Imagine that you're the gardener of a large estate. You weed the flower beds, spread compost on the vegetable gardens, dig holes to plant shrubs, and prune the berry bushes and fruit trees.
Now, if you could only choose one tool to help you do all that work, which would it be?
No matter which one you choose, your job is going to be much harder than it needs to be. When you're caring for a range of plants at various stages of growth, you need a variety of tools.
No matter which one you choose, your job is going to be much harder than it needs to be. When you're caring for a range of plants at various stages of growth, you need a variety of tools.
No matter which one you choose, your job is going to be much harder than it needs to be. When you're caring for a range of plants at various stages of growth, you need a variety of tools.
No matter which one you choose, your job is going to be much harder than it needs to be. When you're caring for a range of plants at various stages of growth, you need a variety of tools.
No matter which one you choose, your job is going to be much harder than it needs to be. When you're caring for a range of plants at various stages of growth, you need a variety of tools.
Why is it important for teachers to use a variety of strategies in their instruction? Let's answer that question with a few key points from Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
There's no such thing as an "average learner."
While it’s possible to identify the average performance of students on a task - and humans do share common cognitive processes - there’s a great degree of variability in each brain.
Students need to be taught how to learn.
Acquiring standards-based knowledge and skills is important, but it's also vital for students to learn how to become expert learners.
The curriculum should adapt to students.
Traditionally, teachers provided a single instructional pathway, and all students had to learn and produce work according to that pathway. If they couldn't, they were sometimes viewed as learning disabled.
The curriculum should adapt to students.
According to UDL proponents, teachers must focus on identifying and addressing the disabilities in their curriculum that prevent it from reaching all students. Technology enables teachers to provide a range of access points and learning experiences that meet their learners' diverse needs.
What is essential for some is good for all.
Educators have found that providing multiple ways to learn and demonstrate mastery benefits all students, not just those with diagnosed learning disabilities.
To summarize, why use a variety of instructional strategies? Because you have a variety of students, and each one benefits from learning in a variety of ways.