One of the bills being heard by the Ways and Means Committee today was HB59. This bill would establish a Task Force to Study the Incorporation of the Principles of Universal Design for Learning into the Policies, Practices, and Curriculum of the Education Systems in Maryland (a very long title).
This bill recognizes that all of us learn differently – some are gifted, some challenged, some process written material quickly, some need the material more hands on. This request received support from the Governor’s Office for Children, the University System of Maryland, several county Boards of Education, and many professionals and parents.
While the concept has been around many years, most teachers say that developing tailored learning plans for each child is extremely time consuming. This bill would provide several alternatives to the teacher and they could then judge which to use for each child.