IRIS February 7th Questions
1. Briefly describe Universal Design for Learning. Make sure to include the three
principles of UDL.
UDL is a program that delivers the content the students will be learning in multiple ways.
They can demonstrate what they have learned using one of several methods. The
principles of UDL are presenting information and course content in multiple formats so
that all students can access it, allowing students alternatives to express or demonstrate
their learning and stimulating students' interests and motivation for learning in a variety
of ways.
2. When they develop goals using the principles of UDL, what is the main thing that
teachers need to keep in mind?
The goal needs to use the UDL principles for how the student will be learning about a
topic and demonstrating what they have learned by giving options for both areas. If all
students will not be able to accomplish the goal, it need to be re-written.
3. Next week, Mr. Schlotzsky, an eighth-grade social studies teacher, will begin a chapter
on colonial America. He'll lecture, write notes on the chalkboard, and give his students
handouts. To assess their knowledge, Mr. Schlotzsky will ask his students to research
colonial America in greater depth on the Internet and to give a three-to-five-minute oral
presentation.
Help Mr. Schlotzsky to evaluate the traditional materials and media he plans to use. For
each a) list any potential barriers, and b) suggest UDL solutions.
Components
Lecture/ notes on
chalkboard
Handouts
Internet research
Oral report
Barriers
See, decode and comprehend
written text and process visual
information
See, Process visual information
Students without access to
computer
Speech impairments
UDL Solution
audio books
digital text, internet
Videos, books
Creating a video with
speech bubbles for
content
4.
Imagine that you are a second-grade teacher beginning a unit on
plants. You wish to make certain that you address the three
principles of UDL. Describe the instructional methods you would
use to present the information, assess your students, and maintain
their engagement in the subject.
I will provide multiple examples of images on plants outside of what the textbook offers,
maybe bring in live examples or go on a fieldtrip to a nursery or plant shop. I can show a
video on plants and provide handouts. I will provide learning activities and games to
learn about how to plant, water, give nutrition to and also identify plant types by the
leaves. I will use flexible grouping depending on what we will be accomplishing that day.
The students can show their knowledge by taking a quiz, completing a visual activity or a
verbal activity based on descriptions of the types of plants for example.
5. At the beginning of the year, Ms. Hamilton, a tenth-grade biology teacher, collected
information about her students' learning preferences and learning needs. Of her twentynine students, twelve are primarily visual learners, ten are primarily auditory learners,
and seven are primarily kinesthetic learners. Additionally, two students struggle with
reading and several have difficulty planning and organizing writing assignments. Help
Ms. Hamilton to design a lesson about DNA. Make sure to state the learning goal and to
identify materials, instructional methods, and assessment techniques.
My goal would be to provide an opportunity for students to learn about all components of
DNA. I would provide a video, handouts, lecture on the subject, have small group
discussions daily, we could create 3-dimensional versions of the DNA strand using pipe
cleaners, and create an activity using the actual students as part of the DNA to get them
moving. The students could do final projects on the unit to show what they have learning
by creating an animated cartoon, essay, quiz or diarama.