Discussion
Question:
Reflect
on the readings about Universal design. What areas did you find
most interesting? What items/areas (examples please) did you find
that were new and that you had never really thought about before?
How could these "Universal Design" features impact students
and the general public--not just for students of disabilities? How
will this impact (or will it) you in the future?
Reflections:
T he most interesting thing for me to learn about Universal Design
(UD) was the fact that the universal design concept was first utilized
to make buildings and other physical structures accessible to all
people. Then it was found to be applicable to educational
environments.
As
I indicated in the paper I submitted, UD is not only for students
with disabilities, but for “all” students (including
ESL students, and other diverse populations of students). I think
UD principles can be used to help students from diverse backgrounds
and different learning skills function with greater independence.
For example,
teachers can help ESL students have access to the same information
and experiences as their native speaking peers by providing multiple
representations of content.
As a teacher, I was already aware of the need to provide multiple
representations of content, provide equal access to the course materials
and provide multiple options for expression/evaluation to increase
student success. However, I think more teachers need to become familiar
with Universal Design techniques so that they can create a more
inclusionary educational environment for their students.
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