Integrating Universal Design For Learning into the Elementary Curriculum

INTRODUCTION: Classrooms today are more diverse than ever before. Educators are being asked to include students with disabilities and second language learners into their classrooms. Beyond participation, mandates are holding teachers accountable for these students to make progress in the general education curriculum by attaining Adequate Yearly Progress. This task has educators looking for solutions to help make curriculum assessable for all. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a curriculum framework that provides educators with the supports needed in order to reach each and every learner. PROCEDURES: During a three hour staff development, teachers participated in a PowerPoint presentation, which gave an overview of UDL and the three principles behind it. The teaching staff was required to bring a lesson or unit that they would be teaching within the next two weeks of the presentation. After the PowerPoint, the staff was given time to explore resources available and create Universally Designed lesson plans. The presenter facilitated the process and offered guidance and suggestions. OUTCOME: Teachers were introduced to the principles of UDL and were able to create Universally Designed lesson plans that they were able to use immediately with their students. IMPACT: This project provides educators with a toolkit for implementing UDL principles into their lessons making the curriculum more assessable to all students