What leaders in education need to know and do to improve achievement of all learners.
Date: July 23-24, 2009 (8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
Tuition: $550 (A 10% discount is offered to teams of four or more from the same institution that register together.)
Audience: State, district, and school-based leaders and decisions makers who want to impact improved outcomes for all learners.
Students in today's classrooms present a wide mix of abilities and learning needs e.g.: differing degrees of readiness and background knowledge, varied educational, cultural, and linguistic experiences, differing rates of skill acquisition (from gifted through special needs), and broad diversity in the ability to maximize learning through traditional educational methods and materials. While schools have historically made some accommodations for student diversity and have modified curriculum expectations to address this diversity, 21st century educators are expected to ensure that all students achieve the same rigorous high standards and have access to, and make progress in, the general education curriculum.
UDL is a response to this challenge and requires a paradigm shift from simply modifying curricula based on the individual needs of students to planning curriculum from the start to meet the diverse needs of all students. The primary obstacle to achievement for many students is a monolithic, “one-size-fits-all” curriculum. Typically, curricula are designed to meet the needs of the broad middle range of learners. Consequently, not all of today's students can achieve high standards. UDL is based on the assumption that the curricula themselves fail to provide all individuals with fair and equal opportunities to learn. From a UDL perspective, the focus for change is on a disabled curriculum, not a disabled student. This paradigm shift requires a systemic approach to addressing the diverse needs of all students.
This institute offers school and district leaders an opportunity to understand the issues of adopting the UDL principles as a framework to support school and district level change. Topics include:
- principles of UDL
- strategies that support implementation and change
- highlights of application of UDL
- model lessons that support all learners
- readily available tools to be used in the classroom
- development of action plans
