My View of UDL and DI

My journey through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) has been an interesting one. Much of what I thought I knew about providing an equal education to my students has been challenged. Throughout the course of my master’s degree classes, I have struggled with finding a way to seamlessly incorporate technology into music instruction. It has been through understanding UDL and DI that I have found what I had been missing. I was trying to develop technology based lessons that were in addition to the everyday rehearsals instead of finding ways to incorporate it into what I already teach. Technology can be used during rehearsals in band and choir to explain concepts for visual learners, allow lower learners to slow down a section of music to practice and provide exceptional students the challenge of composing their own music. These are just three examples of using technology to differentiate instruction that allow me to teach content with tools I already have. They are also strategies I have been able to implement in just the last few weeks. The greatest joy for me is seeing the progress all three groups of students are making with just a little additional effort.

Through my Differentiation Station social network site, I have also been able to gain new resources from my fellow teachers as they too have discovered new tips and tools. The ease in posting to the site and the forum interactions made collaborating easy. The sites that I have found most beneficial are the ones dedicated to discovering the learning styles and preferences of our students. There have been several occasions I have over heard various students make random comments and I caught myself thinking about the student interest surveys we created early in this course. Knowing more about our students does make a difference. Whether it is their learning style or their interests, it takes instruction to a new level. As Dr. Tomlinson says, “The best teaching is never so much about “me” as about “us”.” (Tomlinson, 2008)

I have learned a lot about my teaching on my journey through UDL and DI. For the first time in twelve years of teaching, I see my students with new eyes. By nature, the courses I teach are ensemble based and that is how I have seen and taught my students, as a whole. Now I have the tools needed to see the individuals that make up the ensemble and work towards meeting their unique needs.


Tomlinson, C. (2008). Learning to love assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 8–13. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.