Week 5 EDUC 5313

 Part 1

I chose to look at the article titled "Professional Development with Universal Design for Learning: Supporting Teachers as Learners to Increase the Implementation of UDL" written by Stephanie L. Craig, Sean J. Smith & Bruce B. Frey. In the article they address a quasi-experimental study of the effects of a

professional development program on teachers’ implementation of the UDL framework (Craig et al., 2019). The framework consists of over arching ideas that guide their UDL advances for the classroom. 

UDL Framework:

• Provide multiple means of engagement
• This address students' emotional and social requirements, understanding that every learner must form meaningful connections to their studies, maintain persistence in their efforts, and develop self-management abilities (such as managing stress and reflecting on their progress) in order to achieve their objectives (Craig et al., 2019).
• Provide multiple means of representation
• This supports the brain’s recognition system and enhances student engagement by presenting content in different formats to meet learners’ diverse sensory and cognitive needs. Instructional information should be flexible, clearly explained, and reinforced so that students can effectively process and make sense of the concepts being taught(Craig et al., 2019).
• Provide multiple means of action and expression

• This supports the brain’s strategic network by focusing on how learners demonstrate what they know. It encourages teachers to offer a variety of tools and options for students to express their learning, while also helping them develop executive functioning skills to plan, organize, and complete tasks effectively (Craig et al., 2019).

The results of this study indicate that the teachers who did attend the summer development were much more successful when implementing UDL. This directly correlates with the lesson I have in development. Not only does the lesson connect with students on an social level it also calls for active participation and then calls for a display of knowledge.

Part 2 

Looking at the cast UDL strategies on that I am particularly interested in is focused on engagement which means helping students sustain effort and persistence. The lesson that I have is something that encompasses content from past lessons and so focusing on sustaining effort is really important for me. By encouraging students with the knowledge they will have to present my hope is that students will be motivated by the idea of being viewed by their peers. Another UDL strategy that I want to implement in my lesson would be to focus on teaching students strategy development, with an emphases on organizing information and resources. Since I teach 7th grade this is something that their age group is learning. I want students to be able to properly display their research and give credit to their resources. Using those UDL strategies within my lesson will provide some stability and teachable opportunities. 

Part 3

The NETP 2024 directly ties into the UDL strategies. In order for students to have autonomy over their work while still being cautious of the digital divide I like to provide my students with choice. Allowing students to have choice on how they do things within the classroom while still using UDL strategies allows for students to feel in control of their learning as well as feel included within everything within and out of school.   

References 

Basham, J. D., Smith, S. J., & Satter, A. L. (2016). Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for Alignment in K-12 Blended and Fully Online Learning Materials. Journal Of Special Education Technology, 31(3), 147. doi:10.1177/0162643416660836

CAST, (2024). The UDL guidelines. The UDL Guidelines. Retrieved from: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A Call to Action to Close the Technology Access, Design, and Use Divides: National Educational Technology Plan. Department of Education. NETP2024.pdf