Universal
Design for Learning
As I
watched the provided video, “UDL at a Glance” I made some connections between the
instruction and activities that I am currently offering my students and the additional
ways that I can further meet their learning needs. I think as a reading
specialist, my classroom instruction is quite different from that in the
general education classroom. My students have identified reading disabilities,
so meeting their needs is a more intensive process. Every action and every step
needs to have a well-defined purpose. That is true for instructional reasons as
well as for time management.
Regarding
the first guideline, Engagement, I always start my lessons off with a quick
discussion about why we are learning what we are learning. Our dyslexia
curriculum is firm in its gradual release philosophy. My students’ ability to
process information requires extra steps, so explaining why we need to master
the upcoming concept is necessary. This requires the review of the cards in our
Initial Reading Deck, Word Part Deck, Spelling Deck, and our Irregular Word
Deck. Creating the connection between the concepts represented in those decks and
the new concept presented is crucial for my students’ retention. Decoding print
is incredibly difficult for them, so a clear understanding of why we are
practicing is important. They need to be able to see the relationship between
reading and spelling. Therefore, I share the “why” with them visually and audibly.
The
second guideline, Representation, lines up perfectly with the specialized
curriculum I use. It is designed to be multi-sensory, so all learning styles
are addressed. As I listened to the information shared, I realized that I could
add some additional options to my teacher toolbox for presenting the upcoming
concepts. I liked the idea of finding ways to highlight the important
information that we want the students to know. Currently, I utilize anchor
charts and materials provided by the district to accomplish that task. However,
I would like to find some additional, unique ways of helping my students
remember the lessons taught. Options that will allow the information to move
from their short-term memory to their long-term memory. I think through collaboration
with the other district dyslexia specialists, we could come up with some ideas!
Searching for some options, I did come across the Yale Center for Dyslexia and
Creativity website. This site can be found at https://dyslexia.yale.edu/. I really like
that suggestions from students with dyslexia are offered. Suggestions that
address not only reading skills but also math skills as well. This website
could be a useful tool for improving the “how” of learning.
The
last guideline, Action & Expression, also fits nicely into our curriculum. At
this time, the program requires that student responses be verbal, written, and
physical. For the last couple of years, I have not added any new options to
those requirements. This year, I think I will try to brainstorm some other ways
for my students to show their learning besides just the basic, routine ones I
already have in place. Now that our campus is completely one-to-one, I can
figure out some fun, interesting ways for my students to utilize their iPads
when producing their work. I think of the three guidelines, this would be the
one that I would need the most help with using. Thankfully, we have our own
campus technology specialist who is able to guide me through the available
resources provided by our district. We have numerous apps available for
students to utilize. I’m sure she would be willing to come model how to use
some of those apps for my students! While looking for some additional resources
that specifically focus on dyslexia related research, I found some ideas
through Region IV. Through their website, https://www.esc4.net/dyslexia, I
located some professional development opportunities that could provide some ideas
for ways to highlight the important information in my lessons.
Entering
my thirteenth year in education and my fifth year as a specialist, I am looking
forward to creating some interesting activities that promote retention and
academic progress for my students. Utilizing the three guidelines contained within
the Universal Design and Learning framework will help make that effort
successful. Researching additional resources and ideas will create new tools
for me to use as a teacher and promote student progress in the intervention program
I provide.
References
CAST. (2010, Jan. 6). UDL
at a glance. YouTube. Retrieved on July 19, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4
Region IV. (2022). Region
IV dyslexia. Retrieved on July 19. 2022, from
Yale Center for Dyslexia &
Creativity. (2022). Resources. Retrieved on July 19, 2022,
from https://dyslexia.yale.edu/
Wendy thank you for your post. I think being a reading specialist you actually do many more of the suggestions given to us in the UDL framework. I like the idea of this year giving your students more options to share their work with you. I think for me sometimes that has been the hardest, to simply let go. I always want to take my students by their hand and make sure I guide them, but I have learned that they also need space to express themselves. I liked that you shared the websites on dyslexia because in the reading it did say that what may be a targeted instruction to one student will benefit all students.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your self-reflection of how the UDL framework works with regards to a specialist role, especially since I am most familiar with the general education setting. As I was going through the different guidelines, I found myself noticing that I was applying many of the suggestions in my classroom but only for my students with 504s or IEPs. My own self-reflection allowed me to see ways in which the activities and tasks I am providing those students can in fact be provided to all of my students to help them all be successful.
ReplyDeleteI found the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity website to be very fascinating. Having many students with dyslexia in my classes each year, I am always looking for ways to reach them more effectively. I love the tips from students and see a lot of benefits in sharing these with my students so they know they are not alone. Additionally. While browsing, I found this article: http://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/parents/what-parents-can-do/ten-things-to-help-your-struggling-reader/ which covers things parents can do to help their struggling reader. I will definitely be keeping it in my back pocket next time I have a parent conference and this topic gets brought up. Thank you for sharing a wonderful resource!