This document discusses utilizing the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to impact student learning and expression. It provides an overview of the goals and agenda for a session on UDL, which includes understanding the three UDL principles, analyzing how UDL supports meeting standards, and identifying UDL-aligned resources. The overall goal is to build awareness of UDL strategies to create flexible learning environments that address learner variability and reduce barriers to access the curriculum.

1. Utilizing the UDL Framework
to Impact Student Learning
S
and Expression
By: Matt Bergman, M.Ed.
Milton Hershey School

2. Matt Bergman

3. My UDL Journey

4. Bergman-UDL.blogspot.com

5. FIRST AND LAST
NAME
FOLD
Biggest challenge when
working with students…
What I love most about
working with students…

6. FIRST AND LAST
NAME
FOLD
Biggest challenge when
working with students…
What I love most about
working with students…

7. Goals of Today’s Session
S Understand the three principles of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL).
S Analyze how UDL supports student access to the
Standards for College and Career Readiness (Common
Core State Standards).
S Identify resources that align with UDL principles applied
to written expression learning activities.

8. Overall goal for today is to build awareness and
UDL strategies

9. S 8:00-9:30 Three Principles of Universal Design for Learning
S 9:30-10:15 Learner Variability & Flexible Learning
Environments
S 10:15- 10:30 Break
S 10:30- 11:15 The Demands of the Common Core State
Standards
S 11:15 – 12:00 UDL Look For’s
S 1:00 – 3:00 Improving Learner Participation in Written
Expression Activities using the UDL Framework

10. TURN AND TALK: Where are you in your
understanding about UDL?
A. Just beginning, what does ‘UDL’ stand for?
B. I know a little about UDL
C. I have started to implement UDL in my work
D. Ask me anything about UDL: I could lead a
session!

11. What do you KNOW about
UDL?

12. What do you WANT TO
KNOW about UDL?

13. What is Universal Design for
Learning?

14. Building Background:

15. The concept of Universal Design originated
in which field?
A. Manufacturing
B. Medical
C. Architecture
D. Education
… “all new environments and products, to the greatest extent possible,
should be usable by everyone regardless of their age, ability, or
circumstance.”

16. Who was the founder and genius behind
the concept of Universal Design?
A. Ron Mace
B. Dr. David Rose
C. Eckhart Tolle
D. G. F. Fitzsimmons

17. Designing from beginning reduces barriers
for all
40

18. CAST began as a small group of neuropsychologists in the early
____ and evolved into utilizing the concept of Universal Design in
learning environments.
A. 1970’s
B. 1980’s
C. 1990’s
D. 2000’s

19. Matthew
Barriers don’t exist in the individual, but a fixed curriculum.

20. Where was the idea of CAST conceived?
A. In the parking lot after a heated school
board meeting
B. In a Harvard University classroom
C. In a pizza parlor
D. On a fishing trip to Maine

21. UDL Started with Students in
the Margins

22. Which of the following is an influence of
the development of UDL?
A. The concept of
Universal Design
B. Emerging
technologies
C. Advancements in
brain research
D. All of the above

23. CAST found that many of their design modifications,
recommended for one student, could benefit others in
the classroom as well.

24. Marshmallow Challenge
Rules
• Teams of 4
• 18 minutes
• Build the tallest
freestanding structure
• Marshmallow on top
• Use as much or as little of
contents as you would like
20 1 yard

25. Why begin with this exercise?
Clear goal, flexible means

26. Materials for Today
tinyurl.com/PGC2014

27. If learning begins with a goal,
then what is it?
Goal
• What’s the point?
• What should students know
how to do by the end of the
day?
UDL’s goal is to develop a flexible
curriculum to reduce academic barriers and
optimize learning for ALL students

28. UDL Core Concept 1:
Effective Goals are Essential Towards
Implementing UDL
• Share goals clearly so that all
students understand
• Consider flexible non-prescriptive
means towards
reaching goal (UDL)

29. Prescriptive goals restrict flexibility
Old “Prescriptive” Goal
"Students will
demonstrate naming
quantities greater than 1
with fractions and mixed
numbers by completing a
whole-class circle activity
and independent work in
student journal pages 197-
198.”
New “Flexible” Goal
"Students will
demonstrate naming
quantities greater
than 1 with fractions
and mixed numbers."

30. Goals that are flexible can
address variability!

31. S
Designing Flexible
Learning Environments
to Address Variability

32. UDL Core Concept 2:
Variability is NOT the Exception, but the
Rule

33. One-Size-Fits-All Does Not Address
Variability

34. What Brain Research is Telling
Us About Variability…

35. When Variability is NOT
Addressed, it Becomes a Barrier

36. How would you define the term
academic barrier?

37. What barriers existed in your educational
career (educational, social, etc.)?
Anything that restrains or
obstructs progress in fulfilling
the task at hand.
Allowing entry or creating
success

38. On a Post-It Note
ACCESS
BARRIER
ACTIVITY
Describe a time when you felt
a barrier existed between you
and the curriculum
VS.
Describe a time when you felt
that you had access to the
curriculum

39. For Example:

40. For example:

41. What barriers existed in your
educational career (educational,
social, etc.)?
ACCESS
BARRIER
ACTIVITY
Describe a time when you felt
a barrier existed between you
and the curriculum
VS.
Describe a time when you felt
that you had access to the
curriculum

42. Time to Share!
SGet up and
introduce yourself
to someone you
don’t know
SShare your
Barrier and
Access points

43. Hang your “Barrier” and
“Access” Points on the
wall
Then…

44. Why did we begin talking
about…?
Anything that restrains or
obstructs progress in fulfilling
the task at hand.
Allowing entry or creating
success

45. UDL looks at the design of
the curriculum from the
beginning!
Anything that restrains or
obstructs progress in fulfilling
the task at hand.
Allowing entry or creating
success

46. What do we mean by the term
curriculum?

47. When learner diversity is not
recognized, curriculum becomes
disabled by…

48. ANSWERGARDEN ACTIVITY: What
“barriers” exist for students in our
classrooms?

49. “Today’s classrooms are more diverse
than ever before”

50. S Over 5.8 million students in the US received
special education services through IDEA in 2009
(U.S. Department of Education)

51. S 46.7 million students were enrolled in public
elementary and secondary schools in 1999 (U.S.
Department of Education)

52. S By the year 2016, enrollment is expected to
increase to 53.3 million (NCES, 2008a)

53. S 4.7 million children ages 5–17 spoke a
language other than English at home in 1980
(US Department of Education)

54. S In 2009, this number increased to 11.2
million (US Department of Education)

55. S Over 16 million children under the age of 18 live
in poverty (US Census Bureau)

56. Todd Rose – Variability
Matters

57. How do you design a curriculum that
addresses all of the diversity (variability)
that exists in classrooms today?

58. Brain Research
• The way that we
learn is as
different as our
DNA or
fingerprints;
however, there
are predictable
differences in the
way we learn
called Systematic
Variability
Perceive
Understand
Engage

59. “The way we
learn is as
different as our
DNA or
fingerprints”
- CAST

60. Variability exists in the way we learn and in
the barriers we face; however, brain
research offers predicable strategies we
can use to provide ALL students access

62. Meeting the Demands
of the Common Core
S

63. History of Common Core

64. What’s the point?
S Goal: To prepare students to
become globally competitive in the
workforce upon graduation

65. What’s wrong with that?
S Some states like Massachusetts
have had traditionally high
standards, while states like
Tennessee have significantly lower
standards

66. Standards are Nothing New!
S What are standards?
S Emphasize what the educational community
values and believes that teachers must teach
and assess.
S Well-designed standards provide teachers
with the ability to dictate how they teach a
particular concept.

67. We usually cannot meet
standards in one class period!
S Therefore we need to break
lessons into meaningful chunks or
goals!

69. The Dilemma of Curriculum
Goal
Methods
Materials
Assessments
• Brain research has also shown us that a one-size-fits
all approach is a barrier to learning

70. PBJ Challenge

71. Using the UDL Framework
SCan provide educators flexible
ways to address all student
needs

72. Learning Begins with a Goal
Goal
• What’s the point?
• What should students know
how to do by the end of the
day?
UDL’s goal is to develop a flexible
curriculum to reduce academic barriers and
optimize learning for ALL students

73. “Teasing Out” the Point
S Do students need to understand why the topic is
important?
Affective Network
S Do students need to understand what the topic is?
Recognition Network
S Do students need to demonstrate how to do the
topic?
Strategic Network?

74. Prescriptive goals restrict flexibility
Old “Prescriptive” Goal
"Students will
demonstrate naming
quantities greater than 1
with fractions and mixed
numbers by completing a
whole-class circle activity
and independent work in
student journal pages 197-
198.”
New “Flexible” Goal
"Students will
demonstrate
naming quantities
greater than 1 with
fractions and
mixed numbers."

75. Flexibility begins with a POP
PREDICT OVERCOME PLAN
Methods
Materials
Assessments

76. Predict Barriers • What high-probability
barriers exist within the
methods, materials,
and assessments
needed to accomplish
your goal?
Perceive
Understand
Engage

77. Thinking about Potential
Barriers
S Do students need to
understand why the topic is
important?
Affective Network
S Do students need to
understand what the topic is?
Recognition Network
S Do students need to
demonstrate how to do the
topic?
S You are a first
grade teacher,
who needs to
help students
build an
understanding
of whole
numbers
between 10 and
100 in terms of
tens and ones.

78. What high-probability barriers will occur with
the methods, materials, and assessments
needed to meet the goal?
S You are a first grade teacher, who needs to
help students build an understanding of
whole numbers between 10 and 100 in
terms of tens and ones.
tinyurl.com/1barrier

79. • UDL removes lesson design barriers from
the beginning and front loads instruction
with strategies and tools for ALL to
access learning

80. Overcome Barriers
• What can you do to
overcome your high-probability
barriers?

81. Overcoming barriers involves looking
through the lens of variability
Methods
Materials
Assessments

82. Overcome Barriers
• What can you do to
overcome your high-probability
barriers?
S You are a first
tinyurl.com/2barrier
grade teacher, who
needs to help
students build an
understanding of
whole numbers
between 10 and 100
in terms of tens and
ones.

83. 3 Principles of UDL can be used to
Overcome barriers and Plan instruction
Multiple Means
of
Representation
Multiple Means of
Action/Expression
Multiple Means of
Engagement

84. What does our lesson look
like?

85. UDL is a mindset for designing
learning experiences
•ALL individuals can gain knowledge,
skills, and enthusiasm for learning
•Thinks about the goal, variability, and
environment (context)
•Changes the curriculum, not the
student

87. S
UDL Look For’s

88. How do you provide students with….?

92. A. Provide Options for Expression and
Communication
What does it mean?
Need different ways to express
knowledge (write, act, draw)
What do they need?
Tools to construct and compose
Scaffolds to practice and
develop independence

93. Creative Ways to Brainstorm

94. Writing Process
Montgomery County Public Schools (2014)

95. B. Provide Options for Language,
Mathematic Expressions, And Symbols
What does it mean?
Options to clarify terms and symbols
What do they need?
Illustrate through multiple types of media
Promote understanding across languages
Support decoding of text, symbols, and
mathematical notation

97. MoveNote

98. Developing a Background of Understanding
Vocabulary
http://blachan.com/shahi/

99. C. Options for Perception
• What is it?
• Same info through
different modalities
• What do they need?
• Customize display of
information
• Enlarging text
• Visual / audio alternatives

101. Teaching Place Value
Smart Board
Base 10 blocks
Group member roles

102. Dotepub

103. D. Provide Options for Executive
Functions
S What is it?
S Setting goals, planning,
monitoring and making
adjustments.
S What do they need?
S Scaffold and monitor goal
setting
S Consistent and meaningful
reminders

104. SWOT Analysis
Internal
External

105. “Blogging” Goals
S 1 student responsible for
blogging about:
S Learning Goal / Essential
Question
S 3 - 5 sentences of what
happened

106. Draggo to Gather Resources

107. Symbaloo to Gather
Resources

108. E. Provide Options for Physical Action
S What it it?
S Vary methods of response
S What do students need?
S Kinesthetic activities
S Assistive technologies

109. Chicago School and Yoga

110. 4 Corner Multiple Choice
C B
D
A

111. SWYPE and Physically Typing

112. F. Provide Options for Comprehension
S What is it?
S Different ways to understand
concepts and information
S What do students need?
S Activate background knowledge
S Identify patterns, relationships, and
big ideas
S Visualization
S Manipulation of information

113. Teaching Scope and Sequence with
printed PowerPoint slides

115. G. Provide Options for Self Regulation
S What is it?
S Develop habits and to stay on
task, manage setbacks, and
develop the ability to self-assess.
S What do students need?
S Opportunities for self-evaluation
and reflection
S Provide prompts, reminders,
guides, rubrics, checklists

116. Red Light…Green Light

117. S.U.D.S.
S Subjective Unit(s) of Distress System
S Verbal instrument – number scale
measuring one’s internal level of discomfort
at any moment

119. Anger Ladder

121. iPad Guided Access

122. H. Providing Options for Recruiting Interest
S What is it?
S Finding ways to engage
students by providing choice,
relevance and value
S What do students need?
S Choice
S Understand the value
S Minimize threats and
distractions

125. I. Provide Options for Sustaining
Effort and Persistence
S What is it?
S Finding the appropriate balance of challenge and
rigor
S What do students need?
S Accountability
S Vary levels of demand and resources
S Collaboration and communication
S Feedback

126. Where would you place each guideline?

127. What did you have on your list?

128. What did you have on your list?

130. UDL is NOT Synonymous with
Technology
SUsing the right tool for the job!

131. UDL Core Concept # 3: Context
Matters

132. S
Lunch Break

133. Paper Activity
Find someone with
papers that look like
yours and share

136. Hmm….
 Talk with your partner about what
you think these numbers have in
common…
8549176320

137. It’s important to
remember…
 What is a barrier for one student,
can be a strength for another
student
 Some are obvious and others are
not!

138. Find a New Partner!
SHARE WHAT
YOU KNOW
ABOUT HOCKEY!

139. It was a cold January Alberta
evening, when Roger and his
family had just settled into their
seats to watch their beloved
Lethbridge Broncos play.
Most of the young men on
the ice had been playing
Canada’s national sport since
the day they could walk. It was
no surprise that many of these
young men were considered to
be professional hockey’s future
stars.

140. Find a New Partner!

141. The puck had hit the ice and both
teams collided into a fury of speed,
sweat, and controlled aggression. Roger’s
wife, Paula, eyed her way through the
program and was astonished to notice
that the young men ages 16 to 20 all had
something in common…

142. The puck had hit the ice and both
teams collided into a fury of speed,
sweat, and controlled aggression. Roger’s
wife, Paula, eyed her way through the
program and was astonished to notice
that the young men ages 16 to 20 all had
something in common…

144. Roger’s wife, Paula, eyed her
way through the program and
was astonished to notice that the
young men ages 16 – 20 all had
something in common, they were
born in either January, February,
or March.
Roger went home that night
and looked up the birth dates of
as many professional hockey
players as he could find. He saw
the same pattern. There were 5
times as many January birthdays
as there were November
Birthdays.
Why is this?

145. In Canada, the eligibility
cut-off is January 1. Therefore
a player who turns 10 on January
2nd can be playing alongside
another player who doesn’t turn
10 until the end of the year, a
huge advantage for an
adolescent.
This is also the age when
coaches start dividing the “best of
the best,” into travel squads.
These players often get more
coaching, more games, and more
experiences than their peers. Age
makes a huge difference.

147. The Matthew Effect
Keith Stanovich

149. The Dilemma of Curriculum
Goal
Methods
Materials
Assessments
• Brain research has also shown us that a one-size-fits
all approach is a barrier to learning

150. Goal: For students to complete
a writing assignment.
Goal
Methods
OVERCOME
Materials
Assessments
PREDICT
• Brain research has also shown us that a one-size-fits
all approach is a barrier to learning
PLAN

151. Flexibility begins with a POP
PREDICT OVERCOME PLAN
Methods
Materials
Assessments

152. Writing 3.0
Options to organize and
brainstorm
Collaborate and gather
feedback
Final product
Holland, B. (2013) Redefining the writing process with iPads. Retrieved December
11, 2013 from www.edutopia.org/blog/redefining-writing-process-with-ipads-beth-holland

153. Barrier # 1: Vocabulary
S “The achievement gap is
largely a vocabulary gap” -
Robert Marzano
S What tools are you using to
address this gap?

154. Pre-Teach Vocabulary with
Quizlet

155. Word Walls with QR Codes

156. What about students who
need to “see” vocabulary?

157. VisuWords

158. Barrier # 2: Brainstorming
S “If the doors of
perception were
cleansed everything
would appear to man as
it is, infinite.” – William
Blake
S What tools are you
using to address this
gap?

159. Why not use paper?
For the student who likes paper!

160. Sticky Notes – Pre-Writing Activity
S Instructional Strategy:
Writing
Idea 1
S Barrier: Student cannot
outline and organize ideas
Idea 2
Idea 3

161. Bubbl.us

162. www.padlet.com

163. Notability

164. Read Write Think Tools

165. Paper Bag Pro’s and Con’s

166. Barrier # 3: Research Process
S “If we knew what it
was we were doing, it
would not be called
research, would it?”-
Albert Einstein
S What tools are you using
to address this gap?

167. Chrome and Google Search
Tools

168. Google Docs Research Tool

169. Google Custom Search
Engine
www.google.com/cse

170. Searchy Pants

171. Barrier # 4: The Writing
Process
S "A word after a word
after a word is
power.”- Margaret
Atwood
S What tools are you using to
address this gap?

172. Power Paragraph Organizer
Montgomery County Public Schools (2014)

173. Need Self Control? There’s an
App for That!

174. Dragon Dictation iPad App

175. Dictation.io

176. My Story Maker

177. Cube Creator by Read Write
Think

178. PaperRater.com

179. Easy Bib for Citations!

180. Otto Bib

181. Barrier # 5: Feedback and
Growth
S "Feedback is the
breakfast of champions."
- Ken Blanchard
S What tools are you using
to address this gap?

182. Checklists and Self Grading

183. R.I.S.E. Model of Feedback

184. Kaizena – Add Voice
Comments to Google Docs!

185. Screencasting Tools?

186. Edmodo Annotation Feature

187. What is the Goal of UDL?
S The goal of UDL is to create
environments in which everyone
will have the opportunity to
become expert learners, and the
means to get there, be it tech or
non-tech, should be flexible.

190. Where should I start?
S“Do what you can,
where you are at,
with what you have”
– Teddy Roosevelt

191. Thank You!
S Please take a
moment to complete
evaluation:
S mattbergman14
@gmail.com
S @mattbergman1
4
S Bergman-
UDL.blogspot.com
tinyurl.com/EvalPG