Charlotte Haertling EDUC 5313 Blog

Part I: Summary of " UDL and Intellectual Disability: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?"  by  Kavita Rao, Sean J. Smith, and K. Alisa Lowrey This article discusses an overview of research studies on the application Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for students with intellectual disability (ID) in school settings. The article highlights the ways in which UDL could support inclusion of students with ID in their homeroom at school. Current research shows that UDL has been used alongside school instruction for students with ID and examines interventions and results including  perceptions, interaction, and knowledge improvement. The studies have been performed in home classrooms and general education settings and focused on areas such as adapted books for individuals with ID's and inclusive general education curriculum. The article stressed the need for future research to determine how the UDL framework can be applied to school curriculums alongside evidence-based practi...

In Chapter Five of  How People Learn II, it is emphasized that when students (and humans in general) already have prior knowledge of a particular subject area, learning new content in that same realm of subject matter is much easier. There are several strategies teachers can employ when trying to elicit prior knowledge of a certain subject in students before presenting new information. Some of these strategies include asking initial questions to spark previous knowledge or having students draw, write or create something based on that previous knowledge. Once this knowledge is re-actived and fresh, students are able to input new subject matter easier. Sharing new information is a crucial step in assessing student comprehension. There are many avenues for sharing. Some are more academic (a test, worksheet, or student verbal or written summaries), some are more creative (a project, presentation, drawing, play/skit, etc). Gura's philosophy would lean towards the more creative student o...

  PART 1:  Authentic Individual Work (AIW) refers to educational activities and assignments that require students to participate in relevant and meaningful tasks that align with the instructional content of the lesson/class. AIW goes beyond instructional strategies such as memorization and passive learning and encourages children to actively apply their new knowledge and skills to tangible, real-world contexts beyond what they would ordinarily experience int he classroom. By teaching AIW, students become more curious and motivated to learn and develop a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Additionally, AIW goes hand in hand with natural assessment. Written test and memorization-based exams are not a part of AIW. Rather, AIW assessments occur by students demonstrating their knowledge and skills in relevant contexts that they have chosen and contributed too. This type of assessment provides a more comprensive and robust viewpoint of students' cababilities and unde...