Universal design for Learning

Recently I created a Geometry lesson plan that had a very heavy technology presence.  I was pretty proud of the lesson because of its integration of technology and the benefits that would have.  Today, I learned about a concept called "Universal Design for Learning" and it pointed out some other great features of my lesson plan.

Universal design for learning (UDL) is a technique or framework for designing lessons that will work universally for all students that enter your classroom.  Its a really interesting concept that can have a very broad scope.  The concept of a school and of a student are changing and diversifying so that means that teachers need to be more dynamic in their teaching techniques.  A simple "One size fits all" approach to lesson planning is not an effective way to pass on knowledge so teachers need to try and reach all of the different kinds of learners that enter their environment.  To put it simply and bluntly, teachers need to do their best to reach those students that are on the fringe of "normal".

CAST has created a UDL checklist to help educators implement the design in their own classes.  I recently printed off this checklist and found all of the ways that my recent Geometry lesson aligned with the UDL checklist.  I found that I did a really great job on some of the points, others I did a really bad job on, and others I didn't even touch. All of my comments start with an "F:" of a "B:".  F stands for a "feature" of my lesson while B stands for a "Barrier" that students will have to overcome.

Here is my filled out checklist.