Universal Design Learning (UDL) Lesson Planning

 Module Assessment Reflection

                                                         Image credit: The Noun Project.com

After completing the module assessment on UDL lesson planning, I realized that I was confident on questions that pertained to the content, assessment, and resources. However, I know that I need to improve on differentiating between accommodations and modifications and representation in a UDL lesson plan. 

What makes the UDL lesson plan different?

In a traditional lesson plan, a teacher would create a lesson that caters to the entire class, whereas when creating a UDL lesson plan, teachers create a lesson plan with every diverse learner in mind to meet their unique learning needs. When creating a UDL lesson plan, teachers consider flexible options for diverse learners and possible learning barriers and plan accordingly. In a UDL lesson plan, goals matter. So, the teacher should focus firmly on the learning goals of each diverse learner and develop accessible learning objectives based on those goals. For example, the teacher writes the verb of the goals in flexible ways, such as to identify the parts of a plant, as opposed to a traditional lesson that may constrict the goal by saying to write the parts of a plant. Also, the goals in a UDL lesson plan should be smart, include scaffolding activities, and build learner engagement with the student.

Additionally, in a UDL lesson, the teacher should consider multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression to provide a meaningful learning experience for each diverse learner. Also, in a UDL lesson plan, the assessments should be related to the learning goals of each diverse learner. Still, most importantly, the assessments should provide accommodations and modifications based on the unique need of the learner. The teaching methods, materials, and resources should also meet the individual demand of each diverse learner. For example, technological tools and co-teaching can increase the flexibility of the UDL environment, and adjustments can be made to meet the needs of diverse learners. Pyramid planning is also essential for teachers to consider differentiating lessons to tailor lessons to meet each learner's unique learning style. 

How do you determine the lesson assessment?

https://bergman-udl.blogspot.com/2021/06/udl-lesson-planning-with-pop.html

The teacher determines the lesson assessment based on the clearly defined learning goals. The evaluation should match the learning goals ."Assessment should measure both learner products and the learning process and be ongoing, informative to both teachers and students (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014)". Assessments should be formative. They should check for students' understanding through progress monitoring and raw scores. Formative assessment should guide learners' progress and monitor their individual growth. The instruction is then modified based on the teaching and learning of students. Summative assessment measures educational performance after the lesson is completed. To ensure the assessments are practical, the teacher should ensure they are flexible, measure both product and process, and focus on learner progress.

  

Resources for UDL Lesson Planning

Here are some links with information on how to write  a UDL lesson plan:

These links explain the process of creating a UDL lesson plan

 https://www.understood.org/en/articles/lesson-planning-with-universal-design-for-learning-udl

https://www.learningdesigned.org/sites/default/files/Ralabate_2016.pdf

This link helps to create a lesson plan. 

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/

This link provides a template UDL lesson plan

https://www.theudlproject.com/udl-tools---all-grades.html

 Here is a sample UDL lesson

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php?op=static&pid=butterflies_1

A YouTube video shows a UDL Lesson in action in first grade.

I hope you find all the information today helpful on UDL Lesson planning.

Until next time, I am your special ed technology helper

Kamal.