Monday, November 26, 2007
Chapter 8
Back to the other textbook with this chapter, which I found a nice change. I thought the Concord School District sounded really impressive. When reading about creative funding practices in particular and the process of implementing UDL in general, I was reminded of a conversation we had on our group discussion board not very long ago about the ability for teachers to implement UDL if schools aren't willing to provide the necessary training or software. I was surprised that this chapter basically dismissed that possibility. While I agree that administrative support, especially in terms of professional developments, training, and funding are important, I don't think they are always a hundred percent necessary. The chapter focuses on the application for grants, however it only discusses this really as a school-wide initiative. I believe though that in a school where UDL isn't a focus of the administration, but is a focus for a particular teacher, then a teacher could apply for grants to get technology and training by and for him/herself. This teacher could at least implement UDL to a certain extent through these means. Obviously, this is not an ideal situation, however I also dont think it's ideal to tell teachers that without administrative support they can't use UDL.
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2 comments:
Hi Kim!
I definitely agree with the comment you made but I feel like I didn’t convey myself well in my blog. I meant that this debate will always exist and we should try to close it but it is definitely discouraging. A big part of the reason why I want to teach is to go back to the low-income areas to close this gap. I was born and raised in a similar environment and school system and there definitely is a lack of support compared to other districts.
I think the comment you made about the training and professional development is important. Without the administrations support, teachers who want to implement UDL can definitely implement it to a certain extent.
Hey Kim-
I think that it is possible for a teacher to independently apply for a grant to help them create a UDL environment, but I found myself feeling somewhat concerned about inner city schools where any money they recieve would probably go toward more basic supplies such as textbooks and other more basic needs. It is nice to think that any teacher would have the ability to get the money they need to supply the technology necessary to really implement UDL, but I hear so often about school that dont have enough books or desks and wonder if UDL is in their reach. Im sure there are teachers out there who are determined to do what they set their mind to, but when I thought about it after reading this chapter, UDL requires a lot of things that lots of schools dont have access to. It unfortunite, but a reality.
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