Unpacking Universal Design for Learning

TABLE OF FIGURES
FOREWORD by Dr. Anne Meyer
PREFACE
WHY DID WE WRITE THIS BOOK?
WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?
OUR GOALS
YOUR GOALS
KEY TAKEAWAYS
IDEAS TO PONDER
FOR YOUR BOOKBAG
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
UNPACKING WHO WE ARE
CHAPTER 1: THE BRAIN AND UDL
DEFINING UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
THE THREE SETS OF BRAIN NETWORKS
UDL PRINCIPLES MAP UNTO BRAIN NETWORKS
STARTING ON THE SAME PAGE
CONCEPT 1: THREE BRAIN NETWORKS PROCESS SIMULTANEOUSLY
CONCEPT 2: BURNING GLUCOSE WHEN WE LEARN
KEY TAKEAWAYS
IDEAS TO PONDER
FOR YOUR BOOKBAG
CHAPTER 2: DESIGNING UDL EXPERIENCES
CONCEPT 3: LEARNER VARIABILITY
DESIGNING FOR LEARNER VARIABILITY
GOALS
ASSESSMENTS
METHODS
MATERIALS
LEARNER AGENCY
DESIGNING FOR LEARNER AGENCY
MS. JACKSON'S LUGGAGE PROJECT
CONTEXT AND LEARNER VARIABILITY
CRITICAL VALUES IMPACT LEARNER VARIABILITY
REFLECTING WHO LEARNERS ARE
DEVELOPING A SENSE OF BELONGING
KEY TAKEAWAYS
IDEAS TO PONDER
FOR YOUR BOOKBAG
CHAPTER 3: MAXIMIZING LEARNING FOR ALL
DESIGN CAN CREATE BARRIERS
BARRIERS TO LEARNING
PHYSICAL BARRIERS
SENSORY BARRIERS
COGNITIVE BARRIERS
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL BARRIERS
SCAFFOLDS AND SUPPORTS
KEY TAKEAWAYS
IDEAS TO PONDER
FOR YOUR BOOKBAG
CHAPTER 4: HOW UDL TRANSFORMS THINKING
A SEMINAL QUESTION
GOING BEYOND THE SURFACE
THE UDL JOURNEY
TERRY STARTS HIS UDL JOURNEY
KEY TAKEAWAYS
IDEAS TO PONDER
FOR YOUR BOOKBAG
CHAPTER 5: UDL EXEMPLARS IN THE FIELD
UDL JOURNEY EXEMPLARS
MR. DANIEL'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. MIRANDA'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. LING'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. KIM'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. KABIR'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. AHMED'S & MS. DEY'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. SMITH'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. MITCHELL'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. SANCHEZ'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. JAZEEM'S UDL JOURNEY
MR. NEVILLE'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. SCOTT'S UDL JOURNEY
MR. BAKER'S UDL JOURNEY
MR. XAVIER'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. IMANI'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. CHATMAN'S UDL JOURNEY
MR. ABRAHAM'S & MS. BROWNE'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. BECK'S UDL JOURNEY
DR. LLOYD'S UDL JOURNEY
DR. WRIGHT'S UDL JOURNEY
DR. OSHIRA'S UDL JOURNEY
DR. MARIN'S UDL JOURNEY
DR. LOPEZ'S UDL JOURNEY
DR. ROBERT'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. MARSHALL'S UDL JOURNEY
MS. PARK'S UDL JOURNEY ADULT ED/PRISON
DR. MCDONALD'S & MAEVE'S UDL JOURNEY-PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
KEY TAKEAWAYS
IDEAS TO PONDER
FOR YOUR BOOKBAG
APPENDIX
GLOSSARY
REFERENCES
INDEX
Dr. Lewis' UDL Journey
Biography
Mr. Banks¿ UDL Journey

After teaching for twenty-five years as a speech-language pathologist in Connecticut public schools, I joined the National Education Association (NEA) as a policy analyst focused on special and gifted education issues. The NEA was preparing for the Congressional reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and wanted the perspective of someone who had recent experience with applying the law at classroom and school levels. Simultaneously, CAST was advocating that Congress include UDL in IDEA as a recommended educational framework for general education curriculum design. Their intent was to make the general education learning environment more flexible and responsive to the needs of learners with disabilities or special education needs, as well as all learners, by applying UDL to instructional design. I was intrigued and began to investigate UDL implementation strategies.
Initially, I viewed UDL as many educators do when they first begin to learn about it as a way to provide access to the general education curriculum by incorporating digital technology and instructional adaptations. But soon, I realized that in addition to offering access, the UDL framework represented a clear understanding of how all humans learn and that it could be applied in any learning environment to provide support and engagement opportunities to each and every learner. Now, more than a decade later, I'm thrilled that UDL is being used across the globe as a curriculum framework that offers opportunities for inclusive learning experiences. Unfortunately, too many educators are still unaware of its true power to provide not only access, but the learning support needed by all learners. That's why it's important to share this book.