UDL Reflection
My initial impression of the Universal Design for Learning principles is optimistic. I really like that it accounts for individual learner preferences and that it constantly stresses both multiple options and flexible options. The powerpoint examples in last week's class were really interesting and helpful for me in comprehending the new concept of UDL.
When we first mentioned UDL, I (inaccurately) assumed that it was a new concept that only really applied to Powerpoints, which made me a bit apprehensive. Today, however, we discussed that is an incorrect assumption. UDL does not have to involve powerpoints at all. More importantly, it is a mode of instruction which appeals to a wider range of students that a single-mode approach.
I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first about powerpoints in an English classroom, but since class last week, I've really changed my mind about that fact. That's the greatest thing about UDL for me so far: it's adaptable for each teacher. I don't want my class to be dominated by a powerpoint - I want to use it to help aid class discussions and group work and, yes, even some teacher lecture. Digital media can open doors for students that haven't been opened before. Quickly, powerpoint can actually show all of the students at once what Shakespeare's Globe Theater looked like (without having to wait for a book to be passed around). They can hear Alfred, Lord Tennyson read "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which can make the poem come alive. They can listen to the music of the 17th century when they read its poems. All of these elements can easily be incorporated into a PowerPoint - allowing the teacher to use them quickly and intelligently. This use of powerpoint could detract from its usefulness if it is overused to the point that students are on overload or get bored with it.
I believe that it is reasonable to expect teachers to follow UDL principles - even if they don't realize UDL is the correct name for them. UDL principles are embedded in the types of knowledge that we're studying in ed psych: general pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. A teacher must know how to get the information across to her students so that they can take it and run with it - all the students and not just the high-achievers who understand it the first way she presents it.
The moral/ethicial implications of UDL include the possibility of a teacher not being right. Some of these techniques will not work for all students - some might not work for any students; however, it forces a teacher to move off the pedastal of "this is the way I've taught it for 25 years, and it's always worked before." UDL forces all teachers not to get in a stagnant mode of teaching. It is constantly changing to fit the needs of new students.
When we first mentioned UDL, I (inaccurately) assumed that it was a new concept that only really applied to Powerpoints, which made me a bit apprehensive. Today, however, we discussed that is an incorrect assumption. UDL does not have to involve powerpoints at all. More importantly, it is a mode of instruction which appeals to a wider range of students that a single-mode approach.
I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first about powerpoints in an English classroom, but since class last week, I've really changed my mind about that fact. That's the greatest thing about UDL for me so far: it's adaptable for each teacher. I don't want my class to be dominated by a powerpoint - I want to use it to help aid class discussions and group work and, yes, even some teacher lecture. Digital media can open doors for students that haven't been opened before. Quickly, powerpoint can actually show all of the students at once what Shakespeare's Globe Theater looked like (without having to wait for a book to be passed around). They can hear Alfred, Lord Tennyson read "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which can make the poem come alive. They can listen to the music of the 17th century when they read its poems. All of these elements can easily be incorporated into a PowerPoint - allowing the teacher to use them quickly and intelligently. This use of powerpoint could detract from its usefulness if it is overused to the point that students are on overload or get bored with it.
I believe that it is reasonable to expect teachers to follow UDL principles - even if they don't realize UDL is the correct name for them. UDL principles are embedded in the types of knowledge that we're studying in ed psych: general pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. A teacher must know how to get the information across to her students so that they can take it and run with it - all the students and not just the high-achievers who understand it the first way she presents it.
The moral/ethicial implications of UDL include the possibility of a teacher not being right. Some of these techniques will not work for all students - some might not work for any students; however, it forces a teacher to move off the pedastal of "this is the way I've taught it for 25 years, and it's always worked before." UDL forces all teachers not to get in a stagnant mode of teaching. It is constantly changing to fit the needs of new students.
posted by Julie Owen at
10:24 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home