Week 3 assignment #3 UDL

Part 1

Universal Design for Learning is an approach for designing a curriculum such that all of the diverse students can learn and gain. This is accomplished by representing the material in multiple ways based on the diversity of your students (Representation or the WHAT/Recognition Network of learning). Allowing the students options for how they are going to express what they know based on their level of proficiency (Action and Expression or the HOW/Strategic Network) and Engage the students interests in more than one way, give them choices (The WHY/Affective Network)

 

Part 2

For this exercise I chose "The Life Cycle of Butterflies, Day 2"

This lesson focuses on the growth cycle of the butterfly, why and how it is different from many other animals. 

The lesson plan is designed with UDL principles. Some examples: 

* The unit goals specifically does not mention a means for expressing how students achieve them. This was intentional as to not limit the means and therefor exclude some students from achieving success. This accomplishes the HOW(Strategic Network) of UDL

* While students are discussing the life cycle of the butterfly the lesson plan calls for students to ask another student for a different thought. This encourages the WHAT (Recognition Network) by providing support for limited background knowledge. 

* One of the activities asks students to choose to either work alone or with a partner, and to select an animal of choice. The student then quietly figure out one difference between the life cycle of that animal and the butterfly. This is a great use of WHY(Affective Network) by providing choices of learning context. 

*The lesson concludes with students using their own knowledge about the life cycles of animals to create the life cycle of their own imaginary animals. This activity takes advantage of the HOW(Strategic Network) by providing a novel problem to solve which promotes generalization and transfer.

Overall the lesson plan introduces a bunch of really thoughtful exercises which are inclusive of many levels of diverse learners. It really does a fantastic job of introducing activities which are attainable and provide a great experience for students