Artifact #4- Universal Design for Learning Reflection

Description:

This UDL activity was completed individually for the Summer 2023 Theory and Practice for Integrating Digital Resources into Learning and Teaching with Professor Sadera. For this assignment, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Checklist was used to revise a lesson or professional development to UDL guidelines.

         I chose to adapt a 1st grade math lesson from the Envision 2.0 curriculum with the objective of students being able to tell time to the half hour. This lesson was chosen because it was thought to be beneficial to include different representations and visuals to help students fully understand the concept of being able to tell time to the half hour. Also, it will provide students with more time and experience with manipulating the clock. The lesson on time is broken down into all of the steps and components. For each component of the lesson, there is a reflection on how it currently reflects UDL principals, along with shortcomings and revisions based on the UDL Checklist. 

 

Standard Alignment:

Standard #2- Connected Learner

2b. Actively participate in professional learning networks to enhance coaching practice and keep current with emerging technology and innovations in pedagogy and the learning sciences.

This project allowed me to look at this math lesson and think about ways to improve it using emerging technology resources according to the UDL guidelines. This lesson was able to be shared with co-workers in first grade and with other educators in our cohort for feedback. This activity allowed me to participate in a network of professional learning and sharing of tools and resources.

 

2c. Establish shared goals with educators, reflect on successes and continually improve coaching and teaching practice.

Through this project, I was able to enrich a math lesson and grow professionally with my knowledge of emerging technology and UDL. In revising this lesson, I was able to share the goal of developing lessons that follow UDL guidelines to improve overall student learning. When sharing this lesson with coworkers and educators in my cohort, I was able to receive to feedback in order to reflect on my learning based around UDL resulting in the improvement of my overall teaching practice.

 

Reflection:

          This first-grade math lesson on telling time to the half-hour is part of the Envision 2.0 math curriculum for Harford County Public Schools. It was chosen to be revised using the UDL checklist in order to gain a better understanding of what components of UDL existed within the lesson and what could be revised to strengthen it even further. With the completion of this reflection, I was able to revise the lesson to incorporate more elements of UDL to meet the needs of the students in the classroom. This lesson has been used since the revision in Summer 2023, with the added components of UDL to help improve overall student learning. It has also been shared with colleagues with included revisions based around UDL. The audience is about 20 first grade students in a general education classroom setting of students with diverse needs including IEP, 504 plans and English language learning students. 

          This Universal Design for Learning reflection activity meets the ISTE connected learner standards by allowing me to actively participate in professional learning based on the UDL guidelines. While making revisions to the lesson, I was able to think about emerging technology and how it could be incorporated into the lesson to improve it based on UDL. I was also able to participate in a professional learning network with educators and colleagues through the sharing of this lesson. Feedback was given based on the lesson revisions which allowed me to reflect and find additional ways to improve my teaching practices. 

          This revised lesson using additional means of UDL has been used in the classroom for instruction. Incorporating additional means of UDL to promote overall student learning was successful and effective. Students enjoyed being more hands-on in the lesson and playing an online game helped to boost student engagement in the lesson, along with allowing the time to pull small groups and provide needed differentiation of the lesson.