To meet the needs of the widest range of students, what should teachers consider when planning their instruction?
Page 8: UDL in Practice
Ms. Sung, a sixth-grade teacher at Sycamore Middle School, is eager to begin implementing the UDL approach. She discovers that before designing a UDL unit lesson plan, it is helpful to know the learning needs and preferences of each student in her class. Ms. Sung administers a learning preference survey and creates a chart containing this information, which she will refer to and modify throughout the year as needed.
|
Student |
Learning Preference * |
Learning Needs |
UDL Solution |
|
Abigail |
V |
Information presented visually due to hearing impairment |
Visual materials (textbook, images, videos with closed captioning) |
|
Angel |
V |
n/a |
Visual materials (textbook, images, videos) |
|
Branson |
T |
n/a |
hands-on-activities, models |
|
Cole |
A |
Information presented aurally due to low vision |
audio or digital versions of textbooks |
|
Colin |
K |
n/a |
|
|
Daniel |
A |
n/a |
|
|
Dwight |
V |
n/a |
|
|
Eliana |
T |
n/a |
|
|
Farhiya |
V |
n/a |
|
|
Gary |
A |
n/a |
|
|
Hannah |
T |
n/a |
|
|
Katie |
V |
Needs help organizing information |
graphic organizers |
|
Logan |
K |
n/a |
activities that include physical movement |
|
Margaret |
A |
n/a |
|
|
Marvin |
V |
n/a |
|
|
Max |
K |
n/a |
|
|
Michael |
A |
Has a learning disability in reading; needs support with reading, especially comprehension |
Aural information |
|
Omari |
A |
n/a |
|
|
Quinn |
T |
n/a |
|
|
Renee |
V |
n/a |
|
|
Shaterra |
T |
n/a |
|
|
Suri |
A |
n/a |
|
* A=auditory, K=kinesthetic, T=tactile, V=visual
Having created her chart, Ms. Sung recognizes that she has students with each of the four types of learning preferences—visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. The chart also helps her to keep track of her students’ learning needs, and she uses it as she begins to design her unit lesson plan. Click each sample lesson plan below to compare how Ms. Sung traditionally taught the unit on ancient Egypt with how she plans to teach it this year. (Note: The lesson plans represent only two days of instruction.)
Traditional Lesson Plan
Unit Goal: The students will read the textbook chapter about ancient Egypt and write in cursive a 500-word report about burial customs.
| Day 3 | Day 4 |
| Focus: Archeological digs | Focus: Archeological digs |
| Materials: Textbook, Video, Worksheets | Materials: Textbook |
Instruction:
|
Instruction:
|
| Assessment: Independent work graded | Assessment: n/a |
(Close this panel)
UDL Lesson Plan
Unit Goal: The students will learn about and present information about the burial customs of ancient Egypt.
| Day 3 | Day 4 |
| Focus: Archeological digs | Focus: Archeological digs |
| Materials: Textbook (print and digital), images of artifacts with audio description, printed or digitized outline with key ideas highlighted to accompany the lecture, center materials, video with captioning, excavation kit | Materials: Center materials, excavation kit |
Instruction:
|
Instruction:
|
Assessment:
|
Assessment:
|
(Close this panel)
Ms. Sung began incorporating UDL principles into her lesson plans by considering the learning needs and preferences of her students. As Grace Meo explains, many teachers begin by identifying lesson plans that are not effective (time: 0:44).
Grace Meo
Former CAST Director of Professional
Development & Outreach Services
Transcript: Grace Meo
In thinking about beginning to apply the UDL principles to classroom practice, we often find that it is best to think about lessons that are not effective for all learners, and then to pause and reflect about what are the potential barriers in the lessons that will prevent all learners from achieving success. And we look at barriers and the goal, barriers and the materials, barriers in the methods, and barriers in the assessment. Once we can identify the barriers and think about the way that one could design goals, methods, materials, and assessment that align to the UDL principles, then we can move forward in designing a lesson for all learners.
| Learning Modalities | Examples |
 Visual Learners |
|
 Auditory Learners |
|
 Tactile Learners |
|
 Kinesthetic Learners |
|
Ms. Sung finds that by addressing the learning preferences of her students, she has for the most part addressed the learning needs of her students. However, on occasion, she does need to make accommodations (i.e., a service or support related to the student’s disability) to meet the needs of some students.
For example, Cole is a student with low vision. By providing digital versions of the textbook, audio options for certain materials, and tactile activities, Ms. Sung has addressed Cole’s learning needs.
Similarly, Abigail is a student who has a hearing impairment. By providing visual options for materials (e.g., slides, captions on video), Ms. Sung addresses most of her learning needs. However, Abigail requires a sign language interpreter (a related service provider) to help her to obtain oral information and to communicate with her teacher and peers. Because a sign language interpreter meets the specific educational need of Abigail, this individualized service would be considered an accommodation.
related service provider
Any one of a variety of skilled professionals who provides services as a part of special education to meet the learning needs of individual students with disabilities
By delivering instruction in a variety of ways and by expanding the options of materials and assessments available to her students, Ms. Sung notices that the majority of the students are more engaged in the unit on ancient Egypt than was usually the case in past years. She believes that this increased engagement has resulted in the students learning the content in a more in-depth manner.
