Seen, Heard, and Valued: Universal Design for Learning and Beyond

by Lee Ann Jung

To reach all, we must reach each

Every classroom is filled with amazing individuals who vary wildly in who they are as people. This includes BIPOC students, LGBTQIA+ students, and students who are new to the language of instruction, have learning differences, are experiencing poverty, need behavioral supports, have had poor previous instruction, or have endured trauma. This diversity is an asset that educators can leverage when we ensure our instruction is tailored to the strengths and needs of each student. That's where Universal Design for Learning (UDL) comes in.

UDL ensures all students succeed by enabling educators to remove barriers to learning. Supported by neurological and education research, the tenets of UDL challenge educators to engage students and sustain their interest, represent instruction in accessible ways, and support students to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways. This guide shows how UDL can serve as a pathway to equitable learning outcomes through

Practical advice for creating safe, affirming learning environments that encourage belonging Demonstration of how to represent content, concepts, and skills in different ways to provide students with multiple modes of expression Tables for planning and reflection Graphics illustrating multiple means of expression By applying UDL principles, educators can anticipate potential barriers to learning and adjust from the start, driving the accessibility of learning for all students by meeting the needs of each student.

Genres: Education

ebook

Published December 16, 2022

Reviews

[Gordon Eldridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about reading this book. Universal Design for Learning is inherently interesting and after reading the advertising blurb about this book, I expected it to give specific examples of ways to use UdL to plan inclusive instruction in particular for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students. That's not what I got. After a very general introduction about planning for variability, the books examines the aspects of UdL, once again in very general terms, then goes on to talk about school level models of support, again, in extremely general terms.

In general the book is superficial and lacking in nuance. It is one of those education books where the author merely cobbles together the ideas of other people with no real original synthesis or added value. It also stays at a very 30,000 foot level throughout. When specific strategies are suggested, more often than not they are simply bullet point lists with and not contextualised in meaningful ways.

The book is also totally lacking in the nuances of when, where and how things might work and when they might not. Every idea is presented as a gospel truth with no discussion of the situations in which the idea would work and when it might need to be modified. As such, I found pretty much zero practical guidance which I felt I could translate into my own practice.

Here is an example of the superficiality of the text: GPS is given as a metaphor for assessment for learning. The Destination is "Where am I going?" - fair enough, but then, the 'turn-by-turn directions' are compared with feedback. Good feedback is absolutely nothing like turn-by turn directions. It is more like a description of where the student is now with a discussion of strategies they might try next to move towards the direction. Feedback provided as 'turn-by-turn directions' would rob the student of the thinking necessary to become autonomous, but such superficial metaphors are ubiquitous in this book.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an educational professional of over 16 years, I did not think that Jung’s new book could possibly rival “Your Students, My Students, Our Students...”
Oh. My. Goodness.
I've never been so glad to be wrong.

I keep having to put it down and walk away so that I can process it! This needs to be in the toolbox of every educator, administrator, counselor… AND for any parent who wants their child to FEEL seen, heard, & valued. Instantly provides ease of access in implementing UDL, which is beyond best practice. It is THE practice.

[Kym · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text book was actually almost fun to read. It's colorful and had great visuals. I was able to find a cooy for speechify which helps me process better. I read along as the ai voice read to me. So helpful. There are some really good points and pieces I will take into consideration when creating my own curriculum and when teaching my students.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. If you are an educator, please read it. ❤️