EDLD+5364+-+Week+2+-+UDL's+&+More

Sunday, November 29, 2009
=== During the short time that I have been a teacher, there have been times when I wondered or wished there was a website where I would be able to do this or that. This week I have discovered websites where you can actually DO many of those things or have to links to what others have created.===

===For example, the CAST UDL Book Builder is a lifesaver! If I had a dime for every time I wished I had a book in digital form I could retire now – seriously!!. Being a bilingual teacher means that half the time we do not have access to many books we would love to use in the classroom and when we do get them, we cannot get a whole class set because the cost is prohibitive. Alas! Digital books would be a lifesaver! Reading lessons could be done whole class. The needs of both visual and auditory learners would be addressed.===

===In “Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning" by Anne Meyer & David Rose: it states “the materials and methods teachers use can either present students with barriers to understanding or enhance their opportunities to learn”. The Universal Design for Learning method can help minimize the barriers to learning. I had never heard of UDL before reading this article; however, it reminds me of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Students learn so much more when they are involved in the learning process and they are taught in a way that addresses their particular learning style. Preparing lessons following the UDL model takes time, and that is a commodity we do not have a lot of but I think it is worth a try!===