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UDL Integration

Retrieved from
https://blog.brookespublishing.com/12-great-udl-quotes-to-pin-tweet-and-share/
March
23, 2022

MODULE FIVE
Developing UDL Lesson Plans

In module four we recognized the importance of knowing our learners as individuals and as learners. We established a balanced approach that includes building relationships along with a variety of assessments as the driving force behind your planning, teaching and student learning. Continuing on with planning for learner variability, module five will examine each step in the process of creating a lesson plan using the framework of UDL.

Objectives

  • Describe backwards design lesson planning and how it connects to the UDL framework.

  • Present and review a step-by-step UDL lesson plan template.

  • Provide examples of how to develop a lesson plan using the UDL framework that is conducive to learner variability.

Essential Question

  • How can I use the UDL framework to develop a lesson plan that is responsive to learner variability?

Module Learning & Activities

Teachers are facilitators and students are the ones who are driving the topics for exploration and discovery. The teacher puts students in decision-making roles by allowing them to share their learning in a variety of ways, inviting them to express their ideas, thoughts, and learning through visual projects and orally. The teacher also models and affirms creativity by building upon students’ prior knowledge and diverse life experiences when designing lessons, providing interactive learning experiences, and examining the different ways that students demonstrate what they know, understand, and can do.


Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is “a framework that recognizes learner variability and is a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone–not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches to teaching and learning” (Novak, 2020).

Implementing UDL

What is backwards design?

Backwards design is used for instruction planning. You begin by reviewing the curriculum, then choosing an end goal, then plan all the ways your learners can research that goal.

Backwards Design: A Great Way to Move Foward (2019)
by Shelley Moore

Practitioner Resources

  • Gonzalez, J. (2020). Backwards Design The Basics.

  • Tomlinson, C.A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms (3rd. ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

UDL Standards (2017)
by Katie Novak

Practitioner Resources

  • Posey, A. (2020). Lesson Planning with Universal Design for Learning.

  • Differentiation: Tomlinson, C.A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms (3rd. ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

UDL Lesson Design: Step-By-Step

Adapted from: https://assets.ctfassets.net/p0qf7j048i0q/7vXo4bBocglQvcdUzeNDmv/ea7f4880d59f6321072b47699085e1d4/StepbystepplannerUDL_Understood.pdf

This section will explore a step-by-step approach to planning a lesson using the UDL framework. I will walk you through the guiding questions, my reflection of my learners and suggestions for planning that meet the learning needs in my classroom.

Proactive Design Approach

Taking a proactive approach to planning focusing on the framework of UDL, educators are able to build creative learning communities that reflect all learners, as well as the content and skills, need to encourage and foster expert learners. As expert learners, students are in charge of and directing their learning. They choose the tools and resources that support them to complete their work. They set goals, demonstrate rigor, and know that their choices are worth their time and effort.

Educators can begin by proactively planning, supporting and scaffolding expert learners by allowing them to create their learning environments and providing them with ample choice and voice when engaging in academic content and representing their learning (Novak, 2017).

Our Learning Community

  • Grade 3

  • 18 Brilliant Learners

  • One student with autism

  • One gifted student

  • Six students are emergent readers.

  • Evidence of all learning preferences is visible among the learners. However, there is a large group of visual and tactile/kinesthetic learners..

Step 1: Review the Curriculum, Analyze the Goal of the Lesson &
Choose
Forms of Assessment

Curriculum: Language Arts, Science and Health outcomes will be explored in this lesson.

Show me the Purpose:
Learning Targets

by Shelley Moore

Review the Literature


  • Novak, K. (2017). UDL vs DI: The Dinner Party Analogy.


  • Posey, A. (n.d.) How to Break Down Barriers to Learning with UDL.

What do I want my learners to know, do and/or care about?

Driving Problem or Guiding Question:
How are plants used to improve our health and well-being?

What is the goal(s)/learning targets of this lesson?


How will I assess my learners' knowledge and understanding of the established goals?

Your rubric should reflect the goals/learner targets for this lesson.

Click here to make an editable copy of the Plant Research Rubric used in this lesson.

Step 2: Anticipate Learner Variability: Engagement

This is the “why” of learning as we turn on the affective network of the brain by providing multiple means of engagement.

What are you a Genius at? Getting to Know your Strengths
by Shelley Moore

What do you anticipate the range of student interest and effort will be for this part of the lesson?

  • The learners in grade three have recently shown interest in plants. Many families have house plants and have begun to grow gardens. Students have been noticing the plants in our school environment, collecting various plants and asking questions. There seems to be a keen interest in edible flowers.

  • Reflecting on your learner's interests and learner preferences will allow you to include choice and voice when planning the lesson. This allows all learners to engage in their learning in authentic and meaningful ways.

What do you anticipate the range of student background experience, vocabulary, and perception will be for this part of the lesson?

  • Learners will have a basic knowledge of plants, most learners will be able to name each part of a plant and would be working towards naming different plants.

  • Learners will be working towards developing an understanding of different plants and the ways plants can improve our health and well-being.

What do you anticipate as barriers to student comprehension?

  • Knowing that six of my learners are emergent readers, I will need to include opportunities for students to use audiobooks and/or pair them with a partner to complete the project collaboratively.

Step 3: Anticipate Learner Variability: Representation

This is the “what” of learning as we ignite the recognition network of the brain by providing multiple means of representation.

Brainstorm

Activate prior knowledge through engaging and interactive learning tools

Review Vocabulary

Discuss the vocabulary students will need to understand for the lesson

Engage in Collaborative Conversations

Active and Engaging Learning through
conversation, visuals, videos

Community Connections

Take the learning outside of the classroom or bring the learning into the classroom to enhance student learning and learner variability

Step 4: Anticipate Learner Variability: Action and Expression

This is the “how” of learning as we turn on the strategic network of the brain through multiple means of action & expression.


Review the Literature

  • Perez, L & Grant, K (2021). 30+Tools for Diverse Learners.

What do you anticipate the range of student action and expression will be for this part of the lesson?

  • Students will be provided many choices that will meet the learner variability in our classroom. Students may choose the following:

    • which plant to research.

    • the way they engage in their research (websites, books and magazines). Creating a bitmoji classroom or All About Plant Page could house literature, videos, infographics, virtual field trips could also be another option to meet learner variability.

    • the materials used to record their research (pen, pencil, markers, colored pencils, watercolors, etc.).


    • the way in which they record and represent their learning.

Research Sheet.pdf

Recording Sheet

Graphic Organizers

Sketchnotes

Journal

Step 5: Implementation - Facilitate the Lesson and Observe

  • Use the Plant Research Rubric to collect learner evidence, student comments, questions and teacher observations.

  • Ask for feedback from students.

Click here to make an editable copy of the Plant Research Rubric.

Step 6: Reflect & Redesign

  • How did the learning go?

    • What went well? What learning goal(s)/targets(s) did they achieve?

    • What do I need to re-teach/review with my learners?

    • What are the next steps for planning, teaching and learning?

Planning Templates

Use the templates and developed materials for this lesson. Please feel free to adapt the developed lesson to respong to the learner variability in your learning communities.

  • Lesson Plan - Developed Lesson & Template

  • Google Slides

Reflection

Take time to reflect on the following questions:


  • Knowing your learners' interests, passions and learning styles, What driving problem or guiding question could you use that connects to your grade level curriculum outcomes?

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Natasha Boutilier
Elementary School Teacher
M.Ed. (Leadership & Adminstration)
M.Ed. (Early Elementary Pedagogy)
Cert. (Visual Arts)

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