I feel that UDL is a very interesting pedagogical initiative that has a lot of merits. I feel it is wonderful to meet the individual needs of your students in a meaningful way. However, I do questions the practicality of creating 5 different options or types of lessons, worksheets, etc for every preparation, especially if a teacher has 4 preparations. I think there needs to be a happy medium in the world of appropriate accommodations.
I love the idea of using digital media (such as eReaders, etc. to accommodate students based upon their individual needs. However, I do fear that objectives and standards will have to be lessened in order to achieve this UDL model. For example, if an essay assignment has more than one objective (to write organized paragraphs and to write in cursive handwriting) according to CAST, most students can't handle both objectives. That is a serious reduction in rigor for students who may would benefit from additional practice. I do think that modifications and accommodations should be appropriately made for all students, but I fear that lessening standards, so students only complete what they are good at and enjoy is a slippery slope.
We are trying to educate students, true, but we are also trying to prepare them for the real world. In a real job or in college, people cannot pick and choose what they want to complete, and they they are expected to meet certain standards. As a secondary teacher, I like incorporating technology and offering options to students, but I do feel there needs to be a balance between planning lessons based upon individual and collective standards.
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