Reaching and Teaching All Students

In my previous blog post, I discussed the importance of UDL and it's three principles by reviewing the UDL Wiki Site, which had a lot of really great information. To further my understanding of Universal Design, I will review the information provided from CAST. 

CAST: About UDL

The authors at CAST discuss UDL in terms of the three primary brain networks that come into play during learning. 

Recognition Networks

The "What" of Learning

This neurological network determines how we gather and categorize information. 

In terms of UDL, educators should present content and information in a variety of ways (multiple means of representation). 

Strategic Networks

The "How" of Learning

This part of the brain affects how we organize and express our thoughts and ideas. 

In terms of UDL, educators should differentiate the ways students can express what they know (multiple means of expression).

Affective Networks

The "Why" of Learning

This part of the brain affects how learners become engaged and remain motivated. 

In terms of UDL, educators should find various ways of stimulating interest and motivation for learning (multiple means of engagement). 

CAST: Teaching Every Student

This section of the CAST website provides resources for educators to learn more about UDL and ways to incorporate it into their practice. I found this website to be extremely informative and I believe that it will serve as an excellent resource throughout my career. It provides a wealth of information and tools to make using UDL simple and practical for educators. Some examples include: videos, interactive activities, case stories, checklists, and lesson builders. One of my favorite features is the variety of model UDL lessons; I am a very visual learner and it helps immensely to be able to actually see all of the information being presented in a practical example. 

Here are links to a few of the resources featured on CAST, there are MANY more featured on the website:

CAST UDL Lesson Builder

UDL Book Builder

UDL Model Lesson: Elementary

UDL Toolkits: Planning for All Learners (PAL)

CAST provides multiple toolkits for educators to use when incorporating UDL into the classroom. The PAL toolkit applies UDL to planning and developing instructional activities that promote access, participation, and progress in the general education curriculum for all learners. Planning for All Learners involves for steps which are demonstrated in the image below:

The PAL toolkit includes the following components:

• Procedures
• Explicit explanations of the steps and concepts of this toolkit. 
• What to do and how to do it
• Examples
• Classroom applications of the toolkit
• How to apply UDL in your classroom
• Resources
• Further information on UDL and PAL 
• Share
• Connects educators to other professionals using UDL

I found the information provided on CAST to be extremely helpful in furthering my understanding of UDL and how to apply it to my future teaching. I found these websites to be extremely clear, focused, and informative. My favorite feature of CAST is definitely the list of resources featured in the Teaching Every Student section, I can see myself using those resources on a regular basis throughout my career.