What Is UDL And Who Is It For In A Classroom?

UDL stands for Universal Design for Learning. "The UDL framework helps us to see that inflexible curricular materials and methods are barriers to diverse learners just as inflexible buildings with stairs as the only entry option are barriers to people with physical disabilities." This explanation and its use of an example allows easier understanding of what UDL is. UDL is a framework for student learning that is diverse just as the students are. Not all students learn the same, some may have learning disabilities or some may just learn better in different ways than others. There are many types of learners: visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, verbal, interactive, etc. and every one of them deserve the best quality education. With that being said, UDL is not limited to or directed at certain students, but is beneficial for each and every student.

For UDL to be successful there is a need for curriculum reform. A UDL curriculum is specific and different from traditional ones. For example, in a UDL curriculum "goals provide an appropriate challenges for all students." "Materials have a flexible format, supporting transformation between media and multiple representations of content to support all students' learning." Methods must be "flexible and diverse enough to provide appropriate learning experiences, challenges, and support for all students." Finally "assessment is sufficiently flexible to provide accurate, ongoing, information that helps teachers adjust instruction and maximize learning."

 

Closely related to UDL is IDEA, which "offers greater potential educational opportunities for students with disabilities than they have ever before enjoyed." Before IDEA, students with disabilities were often denied public education. Now, thankfully, things have changed and students with disabilities are being taught in public schools nationwide. For the general elementary education teacher, this means reevaluating their curriculum and adapting it to meet the needs of every student regardless of disabilities. This may entail much more work for the teacher, along with new learning for themselves to acquire how to incorporate new teaching styles, but overall these teachers are gaining a beneficial skill that will allow them to provide all of their students with the most quality education that they can offer.

"This adaptability increases accessibility for students with visual, auditory, reading, or motor impairments because they can elect to view and respond to the content in a medium and means that suit their needs." UDL allows all students, including those who require special education, to learn together without any form of segregation or classification. This relates to Civil Rights because, shouldn't all students be provided with quality education regardless of any differences they may have from another?!

 

 

"UDL goals begin with standards and benchmarks that reflect the knowledge and skills all students will strive for and are carefully conceived and expressed to encourage multiple pathways for achieving them." Overall, the goals of UDL are to promote equal opportunities to learn and grow in a setting where the learning needs of all and any student are provided. To be more clear, UDL hopes to accommodate all students with learning techniques that will benefit all of them rather than a portion of them. This is how it should be in every class room; there is no need to separate students due to their differences in learning abilities, physical abilities, etc.

 

Providing New Access To The General Curriculum: Universal Design For Learning

Inclusive Education

UDL Center

Why Is It Important to Have Culturally Responsive Classrooms?

America has often been referred to as a 'melting pot' because of the great diversity of cultures that reside here. When you walk into an American classroom, you can see the faces of many nationalities. Each student, regardless of their race, heritage, culture, or what have you, is there to gain an education. Providing each student with a quality education is what schools hope to do, but some students aren't receiving a quality education. This seems to be in part, because teachers aren't sure of how to teach in a culturally responsive way. In other words, teachers are not instructing the class using aspects of students' cultures as a way for all them to relate to and understand.

 

 

 

Culturally responsive classrooms do just that though, allowing each and every student to have that quality education they deserve.

There are a few ways in which teachers can create a culturally responsive classroom. First off, the teacher should develop a relationship with his/her students on an academic, social, and emotional level. To be more clear, the teacher should learn about students' families, their likes and dislikes in regards to music, movies, activities, etc. But all the while, the teacher needs to be aware of the different world views that students have due to their differing cultures. All of this will be helpful in providing a culturally responsive classroom where all students can value their home culture/language and that of the other students'.

Another way in which to make the classroom a culturally responsive one is to incorporate the students' real life experiences to the subject matter. Whether it be math, science, language arts, or history, connecting real life experiences with the subject matter allows the students to make connections that relate to themselves.

Creating a feeling of community in the classroom will also add to the cultural responsiveness of it. For example, encouraging students to help one another and look out for one another will aid in achieving that community feel. Along with that, the room itself should be bright and filled with student work as well as cultural decoration. This helps the students feel valued and important in the classroom.

Teachers should encourage all of his/her students to preform to their highest abilities. Along with that, assignments, lessons, and activities should utilize students' culture and interests as tools to teach them.

Lastly, every teacher should examine and understand their own cultural identities along with the way in which it dictates your classroom teaching methods and management. Other than that, in a culturally responsive classroom, teachers should be caring and thoughtful in every aspect towards their students.

With all of that being said, it is important to have culturally responsive classrooms because of the diversity in our schools. Culturally responsive classrooms will benefit students by giving each one of them quality education regardless of their race, nationality, heritage, or religion, without disregarding their traditional backgrounds.

 

 

 

My thoughts on this is that culturally responsive classrooms should be in every school. Culturally responsive classrooms pertain to every person which makes it more comfortable for the students and even more educational. Students are able to learn various points of views from different cultural standpoints that in a regular classroom, may not be recognized. I agree that America is like a 'melting pot' and I believe being culturally aware is important in succeeding in the 'grown-up' world. Students, in my own opinion, are receiving a much more beneficial and quality education from culturally responsive classrooms than any traditional classroom and I will surely have a culturally response classroom of my own in the future.