Liquid

When I think about accommodations for students I think about myself and what I got accommodated for me in school over the years.  There are alot of simple things that can make a big impact on a student.  When it came to all school testing, the ones you took on the computers I took with a teacher reading me the questions and answer choices.  I also had this done for most test or quizes in a separate room where I also got extra time.  As I got older I didn't need that much assistance so I just got extra time and a separate room to help me not be distracted, or interrupt if i asked for help reading a word.  I didn't have to take spelling test or be expected to truly memorize anything just be able to show a understanding.  When it came highschool time I was starting to lose all these accommodations.  The 504 and IEP plan I had was being considered to be taken away and I would lose access to my teacher notes, extended test time, and a separate classroom to take tests.  Now a highschool student my parents weren't the ones in the meetings fighting for these accommodations it was up to me to express that I needed these and if they took them away I couldn't keep succeeding like I have been thanks to the accommodations.  This overall is where I wish the school had fought with me to keep these accommodations instead of fight me and say I don't need them.  It made no sense to me that now that I have accommodations and doing well, they should be cut back and I might do better even though time had shown without these accommodations I didn't do well.  The UDL should help build a plan for a student to be able to break through barriers and learn in the way they need the material to be presented to them.   Starting with a more open classroom having different ways to present the materials could connect with more students when just one way for each topic.  having these students be able to connect and understand in the classroom with all the other students instead of just waiting to go into the separate classroom to start to understand after it is being explained again in a different way.  In the classroom the teacher sound think liquid and not stay on one set way be able to mold and change the way they teach everyday.    With the UDL exchange I found that there are some tools that didn't work and the teachers still took not that it took better to some students then others and that goes to show that everyone learns differently.  This way we should do our best to present information on multiple different platforms.  Being as simple as writing on the board the directions along with the verbal ones.