Running Head: UDL WORKSHEET 1

ITL 606 Assignment 2.4 – UDL Worksheet

Yvette Picon

National University

Prof. Nevis Henry

ITL 606 Learners and Learning II

May 19, 2019

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Assignment 2.4 – UDL Worksheet

1. Examine the diagram below. Study the functions of the various parts of the brain.

Regions of the Brain

2. Examine the diagram below. Study the areas of the brain related to the “Why”,
“What”, and “How” of learning.
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Continue by reviewing the material about the parts of the brain at

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/nervous_system_disor
ders/anatomy_of_the_brain_85,P00773/ . \
3. The second diagram comes from the CAST website. Study the diagram. Think about
how the 3 principles of Universal Design for Learning are related to activation of each
of the 3 areas of the brain identified in the diagram. The 3 principles are:
a. Multiple Means of Representation
b. Multiple Means of Action and Expression, and
c. Multiple Means of Engagement.

4. Explain how the definitions of the regions of the brain in the first diagram relate to the
3 regions of the brain in the second. (Maximum 100 words)

There exist three learning areas in our brain that are explained in the Universal Design for

Learning. These areas are composed of three type of networks: the affective, recognition, and

strategic networks. The affective networks relate to the temporal lobe, frontal lobe and parietal

lobe regions of the brain. In these networks, students find the purpose of their learning through

hearing, thinking, and through their cultural and social language. When students know the why

of the learning, and if they find the importance in it, they will find it easier to learn and

memorize it.

5. Given the information in the two diagrams above, explain the 3 Principles of Universal
Design (Multiple means of Representation, Multiple Means of Action and Expression
and Multiple Means of Engagement) in terms of how they relate to brain function.
(Maximum 300 words)

One of the three principles of the Universal Design of Learning is the Multiple means of

Representation. This principle is based on the What? of the learning. Students learn every day

in various amount of forms and through multiple means presented by their teachers. Whenever

they are initially presented by new information, one student will perceive it
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differently than how another student will perceive it. When students are grasping information,

the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes are in play. Based on the diagrams, these regions are

composed of sight, hearing, movement, touch, languages, and feelings. As teachers, we must

present our lessons in a flexible manner. For example, we should create activities that meet the

needs of our students who don’t just have an auditory learning style, but are also kinesthetic

and visual.

The Multiple means of Action and Expression represent the How? of the learning process.

This is the area where as teachers become creative in the methods and teaching strategies they

have to use in order to lead students to be successful. The frontal lobe is the region of the brain

that plays an important part in this principle. The diagram above shows that this where students

interact with materials, where they communicate and express their ideas through their behavior

and movement.

The last principle of the UDL is the Multiple Means of Engagement. I feel like this is the

most important principle of all. It is the Why? of the student’s learning. In this principle, all

lobe regions are active in the students’ brain. If this principle is not met, in other words, if

students don’t understand the purpose and the importance of what they are about to do, they

won’t be successful in the other principles. As teachers, we have to create a spark of curiosity

and excitement in students from the beginning of the lesson by opening the lesson in a way

that it motivates students who are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.
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6. How does this help you understand the 3 principles of UDL? Given this information,
how you might structure each principle in the classroom? (Maximum 400 words)

By understanding the 3 principles of the UDL, I become more aware of the different parts

of the brain that are more active during the lesson. Before I learned about these three principles,

I didn’t realize how important it was to create my lessons in a way that aren’t designed just to

help those students who learn visually, but also the ones who learn better through hearing and

interaction. As teachers, we might even fall sometimes into the category of those who lose

interest of the lesson because we just forget the Why? of it. When teaching math, we might

focus too much on the procedural at times that we could forget that students aren’t really

making any connections because there are no real-life applications to what they are doing.

When it is all procedural, the typical hate towards math grows within them, causing them to

shut down to anything related to the subject.

In order to engage my students in my classroom, I like to use different methods throughout

my lessons. Opening a discussion about a relevant topic that students are interested in, showing

a fun video, or having students discover the topic of the lesson through a scavenger hunt are

some of the ideas I have already incorporated this past school year. These are activities that

students aren’t used to participate in their other classes, therefore, are more engaged than usual.

After students are involved in the topic, I move into the main portion of the learning, where

I incorporate multiple means of representation. Students learn the content by discovering the

material in pairs, collaborating in groups, creating posters or google slides, and by many other

medias. As a teacher, I must find ways to make the topic culturally and
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socially appealing to my students throughout teaching the lesson. Real-life applications are

crucial when teaching math. For example, if I’m teaching about parabolas, I might have

students research monuments or shapes in the world that represent a parabola. After they have

found an example, I might ask them about the properties of the parabola by having them find

the maximum part of the parabola. Real-Life applications change the way students perceive

the material they are learning in a total different manner.

After the main portion of the lesson, students must practice the material in some way, which

leads us to the How? of the principles. This is how students express and demonstrate what they

are learning. Let’s suppose that my students are mostly kinesthetic and visual. I would then

incorporate hands-on activities. In math, it is the perfect opportunity to use materials that

students can touch and move around such as physical spheres, squares, triangles, tiles, a weight

balance (for solving equations), a taped graph on the floor and more. The purpose is to make

learning not a tedious task, but a fun and exciting activity where students will be successful in

their learning without even realizing it. I also love to incorporate technology at least 2 out of 5

days of the week. It has been extremely successful to use technology because it is how students

communicate in this 21st century.

7. Extend your thinking. Recall what you have learned about the similarities and

differences among children from ITL404 or ITL604. Explain 2 ways UDL can be an

effective means for addressing the learning needs of both typical and atypical students.

(Maximum 200 words)

Atypical students have more challenges than the challenges that typical students face. They

might have disabilities that affect their learning mentally, physically and many times
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both. Some have language barriers. One of my class periods is made up of 34 students. I have

students who are English Learners, autistic, have ADHD, and other factors that affect them in

their learning. Sometimes I struggle when designing my lessons because I have to have each

of those learning needs met through that 45-minute period class. One way UDL can meet the

needs of all my students at once is by providing multiple means of learning. For example, I

could have stations around my classroom that explain the same piece of information in

different ways. Providing visuals, graphic organizers, videos, and vocabulary word walls that

translate words from one language to another are some examples that I can use.

Another method is by using collaboration. Many students have trouble communicating

with the teacher, but can easily express themselves with classmates that share their likes,

dislikes, and views. For example, I like to pair up Emmanuel, who is autistic, with two students

who aren’t but that share something they all like: music. Emmanuel is usually very quiet, but

whenever people talk about hip-hop, he becomes very outspoken about it. Teachers have to

always be on the lookout on what students individually like and don’t like.

8. How easy or difficult do you think it will be to effectively implement the principles of

UDL in your own classroom? Why do you think so; provide rationales? (Maximum

150 words)

Effectively implementing the three principles of UDL isn’t a piece of cake. It takes time.

It takes practice. It takes patience. However, once we get the ball rolling on these principles, it

will pay off in the long run. As a first-year teacher, it seemed impossible for me to effectively

apply these principles in my classroom. It has required a lot of dedication from

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my part because I have to be extra aware of what goes around in my classroom in order to get

to know my students in a deeper way. The past three months, I have been more effective in my

teaching strategies and therefore, my students have been as well in their learning.