CAST Universal Design for Learning

This week I learned a new way to write lesson plans using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Lesson Builder by CAST. With the aide of a UDL lesson plan, a teacher will be able to remove obstacles that hinder students from learning which will provide an opportunity for all students to learn. Since every student learns in a different way, the UDL lesson plans utilize the brain’s three networks: Recognition, Strategic, and Affective Networks. Each one of these networks exercises different parts of the brain in order to reach all students.

This method of writing lesson plans made me rethink how I prepare my lessons. Although I have heard and used various versions of this type of lesson planning, the lesson builder seems to bring it all home for me. The process was slow but I feel with time and practice, it I will get faster. I will be adding these elements to my lesson plans in the future.