UDL Checklist

To fully comprehend UDL and it;s meaning, it is important for educators to use the materials associated with the term in the field of study. One of the materials that will be most useful to you while teaching is the UDL Educator Checklist. This is an image of what it will look like:

This resource can be found on the CAST website or here Checklist. This is a remarkable resource and can truly change the way you plan your lessons as a teacher. 

We were given the task to pull a lesson that we have used in a prior class or even in the a classroom setting. The purpose of this was to review the lesson and compare it to the UDL Educator Checklist.  I decided to use a math lesson that I used while I was student teaching in first grade. The main objective of the lesson was for the students to learn about pennies, dimes, and nickels. While planning the lesson months ago, I was not aware of the checklist. I did the typical lesson plan that all student teachers do : objectives, standards, procedures, etc. At the bottom of the lesson I did have modifications for students with disabilities. This was asked by the advisor within my college. Below is an portion of my lesson plan:

I was quite pleased with the lesson while teaching it. I thought I hit all the main standards and points. Fast forward to now. I pulled this lesson back up and compared it to the UDL checklist and boy did I do some modifications. Below is my lesson plan after I used the checklist. My changes are in green. 

As you can see adaptations have been made to a few areas. For starters I wanted to write the main goal/objective on the board. This is important for students to see. The teacher can also verbally announce this to the class. Next, I wanted students to be able to give their answers, other then verbally. Post-its are a great way to get them written and up and out of their seats, YES!!! even in first grade. I also included the Think-Pair-Share this will open communication up in the classroom and allow them to discuss among themselves rather then having the teacher always be the one talking. Lastly, I added the use of an IPAD or a computer. Most schools have the ability to have the use of one of both of these devices in their classroom. When possible the teacher should incorporate this into the classroom setting. It allows them to be self-sufficient and will aid those students who are having difficulties in the classroom. 

Changes where made elsewhere in addition to what is shown, I wanted you the reader to understand the main points of the UDL Checklist. 

I can see my strengths are in planning and implementing the lesson, but I need to work on the steps in order to reach the goal. I also have to use more assistive technology in my lessons. This is definitely something that I am going to work on when I am in the classroom. 

Using the UDL Checklist along with the Curriculum Barriers Template will help you as the teacher in aiding your students in their educational experience. I hope you are learning with me on this journey. I have provided some pretty great tips and resources that will work wonders in your classroom.