First, let me explain my take on UDL. Universal Design is the concept that some things should be the same regardless of location, language, or any other factors. Some great examples are Stop signs, cell phone "bars" and wheel chair access ramps. A stop sign should look the same everywhere, so that even if I go to Arkansas, I know when I need to stop. Cell phone manufacturers have decided to stick with a similar looking icon to show the strength of a cell phone signal so that customers can pick any cell phone and know how to read the display without too much concern. Universal Design is especially important when it comes to helping people with special needs. Someone in a wheelchair should have the same access to a building as someone walking. So we have all agreed that curb cutouts should be of a certain size and a certain slope. All buildings have braille placards at the same height on the wall so that blind people can find them easily. These are just a few examples that illustrate what Universal Design encompasses.
These same types of concepts are now being extended to a teacher's lesson plans with the Universal Design for Learning standards. This makes it so a teacher can specify a certain learning objective and meet the needs of all the children being taught. Each child comes with a unique background and should be allowed to learn the objective in the best way they can. And not all children learn the same way. Some children do well with a traditional lecture. Some children do better with self-discovery. And some children with special needs should be given the opportunity to learn the same material with the appropriate accommodations or modifications. For example, a non-narrated film on the transformation of a butterfly would be pretty useless to a vision impaired student, but might be perfect for a hearing impaired student. UDL allows the teacher to set the learning objective while still maintaining flexibility to meet each student's needs.
How does technology help? Technology allows the teachers and the students to find the resources they personally need to be successful. We can subtitle a film for the hearing impaired. We can have a screen reader for the vision impaired. We can let the GT kids dig deeper into the subject on their own, even after they have exhausted the teacher's knowledge. You can allow the ELL students the ability to create a presentation that expresses their thoughts in ways their language can't. The internet gives low socioeconomic students access to resources they do not have locally. I have students that have never physically seen a mountain, but they completely understand how the mountain was formed and what it looks like because of the resources available on the internet.
Without technology, UDL is a struggle. It is hard to find all the necessary resources many of our students need without access to the internet and the connected world. Books and DVDs work for many students, but not all. When we fully integrate technology in the classroom, we can let our students discover the world on the terms they need. I am a technology guy and I believe in technology. Now I need to work on my UDL skills. It is hard to let go of the reigns and let the students direct their own learning. It is hard to step back and just guide the search instead of giving the information. Gives us 5-10 years and I suspect school will be dramatically different.
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