#UDLchat Archive
Meet and chat with colleagues about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) on Twitter! The best hour of professional learning you'll get in 30 minutes. Held the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 9-9:30PM ET.
Wednesday August 17, 2016
Welcome back friends! We're discussing big ideas from 's book The End of Average - Tonight's ?s https://t.co/5pnCPpmpoG
is back and starts right now w/ ! Don't forget to put the hashtag in your tweets and follow those awesome new tweeps.
Tonight's ?s are broad. If you've read the book great! If not, no worries. Connect and get inspired to read it ASAP!
To get things started, be sure to introduce yourself and share something that makes you uniquely you
I'm Kathy from BCSC in Columbus. Teach 5th. Haven't read the book yet
I’m Ron Rogers from and my birthmark on my face makes me special.
Fun fact today is the 31st anniversary since my first date with my husband
Welcome! We hope the chat will help inspire you to read it. Glad you could join!
Hello, I am Kimberly, a teacher of teachers at Fresno I am uniquely me by evidence that I love bananas for dessert
I am Char from Ohio and I love doing field archaeology in the summer.
George Van Horn from BCSC
That’s awesome! Happy date-iversary!
I grew up in the Great state of Wyoming. It make me rare ;-)
Our little half hour chat can move pretty fast so prepare yourselves for Q1! Glad y'all could make it.
Hi George! We missed you at the Symposium last week… but did proud!
From The Bronx. Enough said!
Q1: says "Any system designed around the average person is doomed to fail" Thoughts?
A1: Sadly this might mean that the system will fail many individuals on the road to it's demise. https://t.co/k3YAh5tAEJ
Q1: says "Any system designed around the average person is doomed to fail" Thoughts?
A1 That is the biggest organizational barrier with public schools. They were designed for the mythical average student
Joni Degner, stuck in Houston
Doomed to fail is sad. I would say more like, not as good as it will be when we let go of the whole human average concept.
A1: I think that’s part of why so many of us are drawn to . Many schools are failing so many learners. It needs a reboot.
You are having the WORST luck with flights, my dear!
Good point. So how might we chip away at the this organizational barrier? https://t.co/24WZ8dsnVN
A1 That is the biggest organizational barrier with public schools. They were designed for the mythical average student
YES! https://t.co/FMHG6Q52md
A1 That is the biggest organizational barrier with public schools. They were designed for the mythical average student
A1: Ever tried on women's clothing? S, M, L all designed for the "average" S, M, L. None of it fits!!
A1: The problem with average anything is that very few individuals actually meet that criteria. https://t.co/hrkNMBWAXI
I must admit I have never tried on women's clothes.
A1: Clothing designed for the average person doesn't fit most people; ditto for systems designed for the average learner.
I have not ;-) But I've definitely experienced some learning situations that did not fit https://t.co/4pTWGAdqpE
A1: Ever tried on women's clothing? S, M, L all designed for the "average" S, M, L. None of it fits!!
Not all of us have a fighter pilot example, but we sure know when the average hasn't worked for us!! :-)
start by having conversations, books studies and identify pockets of excellence to build on. Changing beliefs is slow
Q1.1 So is our educational system doomed to fail if it continues it's average centric ways?
He’s moved from Lurker and Amplifier to Creator. 🎉
what is average? The average has vanished from our classrooms. We must be able to teach to multiple middles.
A1: Also, Cable TV. Who is home when they want? Not average friendly
A lot of schools that have grasped at random acts of improvement are coming around because they aren't getting results.
So true. It has to be systemic and systematic. https://t.co/vHoLEFkNDP
A lot of schools that have grasped at random acts of improvement are coming around because they aren't getting results.
Indeed! https://t.co/CX4xgFjaHQ
When all, or even most, can agree on the same vision, then a path can be discovered. Want all Ss to learn? Variability is the path.
A1.1 idk if it's doomed to fail, but we will certainly miss amazing people with amazing abilities and potential
Q2: Why might consider Average "The Hidden Tyranny" - How might UDL free us?
inspired by this TED talk to think about our classrooms differently.
Q1. The system will continue to limp, some kids will succeed in spite of, & we'll lose a lot of talent.
A2: Maybe if we make this tyranny not so hidden there is a chance.
I think those that fail will remain those that succeed will leave for privatization. This is the current political move.
A2: Most don't see status quo as the average. gets us out of the status quo - thinking, designing, and reflecting.
A2: My hope is that UDL can poke holes in the logical fallacies that much of our data and judgement of Ss is predicated on
A2: When you focus on individuals, you can move beyond the expected. Stop teaching to "types"
A1: The system itself won't fail but the result will be the system fails the students. No one will reach maximum potential.
So impressed with the great minds tonight at the happening right now led by
A2 UDL empowers t's to say yes to s's ideas & talents and empowers s's to seek new strategies and become expert learners.
Well said. Thinking about how "expert learner" is a different measure than "proficient" https://t.co/kv0FwvRyeV
UDL empowers t's to say yes to s's ideas & talents and empowers s's to seek new strategies and become expert learners.
Q3: End with hope. How might we shift education's reliance on the average when evaluating individual students?
Nice question https://t.co/Itl8SysXo2
Well said. Thinking about how "expert learner" is a different measure than "proficient" https://t.co/kv0FwvRyeV
UDL empowers t's to say yes to s's ideas & talents and empowers s's to seek new strategies and become expert learners.
Proficient seems to indicate an end or an arrival. Expert learners have no ceiling.
Interesting that you used “proficient.” Proficiency has its place in , but that’s not what most schools measure.
A3: A stronger understanding of powerful form assess, the use of resulting data, and showing those outcomes to all stakeholders.
A:3 Ones appears to have a lot to do with all this too
I see that, too, but learners also need to know where they are. Proficiency can be a road map, not an end.
A3. Jumping in late, student portfolios as the norm to evaluate Ss instead of the average
A3 We can be proactive. As a researcher I can look at education without the barrier of averages. I can Analyze, then Aggregate!
A very concrete and practical approach. https://t.co/RJDGNyLqdF
A3. Jumping in late, student portfolios as the norm to evaluate Ss instead of the average
Totally. Proficiency-based systems can be VERY . Just ask . But I know what you’re saying. 🙂
"Analyze, then Aggregate" -Yes! For those that haven't read the book yet, this is a key pivot idea! https://t.co/6rSiXDv3ts
A3 We can be proactive. As a researcher I can look at education without the barrier of averages. I can Analyze, then Aggregate!
Ready to hop into my ill-fitting PJs (RE:A1) and get some reading done. Awesome Thanks!!
First of the new school year was amazing! Thanks to for leading the way. See you 9/7 for our next chat!
A3 More formative, less summative! Data is good, but it's only one part of the story. We have to examine student work in new ways.
Boom! is always quick and powerful. Remember to join us on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 9 ET. Cheers for your great thinking!
Thanks . See you at the next
I'm finally leaving Houston and heading for my BCSC home! Thanks for a great chat! Thanks for a great discussion!
Several great discussions, Q&A sessions, chats going on! All at once!
moving beyond assessing the average requires us to monitor individual growth. We must track and access growth more than achievement
A3 We have to take the time to build relationships with our students. Too many average classrooms going through the motions.
I teach K...I live in the concrete! ;)
small pockets of competency-based (proficiency) learning, but still need intentional emphasis on
Sad to miss in real time, but it was equally fun to read the tweets to see why mentioned women's clothing! 😂
