Reflecting on UDL and DI

As the class winds down, I tried to sit and think about the things I have learned, the ideas I have had, and the concepts we have discussed. Although I have not mastered the ideas of DI and UDL yet, I feel that I have a more in-depth understanding of the methodology of DI. I think what is important to understand is that although the ideas are quite simple to understand, the whole process of differentiation is quite complex. Not only can you differentiate in the areas of process or procedure, but also in the variety of learning styles and other methods based on the population dynamics of the class. I am finding that with my new group of students I just started with, they are completely different than I had expected, which will not allow me to differentiate my lessons using the same plans from last semester.

One of the things that I have already begun to do is stockpile tools for differentiation. As one of my school district's "pioneers" in a differentiation program, I think it would be a valuable idea, so that I can present the information to my colleagues when possible. This is definitely something that I am glad we were able to do through the social networking aspect of this class. By doing this, it has already given me a head start on the organizational aspect.

Another aspect of my instruction that I have begun is to create more podcasts. I started to make these two weeks ago, when I was snowed in at my house. They are short little clips that discuss a topic we discuss in class, and hopefully can be used by my students to help them understand the material in more detail.

I know that the process of learning how to differentiate is a long one, but I think since I'm already started and have a fair amount of resources at my disposal, it is definitely something worth pursuing.