Response to UDL

In my training as a special educator, I was taught to look for a student's strengths and to use these strengths to overcome weaknesses. Part of this process, includes figuring out a child's learning style and the kinds of techniques and materials that work best for the child. While this is especially important with students with special needs, I believe that "mainstream" students greatly benefit from this approach as well. This is why the rationale of Universal Design for Learning strikes me.
 An outsider reading these guidelines may not see the need for these ideas to be expressed. It seems almost logical that learners should have a choice of how to present and record information. This is something all adults must do in their daily life. But this is rarely the case in schools. Teachers frequently tell younger students what to record in their notebooks and assignments may be so tightly regulated that they leave little room for creativity. However, in a world that is increasingly less linear and more global, versatile thinking is an essential skill for success. As teachers, we need to recognize this need. We need to give students the opportunity to construct knowledge in ways that allow them to use it a variety of settings. UDL gives suggestions enabling teachers to help their students take ownership of their learning.
 While I appreciate suggestions that will help further my students' learning,  I am struck by the duality of simplicity and depth of the UDL guidelines. The fact that something apparently so simple can be overlooked makes me take a second look at the educational structures in place. It also makes me reflect on why these guidelines need to be expressed. While Progressive/ Constructivist teaching has been around for several decades, most teachers were not taught (as young students) by teachers with these ideals. Humans, being creatures of habit, tend to fall back on the familiar aka traditional, linear teaching and learning. Furthermore, while the face of teaching is changing to include more Progressive and Constructivist thought, school structures take a lot longer to change. The teachers of our era, need heaps research and data in our favor to renovate the structures we work within. This is the only way that we can really prepare our students to think globally and to be resourceful individuals who are ready for the 21st century.