UDL and AccessibilityUDL stands Universal Design for Learning. I would define it as having different ways to teach students, have students present the information that they learn in ways that build into their strengths, and have students engage in activities or ways of learning that will help them to learn the best way that they can. According to The National Center on Universal Design for Learning, UDL is defined as "providing flexibility in ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in ways students are engaged and to reduce barriers in instruction" ("How Has UDL Been Defined? | National Center On Universal Design for Learning." How Has UDL Been Defined? | National Center On Universal Design for Learning. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.). Overall, UDL is used to show students strengths and allow students to build on those.
Image Retrieved from:http://evo-training.pbworks.com/w/page/38683810/CAST%3A%20UDL%20Guidelines
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UDLI found this image here on this website. I think that this image really sums up what UDL means and what it stands for. This image is the "guidelines" that teachers follow in order to be alined with the UDL standards. It explains each component that makes up UDL: Representation, Action and Expression, and Engagement. This image provides different levels of each guideline depending on grade level or readiness. It shows examples of teachers can do to meet the requirements, like in "provide multiple means of representation" in the second category, it talks about clarifying vocabulary and symbols. This would be a way to help students to understand the information more. This image is very helpful, I believe, because it can help to guide teachers in the right direction in order to have a UDL classroom ("CAST: UDL Guidelines." EVO Training /. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.).
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Examples of UDL in Teaching
There are a few different aspects that teachers must keep in mind when teaching to follow the UDL guidelines. First, you must think about representation. This means you must have different forms of representation in order to present the information to students in ways that they can understand and receive the information most effectively. For example, if a teacher was teaching about plants, the teacher can have:
- Text explaining the information and terms (visual-reading learners).
- Images to show meaning of the text (visual-image learners).
- Have students interact with the discussion (hands-on learners).
- Having teachers reading and explaining the text (audio-learners).
- Project where students could build a model of a plant.
- Assignment where students have to draw out a plant and label it.
- Students bring in a plant and "show and tell" about it and reflect on what they learned.
- Write a paper about what they have learned.
- Having large group discussion as a class while the teacher is presenting the information.
- Have the students break up into small groups and discuss what they learned during the lesson.
- Break up the class into roles, like speaker, recorder, researcher, and so on.
- Set up a debate in order for students to present their information
This is an image showing a video with captions with instructions on how to turn on the captions. This is for people who have trouble with hearing or if people gather information better when reading. Image Retrieved from: https://www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/image/0006/600666/Captions_Menu_in_YouTube.png
This image is a picture of a reading system known as "Read and Write Gold" that is used to read to you. This is for people who have trouble with hearing or are people who learn better when they have things read to them. Image Retrieved from: https://wiki.gpii.net/images/7/72/ReadWriteGoldPhysicalDisability.png
This is an image of using a translator setting to translate a webpage from one language to another. This is for people who use English as a second language or are in the process of learning English. Image Retrieved from:
http://www.googletranslator.info/How-To-Use-Google-Translate-Website/google.co_.jp_inchrome.jpg |
AccessibilityAccessibility to the internet and webpages has become a big problem in out world today because website makers have not accommodated their websites of those with disabilities, even though this is the law. As a future teacher, I have to think about this for my own class someday and my future webpages that I use. In order to make sure that my websites that I use are accessible to everyone, I will make sure that:
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