Lauren Schneider's reflection

The Universal Design for Learning articles describe the importance of creating opportunities for all students to learn. As part of my undergraduate coursework, I took a Disability Studies course which followed the Universal Design Model for Learning. Notes were placed on an overhead projector and typed in large font. As the professor read over the notes, it seemed as if it was just the same as what he had typed out on the screen. At first, this seemed a bit odd. It was only a few weeks into the semester that the professor explained that his reasoning for doing this was part of the Universal Design model for learning. If a student in the course was deaf, he/ she would be able to access the material without having to hear the lecture. Additionally, students with reading difficulties would be able to access the lectures without having to read the notes. Students with physical disabilities, for whom the physical act of writing can be difficult, would not have to write down their own notes for the course. It was quite powerful to be experience what the Universal Design Model for Learning entails while simultaneously studying Disability Studies. The idea of creating a course with all students in mind seemed to be empowering for all students, and quite appealing to me on an intellectual level as well.

At the end of the third session, I understood that Universal Design can be emotionally empowering for students as well. As several students stood online with accommodation letters in their hands, they glanced down slowly rereading their letters. The next thing I knew, each of the students was throwing the letter they received from Disability Services into the trash. One student said, ‘it looks like I don’t need this. This course is just fine the way it is.” It seemed to me that this student also felt that she was just fine the way she is and that in this course all types of learners can be successful.

The podcast demonstrates the importance of teaching to student’s strengths. Understanding the different parts of the brain is one way we can begin to understand the different learners in our classrooms. Listening to the podcast made me understand that my role as the teacher is to connect my student’s strengths, challenges and personalities to the course material. If this is done from the start, there will be less of a need to modify things later on. Technology plays a very important role in this endeavor. The opportunity to provide students with multiple ways to access the material allows students to produce work that reflects their abilities. The example in the Podcast of students with reading difficulties being able to perform at their level in math if the questions are being read to the students allow students to be fairly assessed and challenged in all subject areas. In thinking about some of the classrooms I have taught in, I think that the Universal Design is a mindset that must be adopted by the teachers, students and parents in order for it to be successful. If teachers take the time to explain to individual students why they are accessing the material in a particular way, students will develop the metacognitive skills to think about their own learning needs and advocate for themselves in the future. Additionally, students will understand that everyone learns differently but that all students are capable of achieving success.