So, please indulge me as I build self-regulation by "developing self-assessment and reflection" on my strengths and weaknesses with UDL. And, if you're feeling it, try answering the questions below for yourself. Here are the questions I was asked:
And here's my reflection: QUESTION 1: When introducing UDL to a colleague, I usually try to tie the concept to something they already know about and/or have experience- like closed captioning or automatic doors at the grocery store. I do this by explaining that the automatic doors at the grocery store, for example, were originally designed for a particular population with specific needs (in this case, people in wheelchairs or people with other physical impairments). I go on to point out that today we all use the automatic doors even though they may not have been designed originally for us. Parents with grocery bags, a diaper bag, a toddler and an infant have a much easier time entering and exiting the grocery store because the automatic doors were universally designed to accommodate people with a distinct need. What is a necessity for some, can be good for all. I then compare this to education and explain that if educators design their lesson plans by proactively planning for the variety of student learning needs they will inevitably encounter, they will be helping those students as well as providing important benefits for other students in the class as well. I have also used Katie Novak's analogy of teaching as a dinner party and UDL as a buffet to compare UDL to traditional and differentiated models of instruction. The general idea is that if I am hosting a dinner party and planning to make one main dish for all my guests, I may have some guests with different food allergies, restrictions and preferences that would present a barrier to them enjoying my party. For example, if Amy and Janice both text me with restrictions concerning their food, I may have to prepare separate dishes for each person. This would be time consuming and overwhelming! UDL would suggest that I could serve a taco bar instead of a Mexican lasagna for my party as a way to meet all the needs of my guests without driving myself crazy!. This work by Jennifer Pusateri is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://crazyudllady.weebly.com/.
QUESTION 2:
Generally speaking, the strategies surrounding UDL have always been my strong suit, and the technologies have been my weakness. Now, this doesn't mean that I know nothing about technologies and media associated with the concepts of UDL. I have a basic knowledge of a few technologies for each of the three areas, but my knowledge and application of these strategies provides room for improvement.
One way I am working on building my knowledge base for UDL technologies and media is by seeking out and following assistive tech. (AT) gurus on Twitter and following them. This keeps me up to date on many of the newer programs and apps that I can use to accompany UDL instruction. I also take place in a bi-weekly UDL chat with other UDL folks from across America and around the globe. I often get good tech tips from these other UDL practitioners that I can incorporate into my work with university faculty and staff.
If you are interested in learning more about UDL implementation, join me on #udlchat on Twitter on the first and third Wednesday of each month!
QUESTION 3:
Hopefully you can see my incorporation of other media throughout this blog post. I am a huge fan of multiple means of representation and I strive to add visuals, charts and diagrams to all documents and materials I create. Check out some of my visuals, charts, and diagrams in my Graphics and Images page.
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AuthorJennifer Pusateri is a Universal Design Consultant at the University of Kentucky's Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT). Archives
January 2019
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