As education has evolved, it has become clear that in addition to academics, it is critical for students to learn 21st-century skills, like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity to succeed in school and life. Our instruction must go beyond “teaching to the test” to empower students to excel. This requires us to integrate social-emotional instruction into our lessons every day.
Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning create a powerful partnership in educating our youth. Yet, educators often feel like implementing too many initiatives at once can be overwhelming. There is a beautiful overlap between these two frameworks and this course explores how they complement each other to engage learners and focus on the whole child. When learners are self-aware and able to identify and regulate their emotions and can work well independently or with peers, they can tap into parts of their brain that may otherwise be shut off to learning.
Throughout this course, we will explore how to create an environment that fosters social, emotional, behavioral, and academic growth using both UDL and SEL in your learning environment.
