Universal Design for Learning

After reading the articles on Universal Design for learning, I started thinking about camps and how these strategies should be incorporated when developing curriculum for camps. Since we don't have prior knowledge on many of the campers coming into this space, we need to design curriculum with clear goals, flexible methods and materials and embedded assessments as suggested in the article in order to have a space where all of the campers were able to access and participate in the general curriculum. I think MOXI summer camps are an area where this can easily be incorporated due to access in technology as well as materials.

Last summer during a very busy cardboard creations week with first and second graders, a mother approached me and told me that her son, one of the campers, was struggling at camp with the activities and his creations. We began brainstorming ways in which we could support her son and make him feel more comfortable and successful in the camp environment. We ended up coming to the conclusion that cutting cardboard was really difficult for him because the cardboard snips were made for right handed individuals and he was left handed. Being right handed, that was something I didn't think could be limiting to a camper until that situation occurred.

Throughout the articles they continued to stress the importance of clear goals and understanding and broadening goals. I think that is important because there are many different ways to reach a goal, allowing the use of various means to reach that goal creates a more inclusive environment. In curriculum development I think stepping back and asking yourself what do I really want the individuals to get out of this activity when developing a goal is important. Once a broad goal is established, think about all the different ways that goal can be achieved. Even if the curriculum is already developed, stepping back and thinking about all of the other means of achieving the goal will help create a more inclusive curriculum overall. In addition, trying the activity using different medium as well as presenting the activity with different medium will benefit the individuals engaging in the activity.