Reflection – Week 3 ~ UDL Book Builder

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach to education considers the needs of the greatest number and range of possible learners and offers educational methods and materials that eliminate curriculum barriers from the start. In particular, the Book Builder Tool rocks!!!  BookBuilder is a flexible technological tool which provides accessibility and opportunities for all learners.  The built-in text-to-speech capability is very helpful.  BookBuilder addresses the diversity of learners in a classroom and provides the capability to differentiate instruction.  The BookBuilder provides teachers with a tool to customize teaching and learning by using new technology.  This is especially true for children with disabilities as the UDL approach seeks to address and meet the needs of special needs children and all children alike.  UDL provide options.               UDL does not advocate any single teaching practice; rather, it combines today’s best approaches for engaging students and challenging them to think critically. It helps instructors meet the learning needs of a diverse student body through a combination of instructional modalities, formats, and technologies. To many people, UDL is simply good teaching! (Ohio State Partnership Grant, 2011) Reference: Ohio State University Partnership Grant - Improving the Quality of Education for Students with Disabilities. (2011) Universal Design for Learning: Elements of Good Teaching   Retrieved March 16, 2013 from http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts/Universal-Design-FF.pdf