What is UDL?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is curriculum that gives equal opportunities for all students to learn.  With UDL we can create goals, assignments, assessments, and materials for each individual student.  Individualizing is possible because there are three main brain networks that we will look at.  The first is Recognition Network that determines what a student is learning.  By understanding this network, we can present information that is appealing to students.  The second is Strategic Network that lets students understand how.  This network specializes in allowing students to express what they learn in a way that is most comfortable to them.  The final network is the Affective Network that helps students realize why they are learning.  This network focuses on how we can draw in and engage students to what is being taught.  The table below gives examples on how to appeal to each network.

http://www.cast.org/library/UDLguidelines/version1.html

By knowing how the brain works, we, as educators, can present information in a way that is easiest for each individual student to understand, let students present information in a way that is most comfortable for them, and find the motivation for students to learn.  With a combination of all these, every student can be successful in a classroom.  I think these brain networks are important to for teachers to know because one size does NOT fit all.  With this information we can then individual the lesson plans for every student instead of a one size fits all curriculum.

References:

http://cast.org/udl/index.html