Universal Design for Learning Training @ GWU

Pages 56-61 in The Universally Designed Classroom discuss the goals, materials, methods, and assessment present in a universally designed curriculum.

In the next 25 minutes, please respond to one of the following two prompts in your blog today:

(1) Think back on your experiences as a student, at any level. Discuss the goals, materials, methods, and assessment of an experience. Do you feel it was a “universally designed curriculum”?

(2) To determine whether a curriculum is universally designed, we must examine the goals, materials, methods, and assessment of an experience. Select a type of education practitioner (classroom teacher, transition coordinator, vocational evaluator, other). What specific questions should these practitioners ask themselves to determine whether their curriculum is universally designed? What “look-fors” would you suggest?

Click on http://dotsub.com/films/wikisinplainenglish/index.php?autostart=true&language_setting=en_712.

Yaaay!

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1302/video/watchonline.htm

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1302/resources/transcript.htm#kids

Page 70 of the Teaching Every Student text notes that “the ‘universal’ in universal design (for learning) does not imply one optimal solution for everyone. Rather it reflects an awareness of the unique nature of each learner and the need to accommodate differences, creating learning experiences that suit the learner and maximize his or her ability to progress.”

In the next 25 minutes, please answer one or more of the following in your blog today (You can copy and paste the quote above if you would like to):

What do you think about this? What did you read last night that clarified this for you? What experiences as a learner have you had that illustrate this quote? What experiences as a professional have you had that illustrate this quote? What are some concerns that you have about implementing this? What questions do you have?

You can read the “Teaching Every Student” required text online for free! Even if you choose to purchase the text, Fran and Susanne would like you to experience reading this accessible online text. You can access it at http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/.

(text from Voki video above)

Hello everyone! This is Susanne welcoming you and getting you started on the first assignment for the course: setting up your personal reflection blog. Now, if you already have a blog, this will be a piece of cake. If you’ve never set up or used a blog, that’s fine; Fran and I have this link to step-by-step instructions for you to follow (click here).

We’re going to use this blog before class begins as well as at the beginning and end of each day that we meet face-to-face.

It will be available to you after our week together, too! Fran and I hope that you will continue to post your thoughts and ideas for a good long while afterwards! I’m off to enjoy the nice day-catch you later.

Monday, June 23 will be the first day of the Universal design for Learning – Implications for Career Assessment and Transition course at GWU.