Universal Design for Learning and my PD needs

After reading and listening to this week's information, it showed me the new ever-changing world of the Universal Design for Learning model. I think it is great that now our educational system can be adapted to each individual students' needs and likes. Never again will you as a teacher have to limit your students to completing an assignment in only one medium. Now, one can allow their students to explore their likes and assets to make their own learning meaningful and fulfilling for themselves.

When reading and listening to this week to the information, I found that I lacked important training that one would need to enact the Universal Design for Learning into my own teaching. I am a fourth grade reading intervention teacher, so I do not technically have a formal classroom to bring my students to when I pull them out for their services. Since I am in the Special Education department at my school, I think it is important that I differentiate my instruction so that all of students can accurately learn and be assessed properly. By reading the Firchow article, I found that the Universal Design for Learning model can affect instruction in three aspects: Multiple methods of presentation, Multiple options for participation, and Multiple means of expression. In order for me to integrate this method into my daily instruction I would love to get some professional development instruction on this topic. It is one thing to read about the multiple means of expression, but I would love to see how teachers accept their students' work in this manner. Is the school equipped with the technologies to allow for this to happen? Do the students have to provide their own technologies? Since students are completing assignments multiple ways, don't some methods take longer than others? How does a teacher differentiate their instruction to accommodate for all of these different methods? I'm excited to learn further about this topic and to hopefully one day integrate this model into my teaching on a daily basis.