UDL and Concept-based and Equity
I imagine for some of my children’s teachers I can be a nightmare come true. While for many I have become a fangirl and want to talk shop about different strategies they use I have also had the rare cases of being totally bummed about what I am seeing happen in their classes. I am all in on Universal deisgn and concept-based learning as being best pracitce. In fact if my sons’ teachers are resistant to these models and I see my children reading textbooks each night and working their ways through worksheets and workbooks I have very likely decided deep down this teacher does not care about my child and connecting with them. I realize this does not seem fair and I need to consider class sizes, etc. I will try to be understanding but each time one of my children talks about having a timed test or I see them answering a read then fill in the blanks worksheet my body has a physical reaction and my anger grows a bit.
This anger comes from being an adult and actually living in the “real world” and knowing how little these practices of memorization, filling in blanks, and timed recall are actually helpful to living a successful life. So why, oh why are we still seeing some of the practices in schools? We all have little computers we carry with us everywhere that can help us to recall names and dates and even help us to spell words and correct our grammar. Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t learn how to spell or write correctly (although Zeus knows I need some help with grammar). What we don’t have access to is a system that helps us to analyze the information or show us how to sort through research and weed through sources. If our jobs as educators is to prepare students to become indpendent and productive members of society then we need to start helping them form the tools and skills that will make them successful.
THIS is where the ideas of concept-based learning and universal design will come in and work nicely hand-in-hand. Concept-based learning is allowing students to have an understanding of how something works and be able to use whatever that concept is and apply it to different scenarios. Whether your concept is a cycle or a mode of communication, or something else, we should strive to give students space to play with and experiment with an idea. Then we work towards the goal of helping students fully understand a concept so we can stand by as they apply it and move forward with their learning.
The way they do that should not be a prescribed method that I as the teacher have decided.
“Oh I will teach them about life cycles and we will do that together by looking at this frog and drawing the cycles. “ Thinking you have given the student freedom to design their drawings. THAT is not a choice. What we need to do is introduce the idea of a cycle. Maybe some children already have some thoughts of what that word means. Maybe you have some students that already know life cycles, maybe they have connections to other types of cycles, maybe they talk about bikes, or weather, or something completely different. Now is their chance to start exploring the ideas they already have in their heads. Start basic like what they heck is a cycle anyway- go and reserach this and lets see what we find.
If I have 25 versions of this same cycle has indepdent thinking occured- can you confidently say that child understands the lifecycle of a frog?
This is where universal design is kicking in. Allowing students to have control of how they will explore a topic and how they will present their learning to you. Our students have different needs and strengths. When we are teaching a concept it is time to allow choice in how a student will understand and master that concept. As the teacher we can have on offer some books, websites, hands-on material that allows students to engage with what we are talking about. We should be open to their ideas if they bring in resources from home and celebrate their curiiousity. It requires of us to be flexible in our lessons and to go through the process with the students.
These two ideas lend themselves nicely to equity as it allows our students choice and gives them a chance to use their voice. If I have a learner that needs to move and have some input in a physical way this is their chance to explore the topic in that way. If I have a learner that has trouble reading or writing they can research and present their findings in ways other than books or papers. But these choices are not limited to only those that have IEPs or plans. Its available to everyone as everyone benefits from having ownership of their learning. Those children that may have a plan that asks for voice to text or video submissions, does not feel singled out as everyone has an option for their project. Plus the variety that you will be exposed to as a teacher will make the process of assessments and discussions and questions much more rich than just going through and marking a worksheet or a paper. When we move away from one presecribed method we are opening up the learning to everyone and taking away limits. This use of universal design also challenges us as educators to rember what it is we are assessing and possibly reimaginig our ideas of what success looks like.
So if you have the opportunity to teach my children someday, please know I initially will always assume the best of you and will be immediately won over if I see a bit of concept-based learning and universal design in your class. Whenever my child comes home excited to learn more or share information with us I know great things are happening in their classroom. However, if I keep hearing about timed tests and worksheets, and I’ve only ever seen my child pouring over writing assignments, then very likely you have been judged and I am questioning the equity and quality of education happening within your four walls. I like to think of it this way, if I am enjoying the teaching, then the children probably are too. If I have learned something new each time I teach a concept, then I know I am doing something right and hopefully I have made my class a more interesting and equitable space for all.
