UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING APPROACH AND SCHOOLWIDE ENRICHMENT MODEL: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE

Universal Design for Learning model indicates that ALL students have equal chances to learn. That framework offers a flexible learning environment that recognizes individual cognitive and learning styles. Its flexibility encourages students’ success and achievements. The availability of creative and flexible learning environments that foster the potential of students according to their interests and learning styles are presented also in Renzulli’s studies of Didactics of Gifted and talented students [1]. Created in the mid-1970s, the Schoolwide Enrichment Model “SEM” [2,3], was aimed to develop creativity and superior thinking skills in high abilities students through the exposition to different disciplines, areas of interest and topics, providing opportunities to develop critical thinking and advanced problem-solving skills in specific areas of study. According to Renzulli & Reis [3] the SEM, through the creation of flexible environment for learning, can respond to the needs of the gifted and talented students, and contemporaneously, serves all students providing them challenging learning experiences and offering a set of instructional strategies focused on learning characteristics and students’ interests and preferences. A tool coming from this perspective is the Total Talent Portfolio: an ongoing way to gather information on child’ strengths and weaknesses from diverse sources, paying more attention to the firsts [4]. Personalized didactic plans are usually focused on child difficulties, deficits or areas of weaknesses, on the contrary the total talent portfolio, not excluding the difficulties of the child, is based on his learning style, preferences and interests in a way that is not compensatory but proactive. The contribute discusses the opportunity to use this perspective in order to change the point of view of school system looking special needs from a more inclusive approach that does not merely consider weaknesses and values children’ strengths and potential.