Sara Kroll, Katie Vondette Rebecca Taylor, Shannon Downey Julia Ruggirello CEP 452: Segment 4 12/02/2013 UDL

Lesson Planning Reflection

UDL lesson planning is incredibly important because as a teacher, we will not be given a classroom with 25 perfect students. Every classroom is filled with diverse learners and it is the teachers job to accommodate all of his or her students. UDL lessons help provide possibilities for varied instruction to be used by students who have different abilities, characteristics, likes and dislikes, as well as learning preferences. A very key factor that Ive learned about UDL is that it is not only for students with disabilities, but that it is for all students and that it benefits everyone! UDL gives all individuals equal learning opportunities with its flexible approaches to learning.

UDL has many strengths including one listed above: provides equal learning for all students. This is very crucial because UDL distinguishes the differences that come from every student. As educators, we need to be able to create lessons that contain a variety of approaches so that the needs of all of our students are met properly. When a teacher choses to travel down the UDL lesson planning path, they will see more positive outcomes from their students after a lesson is taught. Teachers will more than likely spend less time after the lesson, re-teaching parts to students who were unable to succeed the first time. UDL lesson plans also help all students in the classroom achieve with a high success rate without the need for constant assistance from the teacher or peers. There were several benefits of UDL lesson planning that were illustrated in our lesson plans. Graphic organizers provide simple and easy tools for students to write down their thoughts and ideas while keeping them structured. Fidgets also provide for an excellent UDL tool to help keep students focused and on task. This

fidget allows for the students to have a physical simulation to keep them more on task! Not all teaching methods can be perfect and this goes for UDL lesson plans as well. Limitations that are found in our lessons plans include possibly not having adequate materials necessary for instruction. We all hope that our schools are capable of providing the resources we need to properly teach our lessons that address all students, but that may not be a reality in all districts. Computers could be accessible in schools but possibly not at home. Students may also not have the knowledge of how to find specific resources on their own, as they may not have a clear sense of direction. Another limitation would be managing ADHD students and potential classroom disruptions. Lastly, a very common limitation could be a teacher not obtaining the necessary skills in UDL teaching strategies. This teacher may not be able to adequately reach all of their students who have varying ability levels properly unless they have done the research on UDL and are trained.

UDL lesson planning is extremely beneficial and I believe that every teacher should implement these types of lessons to the best of his/or her ability. UDL lesson plans will help create a more positive learning environment and encourage ones students on a regular basis when they associate learning with fun and accessibility!