Inclusive Practice and Differentiation
Our study incorporates the Universal Design for Learning model (Meyer, Rose, Gordon, 2014) which gives all students equitable opportunities to learn by removing or reducing barriers. We designed this unit plan to provide multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression for learners. We have also integrated differentiated instruction into the design of our study actively being inclusive of all learner types and diverse learning needs.
Multiple Means of Engagement: Students will be able to optimize choice and autonomy throughout our study. Learners will engage in a combination of small group, large group, and individual opportunities to learn.
Multiple Means of Representation: Achieved by providing students with graphic organizers, mind maps, multiple entry points, and able to engage in creative and flexible formats while researching about their National Park. Students can also access text to speech technology for recording their research and will be able to gather research from a variety of multimodal sources.
Multiple Means of Expression: Students will have the opportunity to show their learning through a variety of modes. They will be assessed both as a group, and individually, and will be provided with choices in their means of expressing their learning.
By integrating these UDL principles into our study that are “essential for some, but good for all” learners we are “designing curriculum to the edges” and actively being inclusive of all learner types, giving all students equitable opportunities to learn (Meyer et al., 2014).
Differentiated Instruction is also incorporated into our study by including the following suggestions adapted from Alberta Education’s, Differentiated Instruction (2005) and Making a difference: Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction (2010).
Providing material in broken down manageable chunks
Providing scaffolding and connections to prior knowledge (wetlands study)
Providing students more time to complete components of the study when needed
Provide extension research questions for high level learners
Identifying keywords, concepts and questions to guide research
Providing technological supports for learners who require them