Universal Design for Learning Training @ GWU

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Welcome to this blog space, dedicated to the George Washington University graduate class, Sped 220: Universal design for learning: Implications for career assessment and transition. This graduate course debuted during the summer of 2003 and has continued since. We’ve seen a variety of students cycle through this summer institute through a range of majors — vocational evaluation, transition, curriculum and instruction, rehabilitation, acquired brain injury, and secondary instruction (just to name a few). Each student has arrived with their own interests and desires for how UDL might fit into their educational plans. Many have folded this information into their private practices, consulting work, classroom teaching, and college coursework. We applaud you all for indeed –many of you — have been pioneers in this journey. We invite you to participate in this online blog space by commenting on the conversations. Or, maybe you’d like to add your own blog and link to our class. If so, we encourage you to check out Edublogs. Regardless of your approach, we hope you’ll help us grow this conversation and online community.

Last summer, I asked my esteemed VCU colleague, Dr. Susanne Croasdaile, to join me in teaching this class. What a wise decision that was and has continued to be. Susanne brings a background in curriculum and instruction, research, and systems change. Her curriculum lens and her experience in the classroom offer just what is needed in this class. My background is in vocational evaluation, transition special education, and higher education. Together we complement each other, delve quickly into assistive and instructional technologies, and have a passion for UDL. Our students in 2007, brought a diverse platter of interests and desires for how they wished to explore and promote UDL.

As the summer months come to a close this week,

I wanted to share mythoughts about this year’s UDL institute. We kicked off this summer class in late June — spending a very long five days together — exploring an array of UDL articles, books, resources, and techniques. As with each class over the past six years, this one was no different. Students were eager to learn, enjoyed the time together, and were amazed at how much sense a UDL approach makes. In fact, in emailing with one student about her final project, she shared with me a conversation she was having with her 80 something father and the components of UDL. His reply, “well that’s how everyone should learn”. My late father had the same feeling and, I suspect many a learner would appreciate the flexibility that is borne out of a UDL classroom. This year we shifted our class design a bit by infusing more instructional

technology time on the tools that students might use or include in their final projects. As with other classes, some students found a final paper to be their favorite route to take while others chose to create a movie in Movie Maker or Photo Story. Regardless, the final products were great to see. We even hear that a new video on You Tube may be debuting soon. We’ll let the student blogs be places you can learn more about their work and interests…should they wish to share.

Use between 50 and 200 words to tell everyone how the world will be different in 2013 because of what you have learned about Universal Design for Learning and what you are planning to do with it.

Hello there and welcome to the wonderful world of universal design for learning..what every turtle should know and understand.

“Researchers had wrestled with e-book readers for decades, but most sported power-thirsty, backlit LCD screens that glared in low light or were drowned out by bright sunlight. The breakthrough this time is a screen made with “electronic paper” from E Ink Corporation in Cambridge, Mass. Sony, Amazon and other makers worldwide are using the material.”

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=library-to-go

“Self-medication may be the reason the blogosphere has taken off. Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits.”

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type

Over the past three days, we have discussed how the Universal Design for Learning  framework is made up of three principles that guide the way that we look at teaching and learning. Each principle indicates what a learner needs to support a specific brain network. We have also looked at teaching methods that support these three principles. These are clearly stated on page 151 of the The Universally Designed Classroom as well as on the goldenrod “UDL Checklist” handout.

Your task is to spend the next 25 minutes creating an “alternate representation” explaining ONE of the principles. It should indicate  what a learner needs to support that specific brain network as well as some teaching methods that support that principle. When you are finished, post either a photo of or the actual alternate representation to your blog.

Just a few ideas: interpretive dance, play-doh sculpture, drawing, mosaic, jigsaw, Inspiration concept map, PowerPoint photo collage, PhotoStory, song or speech with transcribed lyrics or explanation, poem, pop-up book, other…

Please read the following  chapters by 9 AM on Friday morning:

Teaching Every Student, Chapter 7

Universally Designed Classroom, Chapter 1