UDI Reflection

**If the below lesson plan is too difficult to read, please let me know, and I will send you a PDF.**

UDI Reflection

When an architect designs a building, he or she does not create the plans with the average person in mind. The design is created with everyone in mind. A facility must be accessible regardless of the physical ability of a person. Doorways must be wide enough for wheelchair access. Ramps are provided for persons with issues of mobility. Water fountains, sinks, and toilets are located at different heights with different assistive structures. Even the doorknobs are specially designed for maximum access. As a teacher, I have to design my lesson plans with the same mindset. I cannot be content with designing a lesson to the majority of my students, because in reality there is no “majority.” There is no “average.” Each student is so different, they can each benefit from a lesson tailored to reach all regardless of ability or disability. I must insure that my lessons deliver the information in varied ways that are accessible to anyone. If I have not done that, I am not teaching. The above lesson is one that I created in my undergraduate education school training. I will be evaluating it based on the nine principles of Universal Design for Instruction to assess my ability to implement this invaluable strategy. 

Principle 1-Equitable Use

Instruction should be useful and accessible to everyone. If one cannot give students the same assignment, then alternatives should provide an equal amount of information at an equivalent level of difficulty, just in a different way. The powerpoint is one way that I tried to make the material accessible. By incorporating images and video clips, I can reach all types of learners with a multimedia presentation. Also, by using fill-in notes to supplement the presentation, I can further assist students who are still learning organizational skills or who have difficulty paying attention during lecture. I feel like the exploration portion of the lesson could use some improvement. Having the students walk around the room to observe types of fungi is fun and engaging, however I limited their observations to handwritten notes. If I incorporated additional ways of recording data such as taking digital pictures, I would better reach those with poor note-taking skills. 

Principle 2-Flexibility in Use

It is good if there are options when giving instruction so that students will benefit from their preferred method. Overall I included many different ways of presenting the material. I have many visual and real world examples in the engagement and exploration portions of the lessons, and my powerpoint did include some video clips. However, I relied heavily on material that needed to be read. I should have incorporated some different types of information at the extension portion other than just articles. I could have included videos or audio clips to convey the informations to the groups in case students struggled with reading comprehension. 

Principle 3-Simple and Intuitive

Instruction should be straightforward and predictable. For the most part my lesson was to the point and focused on the fungi kingdom. I provided interesting examples and additional knowledge where appropriate, but overall my intent that they learn how and why an organism is classified as a fungus came across fairly clear. I could have been more specific in my grading criteria, since it was very subjective and vague. By providing a more formal assessment, like an exit card, I could have driven home what the students were supposed to get out of the lesson and provided myself with data regarding how much they understood. 

Principle 4-Perceptible Information

The information should be communicated regardless of ambient conditions or sensory abilities. Hands on manipulative, video clips, auditory learning, and reading were all ways that I varied the delivery of the information for this principle. To make it even better, I could have used some sort of technology based delivery, such as a web-quest or simple research project, to allow students to receive the information from sources other than myself, thus reinforcing the material and closing any gaps from missed information during the lecture.

Principle 5-Tolerance for Error

Instruction should anticipate variation in individual learning pace and skills. While my somewhat vague grading criteria was a negative for principle 3, I think it could have been a positive for this principle. Because much of my lesson was class discussion, I made sure to ask very open ended questions and was prepared to address any misconceptions I discovered. I also did not specifically place this in my lesson plan, but as a teacher I instinctively reword questions or offer scaffolding to students who require more time to master concepts than the others. To anticipate the variation in student skills even more, I could chose the groups for the extension portion of the lesson based on ability level, thus taking into account the need for some students to practice with others who have already mastered the lesson and giving the students opportunity to work in situations where they can learn from or teach others depending on their skill set. 

Principle 6-Low Physical Effort

Nonessential physical effort should be minimized. Because I did not have any mobility issues in my classes when teaching this lesson, the exploration portion was sufficient as is. I set up stations around the room and students walked to those stations to make their observations. However, if mobility was an issue with a student, I would be prepared to bring the stations to him or her instead of requiring the child to move about. The point of the activity is to look at examples of fungi and if getting around hinders that, I would either need to set up a stationary table with a portion of all the specimens or have the students pass the specimens around from group to group.

Principle 7-Size and Space for Approach and Use

Instruction design considers the appropriate size and space for each person’s body size, posture, mobility, and communication needs for all activity. This principle would accompany the previous one in my lesson. For the majority of the lesson, the students would participate from their own areas. No space modifications would be necessary. However, for the exploration I would need to ensure that mobility is not an issue for students, and for the group work I would need to create areas where groups of four or five students could sit comfortably to discuss the articles assigned to them. 

Principle 8-A Community of Learners

Instructional environment promotes interaction and communication. With so much of my lesson based on oral discussion, the community aspect is highly emphasized. In the first part, the students will have to agree or disagree on whether a product contains a fungus. After that, they will work with a partner to make observations on specimens in lab. Finally, they will analyze an article about a fungus, answer questions pertaining to the article, and then present on their topic as a group. These opportunities to work together allow the students to hear the material from their peers as well as their teachers and to come to conclusions in a constructive way through discussion and the sharing of ideas. 

Principle 9-Instructional Climate

Instruction is welcoming and inclusive. High expectations are espoused for all students. The fun, open-ended discussions and demonstrations allow the students to be surprised, to inquire, and to see their classmates react to presented material. In my classroom, all answers are respected and encouraged, even if they are “just a guess.” With a learning environment where students are encouraged to try and are provided with scaffolding when necessary, the students learn to trust their instincts and to learn from their mistakes. Instructional climate is difficult to illustrate in a written lesson plan, but as a teacher this is something that is always on my mind during class. My students are given clear, challenging expectations, and they know that I will help them until they reach those expectations, no matter how long it takes.