Introducing Students to UDL

Dr. Katie NovakAssistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Human ResourcesAuthor of UDL Now!

Who Are Your Students?

Who Are Your Students?Think about your students and all the variability you encounter in a given school year. Do not think in terms of academic ability, but all the vast diversity in your classroom. Take a moment to write a few statements that describe the variability of your students. Ex: My students come to school hungry and with full bellies.

Step 1: Introduce the Guidelines•Review Guidelines with students to give them a sense of the type of instructional strategies you will use throughout the year. •This connects to the important work of Jean Anyon.•Choose an activity on pg. 4 of the electronic handout to reflect on how you could share one of more of the Guidelines with students when you return to your learning environment.

Step 2: Heighten Salience of GoalsKnowledge: We all have knowledge, and concepts that we want our students to acquire. What is that knowledge and why is it important?

Competencies: There are specific skills students will have to complete to be successful. What are these competencies and why are they important?

The Choice Assignment

How Can Students Help You to Learn Where They Are?

Step 3: Encourage Students to Monitor Instruction and Learning

Ask students to assess you and their own learning!

Ex: When you are finished, answer the following questions:•What could I, as your teacher, have done better today?•Were you engaged in today’s lesson? Why or why not?

The Long & Short

Present information and content in different ways

Differentiate the ways that students can express what

they know

Stimulate interest

and motivation for

learning

Know what you’re teaching, and be flexible!