Many teachers struggle with how to support students with varying needs, strengths, and identities in inclusive learning environments. Through Universal Design for Learning, teachers learn how to proactively identify barriers in lesson design and instruction and design flexible learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners, including those who require significant support and those who need additional challenge. In this session, we will explore the basics of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and equip educators with the tools and strategies needed to begin creating truly inclusive learning environments.
What is a teacher’s role in a multi-tiered system? Implementing tiered interventions in your school or classroom is just one part of the bigger picture. In this session, we will explore what MTSS is and is not and why it is critical to strengthen Tier 1 to ensure your tiered intervention system works successfully. We will dive into Universal Design for Learning, a framework for inclusive education, and touch upon using it alongside differentiated instruction, which can create a more inclusive environment for students where they can get what they need to succeed.
UDL transcends mere choice for learners; it's a philosophy centered on amplifying student voices and celebrating diversity to enrich their success. Throughout this session, we'll challenge you to confront and address biases, integrate a spectrum of perspectives crucial for educational advancement, and develop learning experiences that embrace and respect diverse student identities, fostering a sense of purpose and belonging. Educators will actively engage in dynamic discussions and hands-on activities to gain valuable insights into seamlessly integrating UDL best practices into their learning environments. Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with designing flexible instructional approaches tailored to meet the diverse needs of all learners, thereby cultivating an inclusive and supportive educational atmosphere.
In this immersive workshop, we'll explore how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines and SEL are not separate initiatives adding to teachers’ already busy schedules, but powerful frameworks that build upon each other. Together, they create a unified approach to support students in a way that transcends traditional boundaries. We'll delve into how UDL, celebrated for its inclusive instructional practices, seamlessly integrates with CASEL's 5 Core Competencies, which nurture students' social and emotional growth. Throughout our session, you'll gain practical insights into how these frameworks bridge academic and emotional growth, support student voice and choice, and promote a culture of respect and empathy. By the end of this workshop, you'll see how these frameworks align and amplify each other, enriching your teaching practice and student support.
Every student and their family bring unique strengths and perspectives to education. While chronic behavior issues pose a challenge in classrooms, punitive measures have shown limited success addressing the core problem. Restorative practices value diverse backgrounds, fostering mutual respect and dignity in learning environments. By reframing behavior approaches, it initiates constructive dialogues, leading to stronger relationships and deeper engagement. This session explores restorative practices, focusing on their essence, implementation, and expected outcomes. The goal is to reshape the learning environment, fostering pride, belonging, and nurturing inherent strengths for a more inclusive and productive educational experience.
Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dive into redesigning your lessons and units with UDL in mind. Together, we'll explore innovative approaches to lesson planning, adapt existing materials to meet diverse learner needs, and brainstorm creative ways to integrate technology for enhanced accessibility. Join us to learn practical strategies for infusing flexibility and accessibility into your lessons. Walk away with a toolkit of UDL-inspired lesson ideas ready to implement and set the stage for a successful academic year ahead!
Every educator's path to UDL implementation looks and feels different, as there are hundreds of strategies that align well with the UDL framework. However, there are some common best practices often used during the beginning of implementation that can help move the process of implementation along. This workshop will help educators with moving implementation forward by diving into some high leverage strategies that will get the UDL wheels turning and will help make learning experiences more equitable and inclusive.
Blended Learning and UDL are perfect companions and together they can provide a powerful platform for meeting students where they are and providing them with equitable opportunities to reach rigorous grade-level standards. This session will introduce you to station rotations, whole group rotations, playlists, and choice boards to allow teachers and leaders to experiment with more engaging learning experiences as they operationalize the implementation of UDL.
Teachers invest significant time and effort into their classrooms, yet the anticipated outcomes, such as improved academic performance, increased student involvement, and a balanced personal and professional life, aren't always proportional to their dedication. Despite their tireless work, these desired outcomes often fall short. This situation highlights the need to reassess the strategies teachers are using in order for students to reach high levels of learning. In this session, you’ll learn about different workflows you can implement in your classroom to lighten the workload while increasing student engagement, opportunity, and success.
Facilitators: Katie Novak Pam Tupy Chris Bronke Jeff Horwitz
Providing voice and choice to our learners goes beyond offering options for how they will learn or how they will express what they know or can do. It requires creating a sense of belongingness and empowering them to co-create the education they are receiving. We can begin this work by treating our learners with the unequivocal respect and dignity they deserve and diving into their Funds of Knowledge to ensure their education is relevant, meaningful, and authentic. This session will support educators with embedding culturally responsive practices into their lesson design and instruction alongside Universal Design for Learning to create powerful instructional experiences that inspire, engage, educate and drive students into action.
Facilitators: Katie Novak Mirko Chardin Pam Chu-Sheriff Lisa Bosio Angela Burke Pam Tupy
Shifting Writing Into the Classroom with UDL and Blended Learning is a workshop designed to redefine writing instruction in the modern classroom. This session, guided by insights from the book "Shift Writing into the Classroom," will immerse educators in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and blended learning strategies. The workshop aims to empower educators with practical tools and approaches to enhance student writing skills, shift responsibility to students, and foster a more inclusive, dynamic learning environment. Participants across all content areas will engage in interactive activities, collaborate, and create real-world teaching artifacts while focusing on developing their students' writing abilities.
A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is an educational framework designed to address the diverse and individualized needs of students in a systematic and responsive manner. MTSS provides a structured approach to identifying and supporting students who may be struggling academically, behaviorally, or socially. In this workshop, you'll explore the practical aspects of implementing MTSS, understand its impact on students, teachers, and your educational community, and learn how to effectively apply MTSS principles. Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to be a strong advocate for MTSS within your school or district, fostering a culture of inclusive, equitable, and student-centered leadership.
Facilitators: Katie Novak Mike Woodlock Pam Tupy Angela Burke
What are the best practices of UDL and how can we apply them to our leadership practice to ensure that the needs of both our educators and students are being met? During this session, we will dive into how to model UDL through our leadership practices, including how to universally design professional learning, integrate mastery oriented feedback into our observation and evaluation system, set realistic and attainable goals with our teachers, provide them with tools for progress monitoring, and promote voice and choice into our everyday leadership practices.
As educators, we have to measure what matters, and that needs to be reflected in our district and school improvement structures. Too many action plans focus on outputs and not outcomes. For example, many districts and schools wish to improve their professional development structures. This is often measured by sharing artifacts like PD calendars and PD brochures. These are outputs, or products, but they do not share outcomes, or the impact of the professional learning on teacher practice and student success. In this session, participants will learn more about how to design action plans with clear outcome data, data cycles, and communication plans to increase transparency and maximize outcomes.
As leaders and coaches, we need to support teachers with implementing UDL to ensure they can be successful. In this session, you'll learn best practices for building strong relationships and shifting mindsets that create barriers to success. You will also learn how to identify UDL practices through observations and provide effective feedback and coaching to inspire and challenge teachers to take their UDL practice to the next level.
