Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides flexible learning opportunities and removes barriers to instruction for all students. UDL was designed to anticipate diverse student needs and accommodate them from the outset through flexible goals, methods, materials and assessments. Implementing UDL requires the use of multiple teaching strategies targeted to the recognition, strategic and affective networks of the brain. Technology plays a key role in individualizing instruction to meet varied student needs through assistive and supportive tools.

3.  Universal Design for Learning (UDL) ―is a set
of principles for curriculum development
that give all individuals equal opportunities
to learn‖ (Rose & Meyer, 2002).
 ―UDL provides a blueprint for creating
instructional goals, methods, materials, and
assessments that work for everyone—not a
single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather
flexible approaches that can be
customized and adjusted for individual
needs (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

4.  UDL was designed to
―anticipate the needs of
individuals with disabilities
and accommodate these
needs from the onset‖
(Hall, Strangman, &
Meyer, 2003).
 Example: A curb, with a
ramp, serve for those in
wheelchairs, however they
also benefit those with
strollers, young
children, bicyclists, runners,
and even a walker. ―And
so, the process of designing
for individuals with
disabilities has led to
improved usability for

5. Handle bars in bathrooms
Alternative to Stairs Automatic Doors

6. Retrieved from http://www.classroom-aid.com/blog/bid/64103/Digital-Learning-should-be-Personalized-Learning

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGLTJw0GSx
k&feature=player_embedded
National Center on UDL Director David Rose
explains how UDL helps meet the most pressing
issues facing educators today. Drawing on
brain research and the latest learning
sciences, Dr. Rose describes the three UDL
principles and what they mean for classroom
practice.

8. Digital Books
Interactive
Whiteboards
Colored Overlays
to highlight text
Computers

9. Text-to-speech
Software (Kurzweil)
Concept maps
(Inspiration or Kidspiration)
Cooperative Learning
Groups

10. Games
Working with Peers
Songs

11. Technology plays an important role when
developing and executing UDL.
Technology individualizes teaching
methods and allows teachers to
accommodate diverse learners. The
technology can be separated into two
categories, assistive/ adaptive
technology and supportive technology
(Bray, Brown, & Green, 2004).

12.  Hearing Aids
 Visual Aids (Screen magnifiers, Braille
note-taking devices)
 Voice-recognition software
 Adapted learning tools, such as a
modified keyboard
 Translation Software (text-to-
speech, language translation)

13.  Web pages
 Electronic text books
 Captioned videos
 Word processors
 Calculators
 Drill and practice software

14. Lakelands Park Middle School is part of a pilot
project ―to develop models for school-level
implementation of Universal Design for
Learning funded through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA)‖
(MCPS, 2012).
Click below to view video examples of UDL
practices in the middle school classroom.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/depa
rtments/hiat/udl/video/list.shtm

15. By implementing UDL within our own walls, we are able
to adapt lessons, instruction, and assessments to
meet the needs of all learners. Although special
education students and English Language Learners
would greatly benefit from UDL, as would our
accelerated students and average students.
Students would have more choice and interactions
within their own learning. ―Each learning experience
would directly effect the three learning
networks, increasing understanding of how students
learn, and how they prefer to learn, the use of
multiple strategies to solve problems, demonstrate
knowledge, or accomplish goals, as well as
motivation in the classroom as a result of choices in
student learning‖ (Universal-Design-4-Learning, 2012).

16. Within the large network of the brain are many smaller networks.
Three primary networks are recognition, strategic, and affective
networks.
Recognition Network: ―are specialized to sense and assign
meaning to pattern we see; they enable us to identify and
understand information, ideas, and concepts‖ (Rose &
Meyer, 2002).
Strategic Network: ―are specialized to generate and oversee
mental and motor patters. They enable us to plan, execute and
monitor actions and skills‖ (Rose & Meyer, 2002).
Affective Network: ―are specialized to evaluate patterns and assign
them emotional significance they enable us to engage with
tasks and learning and with the world around us‖ (Rose &
Meyer, 2002).

17.  An example CAST uses is an activity
many of us have participated in
multiple times, signing a birthday card.
The recognition network allows us to
identify a birthday card, pen, our
hands to write and our signature. The
strategic network sets the goal of
signing the birthday card, forms a plan
of picking up the pen and moving it to
create a signature, and make
corrections, such as making letters
smaller to fit the words in a certain
space. Finally, affective networks
connect our feelings to our
friend, motivates us to sign and stay on
task. (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

18. Network-Appropriate Teaching Methods
 In order to
accommodate To support diverse recognition networks:
all diverse • Provide multiple examples
learners, we • Highlight critical features
must use a • Provide multiple media and formats
• Support background context
variety of
teaching To support diverse strategic networks:
strategies for • Provide flexible models of skilled performance
each of the • Provide opportunities to practice with supports
brain networks. • Offer flexible opportunities for demonstrating skill
To support diverse affective networks:
• Offer choices of content and tools
• Offer adjustable levels of challenge
• Offer choices of rewards
• Offer choices of learning context (Rose &

19.  Image Collector: ―This Image Finder and
Image Describer tutorials teach you how to
find images and create educationally
meaningful text descriptions to make
images accessible and useful to all of your
students. The Image Collector tool helps
you find, describe and save images to use
in your classroom‖ (Rose & Meyer, 2002).
› This can be extremely helpful within my own
classroom due to the diverse needs. Many of
my students are special education students and
English as a second language students.
Therefore, by incorporating images and pictures
to lessons, the students are able to make further
connections and understandings.

20.  TES Journal: ―…Online journal to record your
ideas, insights, reflections and thoughts‖ (Rose and
Meyer, 2002).
› It is important for every educator to reflect on how the
lesson went. It is important to acknowledge what went
well and what adjustments need to be made.
Reflection allows us to be better educators. When we
reflect, we make adjustments to ensure all students are
able to be successful. By using this journal, we are able
to reflect, and review our reflections because they are
kept online. Also, we are able to record any ideas or
insights we may have. Often times we think of
something and do not record the thought, then
forgetting our ideas. By using this journal, we are able to
record our thoughts and have them in one area. We
are then able to implement these newly thought ideas
within our lessons and ultimately reflect on how the

21.  UDL Goal Setter: ―The UDL Goal Setter helps
you define clear goals for your class that
represent the core instructional purpose of
the learning activity and support multiple
pathways for achieving the goal‖ (Rose &
Meyer, 2002).
› Goals are very important to set as an educator.
Not only is it important for you to know your
goals, but also the students. Everyone within the
lesson should know the desired outcome of the
lesson. Also, as you set the goals, it is important
to refer back to the goals throughout the lesson.
As everyone is made aware of the overall
goal, a self-check can be done to monitor
progress.

22.  Bray, M., Brown, A., & Green, T. (2004). Technology and the diverse learner: A guide to
classroom practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
 CAST, Inc. (2002–2011). Teaching every student: Tools and activities. Retrieved from
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/
 Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2003). Differentiated instruction and implications for
UDL implementation. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General
Curriculum. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from
http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/differentiated_instruction_u
dl
 MCPS. (2012). Video examples of UDL Practices in the middle school classroom.
Retrieved March 25, 2012, from
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/udl/video/list.shtm
 Rose, D. (2010). UDL: Principles and practice. UDL Center. Retrieved on
March, 25, 2012. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGLTJw0GSxk&feature=player_embedded
 Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design
for learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/
 Universal-Design-4-Learning. 2012. Impact of UDL. Retrieved March 25, 2012. Retrieved
from http://universal-design-4-learning.wikispaces.com/Impact+of+UDL