Mainstreaming Students Using UDL

By: Stephanie ProhaskaSpecial Education Teacher

What is UDL?

• Universal Design for Learning• Helping all students achieve• Planning lessons: – Presented in multiple ways – Multiple ways of student expression.– Multiple ways of student engagement and

motivation.

Access for all

• Provide students with a wider variety of options.

• Reach every student.

What UDL is NOT.

• Presenting each lesson differently to each student.

• Not an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)– Instead, it is multiple means of:• Presentation• Representation• Expression

Brain Based

• Based upon the knowledge that everyone can benefit and develop a deeper understanding when their brains are exposed to multiple ways of:– Presenting the information– Expressing the information (engagement)– Representing the information (assessments)

UDL Lesson Planning Example

• Locate an article on the web about dolphins. Then the students are given the opportunity to:– Read the article by themselves– Listen to it read aloud to them– Read it using a computer screen reader– Have a dictionary for them to look up words– Have WordWeb set up on a computer for them to

access and define unknown words.

Setting Clear Goals

• Instead of:– Every student will write an essay in cursive

• Achievable Goal of:– Students will write an essay

• Students could then: – Type it on the computer– Write it on paper– Speak it into a Voice Recorder– Create the essay on StoryBird

What is Mainstreaming?

• Including students with disabilities in the regular classroom during different classes:– Homeroom– Related Arts– Academic Classes – Recess– Field Trips and Fun Activities

Benefits of Mainstreaming

• Students with disabilities:– Higher self-esteem– Higher academic skills– Better social relationships

• Students without disabilities– Tolerance– Self-worth– Better understanding of differences

How can UDL help teachers?

• Universal Design for learning can help all students in your classroom, not just the students with disabilities.

• However, UDL ensures that the students being mainstreamed in your classroom can have full access to the education you are providing.

UDL and Mainstreaming

• If lessons are planned with multiple means of presentation, the students with disabilities will be more likely to understand it in one of the ways presented.

• If given multiple ways of expressing their knowledge (assessment) they will be more likely to show higher accomplishments.

• If given multiple ways of engagement and motivation, they are more likely to stay on task.

Misty: Reading Comprehension Disability

• She gets lost when reading “popcorn” style• She has not been attending Reading in the

regular classroom because she could not understand or comprehend the stories.

• While mainstreamed during reading, the students first read aloud, popcorn style

• Then they listen to the story on tape• Then they act out the story like a play

Multiple ways of Presentation

• While students are being mainstreamed, use different presentation styles.– Direct Instruction– Problem Based Instruction– Many examples and non examples– Visual prompts and demonstrations– Many opportunities for students to respond

Multiple ways of Engagement

• When students are being mainstreamed, try to include many ways of motivation– Technology time– Group work– Independent Activities– Manipulatives– Educational Games

Multiple ways of Assessment

• When students are being mainstreamed in your classroom, use progress monitoring along the way to check for understanding.

• Then assess in different ways:– Written and Verbal– Project Based– Computer assessment– Conferencing– Observation

Technology as a tool

• UDL requires the integration of technology into lessons– Digital Text– Web 2.0 Tools– Videos– SmartBoard Interactive Activities

Mainstreaming is Possible

• Adopting UDL principals into your classroom will help, not only the mainstreamed students, but the regular students who need another way to expand their knowledge

• UDL is a way to help foster mainstreaming quickly, with a quick transition for the student with a disability.

• Access for all.

Mainstreaming = Collaboration

• Redefined roles• Special Educators and Regular Educators work

together to create universally designed lessons.

• Special Educators directly involved in making regular curriculum UDL

• Regular Educators directly involved in customizing curriculum.

Team Approach

• Regular Educators and Special Educators participate in creating UDL units and building digital media collections.

• No more “he’s your student.”• The student is a part of the whole school.

UDL Curriculum Development

• Books and textbooks will be adapted into digital format.

• Manipulatives for all subject areas will be purchased and used within lessons as a way of presentation.

• Information will be adapted for the SmartBoard

• Projects will be developed within each unit as another way of expressing understanding

UDL Curriculum Development

• Workbooks will be scanned into the computer so they can be completed on the computer as well as with pencil and paper.

• Screen readers will be available for the computers.

• Tape recorders will be utilized in the classroom.

On going process

• Adapting UDL will help to mainstream students into the regular classroom and help reach every student in the classroom in the process.

• While it will take awhile adapt the curriculum and grow the UDL supplies, it will be an on going process.

• Collaboratively, we can reach every student in the school.

UDL can be the answer

• UDL can help reach every student.