Thinking Like a Universal Designer, Lee Ann Jung

• Slides are here.
• Lee Ann’s website here.
• UDL guidelines here.

Goals:

• co-plan a lesson with UDL
• distinguish between accommodationsa nd modifications
• describe the importance of UDL to DEIB

Universal Design for Learning helps build efficacy for teachers- they start to learn “yes I can do that.”

Students who have a plan don’t have special NEEDS; they have special RIGHTS. Just because you don’t have the label doesn’t mean you don’t have the needs. Becauase students with and without labels can have the exact same needs, we need solutions that work for both.

The more UDL, the less specialized interventions we need. At times, all it takes is removing barriers.

UDL includes:

• Engagement
• Representation
• Action and Expression

Universal Design presumes the jagged profile.

Accommodations are support for one thing when we are measuring something else (the glasses in the driving exam again)

Modifications are support for one thing when we are measuring the same thing (the glasses in an eye exam).

• Extended time is an accommodation every time unless we are measuring speed (which we shouldn’t be doing).
• Verbal answers are an accommodation every time unless we are measuring speaking.
• Fewer questions – can be an accommodation if we just made it shorter. If it’s 50 of the exact same kind of math problems, you can take away half and that just makes it shorter, not easier.
• Reading the questions is an accommodation every time unless we are measuring decoding.

UDL functions as accommodations but offered to everyone. They don’t have to use the ramp, but the ramp is there.

It’s easier to get the chocolate in the cookies before you bake them, just like it’s easier to include your UDL before the lesson – think about it in the planning.

Learning styles have been debunked. We all benefit from multiple modes. Everyone can benefit from seeing words and images paired, for example.

Pro tip – pair analogies with images. Having the pair of analogies and images helps you remember and access things better. It’s easy to store an image.

Mneumonics – heavily researched re: learning disabilities but they work really well for everyone.

We can level up when we teach students the strategies.

Memory strategy for when things come up when you are in the shower: make an image in your mind

Clarify vocabulary – be sure to do this! It’s part of UDL.