Hello Educators,

Today, we’ll dive into Universal Design for Learning (UDL). I’m excited to share insights from Jason Hicks of Pathways to Inclusive Education, who recently spent two weeks at my current school helping us differentiate learning to meet our students’ needs using UDL.

If this is your first time learning about UDL, I recommend reading this article and this one to gain a better understanding before continuing.

In this article, I’ll introduce a simple method to help you reflect on your lessons through the UDL framework. I’ll also share the lesson observation feedback I received from Jason Hicks and discuss an incredible learning opportunity where I explored a tool called Journey Mapping, thanks to his guidance.

Part 1. 

Let’s begin by reflecting on a past lesson or planning for an upcoming one, considering the following key points:

1. Lesson Goal: What do you want students to learn by the end of the lesson?
2. Potential Barriers: What obstacles might hinder learning, and how can they be addressed?
3. UDL Guidelines: How does the lesson incorporate UDL principles—Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression?
4. Strategies for Accessibility: What strategies are you using (or will use) to ensure learning is accessible for all students?
5. Measuring Success: How do you (or will you) assess the lesson’s effectiveness? What indicators will show that students have met the learning objectives?
6. Extensions: What additional steps can you take to enhance the learning experience for your students?

I found this method of reflection incredibly useful as it helped me see how UDL can enhance my teaching practices and ensure I provide the best experience for my students in every lesson. By continually reflecting, I can align my approach with my teaching philosophy: 

 I believe that the learning process will be more productive if I use student feedback to help me reflect on and improve my teaching practices. Using my student’s feedback will help me to be sensitive to their individual needs and gain clarity on how to teach better, and more effectively.

Below is an example of how I applied this reflection method:

Goal of the Unit:
To explain some environmental and human adaptations that influence our choices and decisions.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding key concepts: change and choice
• Developing skills: batting, bowling, throwing, and catching

Barriers to Learning:

• Some students struggle with motor skills due to limited exposure to similar sports or activities.
• Low engagement in discussions, leading to a lack of motivation for independent research and exploration.

UDL Guidelines Applied:

• Engagement: Optimize choice and autonomy, relevance, value, and authenticity.

Strategies to be Implemented:

• Problem-Based Learning
• Videos on cricket to share insights
• Teacher-guided discussions followed by student reflections
• Kahoot quiz for interactive learning

Measurement of Success:

• Collect student feedback on which methods they found most engaging and effective.

Extensions:

• Set meaningful, personalized goals for students to further improve their engagement and learning experience.

Part 2

I invited Jason Hicks to observe my lesson (see the lesson plan attached). Right after receiving the invitation, he asked me, “Elves, what specific aspects would you like me to observe in your lesson?” After reflecting on my teaching practices, I thought focusing on student engagement would be a great idea, as it’s something I believed I was already doing well. I share the responsibility for lesson engagement with my students at the end of each lesson, we discuss what went well and areas where we could improve engagement, and they help suggest possible strategies.

On the day Jason came to observe the lesson, I already had three points that my students had suggested from our previous lesson. To my surprise, Jason observed the lesson in an incredibly insightful way. He collected data that made me deeply reflect on my practices, both as a teacher and a learning leader. 

Jason Hicks’ Observation

He noticed how the students were seated in the gym (semi-circle), with boys on one side, a large gap in the middle, and girls on the other side. He told me that during the introduction of the lesson, while reviewing the previous session and introducing the day’s topic, I asked a total of 19 questions. Two students answered 6 questions each, one answered 4, and two others answered 1 each, out of a class of 16 students. Then he asked me, “Elves, looking at this data, what do you think about engagement in your lesson?”

I was surprised by the data because I was so engaged in the lesson that I hadn’t realized I had asked so many questions. What struck me most was that, despite being in the middle of my students, I hadn’t managed to engage even 50% of them in the discussion. I immediately asked myself, “How can I improve this next time?”—the same question Jason Hicks posed to me. I told him that the data he collected would help me become more mindful of the questions I ask and who is responding.

The first strategy I thought of was to have students discuss in pairs after I ask a question, before sharing with the rest of the class. I could also incorporate some thinking routines to engage more of the class in discussions.

While we were discussing possible solutions, Jason added another point from his data. According to my plan, students were supposed to move into groups to design drills for improving their cricket skills. However, Jason observed that in these groups, some students participated more than others. He then explained the concept of introverted vs. extroverted students and asked, “How can you ensure that both types of learners benefit from your lessons? How can you give them the time they need to share their ideas?”

I invite you, fellow educators, to share any strategies you’ve used to help introverted learners actively participate in lessons. Please share your ideas in the comments.

After a great discussion with Jason Hicks, he shared some resources with me (see them below). I also shared the data with my students, and together we brainstormed ideas to improve engagement. I hope to share our successes and challenges in the next article.

Part 3

The article in becoming long, I wont provide alot of details about the last part but ask you the following question. How can you use Journey Mapping to improve your teaching practices? See the picture bellow.