Curriculum Barriers

Last post I discussed the many resources on the Cast website. In addition to everything mentioned last time, the Cast website also provides a curriculum barriers tutorial which I recommend you check out. This is great for those of you who are new to UDL, like me, or even for those who have been practicing for years because it takes you step by step through a lesson. The tutorial allows you to think about those struggling students in your classroom and list all of the materials and methods you would use during a lesson with them. Then you can think about the qualities of your struggling students and how the materials and methods you may be using may be a barrier for them. This was a very eye opening moment for me when completing the tutorial. Throughout my student teaching experience last year I planned each lesson thinking about differentiation and how I could meet the various needs of my students just hoping that they would understand by the end of the lesson. Now that I have seen this tutorial, when working with my kindergarten students this year I hope to analyze the materials and methods I am using with them to make sure there are no barriers or missed opportunities. The website even provides a curriculum barrier template which provides structured support. When I was practicing with the template, I noticed that some of the methods I use on a daily basis in my classroom are actually creating barriers and causing some of my students to miss opportunities. For example, one of my students struggles with writing and each day I ask them to write their name on things without even thinking about how difficult it can be. I learned how important it is to break down strengths and weaknesses to better understand and help each student be successful. Now my ultimate goal to keep in mind when planning is 'what can I do to reach all learners my classroom' ? .

CAST. "Curriculum Barriers Tutorial". Retrieved from: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/curriculumbarrierstutorial.cfm