Universal Design of Learning in the Classroom

Daniella Del Priore, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in SLS (1-6)

My capstone centered around the Universal Design of Learning, which is also known as UDL. UDL is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students equal opportunity to succeed. It should be used in all modern-day classrooms to help students prosper and reach their full potential.

This topic stood out to me when I learned about it in a Special Education course, as I hope to become a general or special education teacher. When I am a full-time teacher, I plan to introduce and use the Universal Design of Learning in my classroom, as I believe it would benefit my students greatly.

For my thesis, I wrote about why UDL is important in the classroom. When reflecting on this process of working on the project, it was not as tough as I expected it to be. As long as you manage your time, spread out your work, and remember your due dates, you should be okay. Do your best! I found myself working on my capstone early, which is your best bet, and would continue to work on it whenever I had any free time.

Working on this project was a pleasant experience. As a teacher, it was helpful to learn more about UDL, as I read about students’ varying learning styles and abilities. I was working on the project during my student teaching experience, and I was able to implement what I was learning through my research into my classroom, and to use what I was learning in real life. I also enjoyed working closely with my mentor, the professor of the Special Education course, as she sent me many interesting, detailed, and informative podcasts, videos, and research articles on the topic. This capstone also allowed me to obtain honors within my major, SLS 1-6 (Childhood Education) for graduation.

Overall, I enjoyed learning and writing about why UDL is important in the classroom. The entire process of working on the project taught me a lot of valuable information that is great to know as a future educator.