Page 236 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Part 2: UDL and You

beliefs. Transforming individual assumptions and beliefs and embedding
them in the system must come first. Being a leader requires you to advocate
for change, share the vision for the change, and then model the process for
change you want to see. It requires you to be vulnerable, to be willing to talk
about difficult topics and have your assumptions and beliefs challenged.

In all this discussion about assumptions and beliefs, one thing is often
missing: students. They are integral to the education system, and they too
have assumptions and beliefs about themselves, the purpose of schools,
and the way things work. They are more perceptive than we think. Even if
they don’t express it, they often notice when our assumptions and beliefs
do not align with our actions in the classroom. For example, we hear such
terms as student agency, student ownership of learning, voice and choice,
and student-centered instruction, yet, when students enter the classroom,
all the traditional accoutrements are there: rows, bells, tests, text-based
instruction.

It isn’t enough to say we want these things for students. We have to
examine our assumptions and beliefs about student ownership and lead-
ership. It requires shared ownership and balance.

The Educator as Collaborator and Facilitator

Most of you have probably heard the advice that educators should move
from being the “sage on the stage” to being a “guide on the side” (King,
1993, p. 30). The ISTE Standards for Educators ask you to move beyond
both these roles, urging you to get into the thick of it and learn with
your students. This is clearly defined within the role of Collaborator
(ISTE, 2017), which encourages educators “to redefine their relationship
with their students as they model collaboration and facilitate authentic
co-learning experiences” (Indicator 4b).

Currently, educators are considered pedagogical experts. In many ways,
this assumption and belief is true; educators have studied and trained to
become skilled at their craft. The traditional view assumes the educator, as
the expert, is responsible for determining the goals, methods, materials,

40 Dive into UDL

Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners 236