1. UDL and Differentiation Methods Teaching in Today’s Classroom

2. What is UDL?  Universal Design Learning makes education accessible to all. It creates leaning opportunities for everyone to achieve.

3. What is differentiation?  Differentiation starts with what a student knows and builds from their knowledge base.  Everyone has a different starting point, and it is up to teachers to see that everyone makes it across the finishing line together.

4. How do you teach using both UDL and differentiation methods?  Technology is the key to success. White boards, Smart Boards, text-to-speech, audio books, and various web-sites are just a few ways to generate interest in young minds. “Because instructional needs of today’s students have shifted, teachers are called upon to retool traditional concepts of learning and teaching in response to the individual differences that diverse learners exhibit. To help meet this challenge, principles of universal design for learning (UDL) are now being infused into direct instruction teaching methods and materials (Mao, 2008; Price & Nelson, 2007; Spooner, Baker, Harris, Ahlgrim-Delzell, & Browder, 2007).” (Metcalf, 2009)

5. Getting students involved.  Students can make presentations on a subject using posters, building a model, poem, write stories, or anything that will provide a means of demonstration.  Encourage students to be creative to demonstrate what they know.

6. Let’s get motivated!  Have students to work in groups to collaborate and create projects.  Have students create Power Point presentations of subjects.  Have students compare and contrast assignments to how their lives are affected. Show how this relates to them, and how if they disagree with how it relates to them, how could they improve the situation.

7. Students succeed when they interested.  School should inspire and motivate.  Everyone can learn when information is presented in the right way.  Everyone learns differently. “In fact, authentic differentiated settings are responsive to the needs of all learners, not just learners with disabilities.” (King-Sears, 2008)

8. References King-Sears, M. (2008). Differentiation and the curriculum fact and fallacies: differentiation and the general education curriculum for students with special educational needs. Support for Learning. 23(2) 55-62. Retrieved 01/22/2014.

9. Metcalf, D., Evans, C., Flynn, H.K., Williams, J.B. (2009). Direct instruction + udl = access for diverse learners: how to plan and implement an effective multisensory spelling lesson. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus. 5(2) 1- 22. Retrieved 01/23/1014.