reflection on edtech for community education

I am the product of a “one size fits all” public school education. I attended the Los Angeles Unified School District from kindergarten through high school graduation in 1972. I now recognize that certain teaching methodologies were more productive, understandable, and memorable to me than others, depending upon the circumstances and subject matter. With certain subjects, I was a visual learner, best comprehending lessons through demonstration and observation. Other learning was best retained through repeated reading of printed materials (rote learning). Mathematics was best retained through problem-solving and proofs. In other instances, auditory instruction was most productive. In reflection, I benefited most from a combination of visual, auditory, and demonstrative education. I am an example of the jaggedness principle. This reflection has informed my approach to the challenge of community education with a diverse learner constituency. One size does not fit all. We must strive to present information and subject matters in ways that community members can understand and effectively apply to their own lives. A conscious universal design for learning (UDL). This will require active listening and collaboration.     

Like me, some students learn more effectively with different educational designs, depending on the subject matter being taught. In this context, a UDL approach can simplify the teaching and learning process for all students by designing an environment "to be usable by all people". Community instructors can design a learning environment that works “across a wide spectrum of learners, engaging all students in learning, supporting all individuals to build knowledge and skills, and ensuring an enthusiasm for learning.” In the community context, UDL has tremendous application in working with diverse community populations with widely disparate levels of education, learning styles, and competencies. Working with and conveying meaningful concepts to a broad spectrum of constituents will require the effective implementation of UDL and available educational technologies. There is no average community member; needs and learning styles vary from individual to individual.