Universal Design for Learning: Access, Assessment & Engagement for All

1. Universal Design for Learning: Access, Assessment & Engagement for All Jolene Troia Education Consultant Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction 608-266-5583 jolene.troia@dpi.wi.gov

2. Education is in a state of CHANGE!

3. Why do we need to make changes? • Increasing diversity in classrooms • Adoption of Common Core State Standards and Common Core Essential Elements • New Educator Effectiveness system • Emphasis on high quality instruction, collaboration, balanced assessment, and culturally responsive practices • Increased emphasis on data • Traditional methods are not working for ALL students

4. Fewer than 11% of students with intellectual disabilities are fully included in regular education classrooms (Smith & O’Brien, 2007) • Many of these students simply haven’t been given the chance to try

5. “Among the chief obstacles faced by people with intellectual disabilities are the limiting expectations that others have for them.” • Thomas Armstrong, Neurodiversity in The Classroom

6. The way we learn is as unique as our fingerprints

7. Brain Imaging Showing Individual Differences 3 different people learning the same finger tapping task http://old.cast.org/tesmm/example2_3/brain.htm

8. Universal Design for Learning Is what? A scientifically valid frameworkthat Provides multiple means of access, assessment, and engagement and removes barriers in instruction Does what? toachieve academic and behavioral success for all For what?

9. Universal Design for Learning • Reduces barriers • Meets the wide range of needs of alllearners • One size fits all approach is not effective • Inspired from universal design in architecture

10. Closed Captioning

11. Barriers

12. Diving into the UDL Framework UDL

13. Components of the UDL Framework

14. ACCESS ASSESSMENT ENGAGEMENT Adapted from CAST http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html

15. Three UDL Principles

16. Resources to Explore the UDL Framework www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle1 http://udlwheel.mdonlinegrants.org/ http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/

17. Already doing UDL?

18. http://udluniverse.com/

19. A Look at UDL Principles & Practice

20. UDL Starts with Student Strengths

21. Strengths of Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities • You have to KNOW your students and collaborate with the general education teacher to capitalize on these strengths • Individual for each child but there are some general strengths that can be found in various disabilities

22. Strengths of Students with Down Syndrome • excellent imitation skills • good sense of humor • strong visual-motor skills • well developed non-verbal social skills • very friendly from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

23. Strengths of Students with Williams Syndrome • strong musical abilities • good oral expression skills • enjoy being with other people • strong understanding of the emotional state of others and facial cues • good auditory memory from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

24. Strengths of Students with Fragile X Syndrome • excellent memory • great sense of humor • good imitation skills • strong empathy for others from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

25. Strengths of Students with Prader-Willi Syndrome • enjoy reading • good at jigsaw and word search puzzles • long term memory • nurturing from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

26. Strengths of students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • strengths in music, playing instruments, singing and composing • strong abilities in writing, poetry and art • interests in woodworking, computers, mechanics and skilled vocations such as welding or electrical work • helpful and friendly from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

27. Strengths of Students with Autism • well developed visual skills • skilled at perceiving details • excel at memorizing rote material • good with machines or computers • specific interest areas from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

28. 4 Components of UDL Curriculum Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning

29. Goals Traditional UDL Goals are attained in many individualized ways, by many customized means • Goals may get skewed by the inflexible ways and means of achieving them Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning

30. Materials Traditional UDL Variety of materials, media, and formats to reach learners with diverse abilities, styles, and needs equally well • Mostly print (text) and everyone gets the same materials • Few options Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning

31. Methods Traditional UDL Teacher is a facilitator of learning, students are interactive Burden is on the curriculum • Teacher centered (lecture) • Burden on student to adapt to “get it” Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning

32. Assessment Traditional UDL Many possible means as long as they measure learning Uses a variety of formative and summative means and is flexible enough to provide accurate, ongoing information that helps teachers adjust instruction and maximize learning in a meaningful way. • Confuse goals with means • Summative – when it’s too late to adjust instruction Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning

33. ActivityEvaluate an IEP goal through a UDL lens • Determine if the goal allows for multiple means of access, assessment and engagement • If not, how could you change the goal to better reflect the UDL principles?

34. UDL and Other Initiatives Universal Design for Learning

35. Critical Factors to UDL Implementation • State leadership needs to embrace UDL • UDL must be understood as a general education initiative that moves beyond special education from Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Initiatives on the Move

36. Next Steps Work toward systemic change Take small steps (one guideline, one lesson, one unit) Move beyond traditional methods of instruction Continue to explore the UDL framework and UDL resources

37. In summary, please remember… The problem is not the students… “When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look into the reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce…” ~Thich Nhat Hahn

38. Links: • National Center on UDL http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines • Interactive Wheel http://udlwheel.mdonlinegrants.org/ • UDL Toolkit http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com • Dynamic Learning Maps – UDL Training Module http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/unc/modules.html

39. Resources • www.udl4allstudents.org • www.cast.org • www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ • www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/examples

40. Questions