded by Dr. Mel Levine back in the 1980's, seems to be collaborating with CAST on Response to Intervention and other school reform projects. Dr. Levine took a phenomenological approach to learning problems rather than the usual labeling of students, when it's often too late and failure has occurred. This fits with both the UDL and RrI models perfectly, replacing the dual-discrepancy, "wait to fail" practices of special ed., and making it possible for more students to succeed in general education with UDL-based differentiated instruction. However, there is MUCH work to do in the area of professional development!
Levine proposed that teachers are the primary observers of children, particularly in the elementary grades, and are capable of learning the basic neurodevelopmental constructs he identified, so as to better pinpoint student strengths and challenges. I agree - we all need to become flexible, lifelong learners!

Deb Franciosi said:

Examining ways of expanding public education beyond the traditional model to allow accessibility and innovation is HUGELY important and long overdue. I hesitated as I read that a major justification for this push relies on multiple intelligences and learning styles theories, however, because the brain research is NOT supporting these theories. Education research does not support these theories, either. Gardner theorized localized brain activity corresponding to the intelligences, yet scans demonstrate that the brain activity is spread over large areas of the brain. Gardner himself said there is no evidence to support MI theory (2000). The thing about addressing learning styles in the classroom is that doing so ENGAGES kids, stimulates learning by virtue of its difference from the norm, involves a level of enthusiasm on the part of the teacher... all worth doing in the name of learning. The intricate networking of neurons in the brain is the best argument for more inclusive education -- multiple pathways with built in redundancies are a clear signal (to me) that all students can learn (even if we haven't figured out how yet).

[Sandra Jenkins]

"The educational approaches of UDL support differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and demonstrated learning with the use of media. Time, admiinstrative support, teacher support, parent support and student motivation are all variables that need consideration to successfully implement UDL."

My classroom is proof that the educational approaches of UDL can and do work! I have 40 students in the classroom (college freshmen) for 50 minutes twice a week. I take attendence, introduce the lesson/activity and then the students work together for the rest of the class period. Sometimes they are upstairs in the library collection, or working at the computers at their tables in the classroom. They work in pairs or groups of four. Individual work is completed outside of class time. The curriculum calls for introduction to the tools students use to locate, manage, and share information. The first day of class each semester students assume they will be writing a huge research paper on a topic they don't care that much about. This is not the case...they have a vested interest in the topic focus and create the most logical vehicle for sharing what they learn about the topic (poster, video, write a scene for a play, create a children's book, etc.) The creative juices flow all semester and students are very actively engaged in what we are doing and retain what they are learning.

[Michael]

This book is serving as my introduction to Universal Design for Learning. Currently I am taking an Instructional Design class based on a traditional systems design model. I'm looking forward to comparing and contrasting what I am learning about ID with what I will be learning about UDL.

[Julie]

I agree that just giving students extra time is not the answer. Students can easily fall behind and therefore, it proves that it is our responsibility to provide students with differentiated instruction (UDL) so that each child performs his or her best. Schools need to be accountable to implement UDL and show that they can meet the challenge.

[larry malu]

i am now reading chapter two and three and it seems that every students must be thaught how to read ,learn , by using how ,where what ,when, for life long learning ability.the barries to learn ,to infleunce inflexible , the curruculua that are desisghn for broad learning , by using the brain all the time to learn ,master all subjects.the styles of learning preference ,principles are usedto learn every time

[larry malu]

how you approach every issues developed them adopt, fix teach all focus in all disability and overcome all obstacles in learning ,teaching, the students.there are shift in thinking focus in learning , change in the burden of learning are the bases of our teaching students in the digital age

[Pauline Brown]

Hopefully, everyone will get on the same page and realize that our students with special needs can experience success in their learning we just have to guide them through the process. One way to do so is to provide variation throughout the curriculum.