Universal Design for Learning

This is the first I have learned of the three UDL principles and the guidelines and I can definitely see how this framework would lend itself to great instruction.  I feel that I follow some of the guidelines on a regular basis, and other guidelines that need to be improved in my daily instruction.

Guidelines	My Instruction
Multiple Means of Representation	Teaching elementary school really lends itself to multiple means of representation.  We are always looking for ways to reach and teach every child.  We use songs, manipulatives, videos, games, etc. in order to teach a variety of skills.   We also spend lots of time building background knowledge in reading and our math curriculum is set up in a way that it builds off prior knowledge.   I feel that I can grow in the area of addressing patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships.  Sometimes I get so focused on what I’m trying to teach that I forget to think of my instruction in a broader context.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression	As a blended learning classroom, I have been able to provide instructional materials in a variety of ways.  I usually model activities, work through activities with them, and then provide them opportunities to show their understanding on their own or in a collaborative group.  Through the use of data notebooks I have been able to guide appropriate goal setting and manage progress monitoring.
Multiple Means of Engagement	Through the use of gamification I have been able to provide student choice and eliminate threats and distractions for students by allowing them to work at their own pace.  Gamification has also allowed my students to work toward mastery of standards instead of just getting a grade.  They were able to resubmit work samples until they were able to show mastery of the skill.  Gamification gave my students the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning.  I need to give my students more opportunities to reflect and self-assess.

I strongly believe in the power of engagement!  I had a friend who recently shared a blog post with me about the levels of engagement.  Check it out here. When I first started teaching I had very well behaved students. I realize now that I was running a Well Managed Classroom (see below). I continue to strive for the Highly Engaged Classroom. We all know that our students come to us on different levels and with different interests, so this is a challenge. . . but a challenge I enjoy thinking through every week at planning!