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El proyecto “Mejorando la calidad de la Educación a través de la Internacionalización y la Formación Permanente del Profesorado” está cofinanciado por la Unión Europea. Las opiniones y puntos de vista expresados en este blog sólo comprometen al Colegio Divina Pastora de León y no reflejan necesariamente los de la Unión Europea ni los del Servicio Español para la Internacionalización de la Educación (SEPIE). Ni la Unión Europea ni la Agencia Nacional SEPIE pueden ser considerados responsables de ellos.
DAY 1 - UNPACKING UDL
Today my Erasmus + experience began as part of the students of the UDL course at the ICT training school in Prague. I've met my classmates over the next week. In class we have teachers from different stages who come from countries such as Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain and India.
Once the presentations were made, they explained to us the objectives of the course and the basic principles on which the UDL pedagogical model is based.
Universal Design for Learning is a groundbreaking educational framework rooted in the science of learning. It believes in the principle that One-size-fits-all doesn’t work for everyone.
After lunch, we were able to enjoy an entertaining cultural tour through the most extraordinary corners of this magical city.
DAY 2 - INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS
There will be barriers that prevent students from reaching the intended learning goals. Just like with a road trip, some of those barriers are predictable and can be reduced by careful planning and design. Identifying barriers in curricular goals, assessments, methods, and materials will help students gain the skills they need to become expert learners. Barriers to learning are where students “get stuck” in a lesson or activity. For each student, barriers can differ from subject to subject and from activity to activity. As teachers, we should be able to anticipate and address those barriers up front. We can do that by designing flexible lessons and learning environments rather than trying to “fix” or change a student.
Here are some examples of barriers:
Not having enough background knowledge or the required skills for a lesson
Not knowing the next steps or not receiving feedback about their progress, which can be difficult for many students, especially those who struggle with executive function
Not knowing key vocabulary terms, which can be challenging for many students, including English language learners
Facing social-emotional challenges or feeling that a lesson isn’t culturally relevant or academically interesting
DAY 3 -
How can I identify barriers?
The first step is to clarify the goal of your lesson. If lessons are overpacked with goals, it can be overwhelming to identify all of the barriers.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Where might there be a barrier to students achieving the goal in this lesson?
What is one tool, resource, or strategy I can include in my lesson to help reduce this barrier so that students can achieve the learning goal?
How can I make this strategy available to all students from the start of the lesson?
In addition to these questions, there are three more ways you can identify and reduce barriers in your lessons: reflect on where you need to re-teach; ask students to give you feedback; and proactively identify barriers.
1. Reflect on reteaching.
1. Reflect on reteaching.
After a lesson, ask yourself, “When did I need to repeat directions?” “When did I have to show students how to do something I already taught?” or “When was a student not able to be fully included in the lesson?” The answers will help you identify the barrier in your lesson. With the barrier in mind, you can then make plans to reduce that barrier by adding an additional support or scaffold into the learning environment.
2. Ask for feedback.
2. Ask for feedback.
Whether they know it or not, students are very good at giving feedback about barriers. Think about when students ask, “Do I have to…?” That question often signals that the student is facing a barrier to learning.
3. Be proactive.
3. Be proactive.
You can also proactively identify barriers using CAST’s UDL Guidelines. It’s a powerful tool to help you think about potential barriers to learning before delivering a lesson.
DAY 4 - UDL PRINCIPLES
During today's sessions we have been delving into the principles of the UDL pedagogical model.
Principle 1: Provide multiples means of engagement
How does this lesson design spark students’ excitement and curiosity for learning? (recruiting interest)
How does this lesson design tackle potential challenges with focus and determination? (effort and persistence)
How does this lesson design harness the power of students’ emotions and motivation in learning? (self-regulation)
Principle 2: Provide multiples means of representation
How are students able to interact with the content in ways that don’t depend on a single sense? (perception)
How are students able to participate regardless of their background knowledge or facility with language, text, mathematical notations, or symbols? (language and symbols)
How are students able to construct meaning and generate new understanding of information? (comprehension)
Principle 3: Provide multiples means of action and expression
How does the lesson have accessible materials and tools for students to interact with? (physical action)
How are there multiple ways and tools for students to construct, communicate, and share ideas? (expression and communication)
How does the learning environment provide support for students to strategize, plan, and get the most out of the lesson? (executive functions)
DAY 5 - BLENDIND STRATEGIES
LESSON PLANNING
Finding the time to adapt our lessons to meet the needs of every student can be a daunting task. UDL can transform our classroom practice. However, there is no “magic box” of tools and resources in a UDL classroom.
During this day we have designed a lesson based on everything we previously learned about UDL, identifying barriers and proposing practical solutions in our classes. At the end, the certificates were delivered.
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