UDL & DIFFERENTIATION EDU673: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENTIATED TEACHING AND LEARNING By Vincent Juarez

UDL – WHAT IS IT EXACTLY? When I first heard the acronym UDL, my initial thoughts were that it was a shipping company similar to FedEx; I never heard the term until I began my pursuit of becoming a teacher. Now I know and have a clearer understanding that UDL is a guideline for creating more than just curriculum that will give every student a fair shot at academic success. According to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning (2012) “UDL provides 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 that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs”.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION DI is the process in how we devise and deliver CCSS in a manner that will be grasped in the most proficient way to every individual learner. Puckett (2013) contended that “Differentiation is a form of inclusive practice; the attitudes, approaches and strategies that ensure that all students feel equally valued and are not excluded or isolated from the learning environment because of differences in learning styles, abilities, or backgrounds” (p. 3).

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? After reading into the various articles and websites concerning UDL and DI, it is still not 100% clear on how to distinguish between the two; however, as best that I can espouse, UDL’s main goal is to mitigate or do away with any obstacles that prevent students from learning; to me it is associated more with the arena concerning special needs and disabilities. DI, however, is teaching the same material to everyone, incorporating various instructional strategies; it requires educators to alter their instruction at multiple levels in order to align with the abilities of each student – teaching to your student.

WHAT UDL MAY LOOK LIKE IN MY CLASSROOM? IMPLEMENTING UDL HAS TO BEGIN WITH KNOWING THE CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL LEARNER. I TRY TO ADDRESS THEIR REQUIREMENTS (MANY TIMES IT IS CLEARLY DICTATED BY STATE MANDATES) BUT A VALUABLE TOOL TO HELP KEEP ME ON TRACK IS THE MARYLAND UDL WHEEL. FURTHERMORE, I TRY TO HAVE MORE THAN JUST THE STANDARD TEMPLATE FOR THE WHOLE CLASS, BUT USE ADAPTABLE SCHEMES TO ACCOMMODATE MY GIFTED AND SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS AS WELL. NOONOO (2014) STATED “THE INTENTION IS TO STIMULATE EVERY TYPE OF LEARNER, REGARDLESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT THEY MIGHT REQUIRE” (P. 2). I HAVE FOUND THAT TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS MAKE UDL, AT LEAST WITH REGARDS TO THE CURRICULA ATTAINABLE.

DI IN MY CLASSROOM I REALIZE THAT I CANNOT BE A TEACHER WHO SIMPLY TALKS AT MY STUDENTS NONSTOP; IT HAS SHOWN TO PRODUCE VERY LITTLE LEARNING. I DO HOWEVER, LECTURE TO MOTIVATE MY STUDENTS BY OCCASIONALLY SHARING MY LIFE EXPERIENCES AND WISDOM. I ALSO AM CAREFUL TO MINIMIZE MY POWERPOINT USAGE; I WILL NORMALLY COMBINE MY TALKS WITH VISUAL CONTENT (SCHEMATICS, DIAGRAMS, ANIMATIONS, PHOTOS, VIDEO CLIPS, ETC.) USING THE SMART BOARD. INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT THE END GOAL BUT I STRIVE TO IMPART THE CRITICAL SKILLS OF TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP, AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT BY MAXIMIZING ON COLLABORATIVE GROUPS. INDEPENDENT LEARNING IS ALSO OPTIMIZED BY MY TENDENCY TO MIX THINGS UP BY USING BOARD-WORK, MULTIMEDIA, STORYTELLING, DISCUSSION, ACTIVITIES, INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS, AND GROUP WORK AT THE LEVELS OF ALL MY STUDENTS WHILE OBSERVING AND TAILORING MY INSTRUCTION ACCORDINGLY.

REFERENCES Learning Wheel. (n.d.). Retrieved from Noonoo, S. (2014). 6 Ways to Engage Every Learner Using UDL. T H E Journal, 41(11), 20. Puckett, K (2013). Differentiating Instruction: A Practical Guide. Bridgepoint Education: San Diego, CA. What is Universal Design for Learning | National Center On Universal Design for Learning. (2012). Retrieved from