UDL in 15 Minutes

Arie Werder, a district educational technology district consultant teacher, bravely shares her K - 12 through college experiences as a learner with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD with a lead up to why UDL feels like home to her.

With a diverse student population, Burlington-Edison School District needed a common instructional framework. UDL was adopted and transformed Tracy’s understanding of instructional design and her PDs. During this podcast, she talks about shifting from the checklist mentality, embracing learner variability, expert learning and flexible goals as the tenets of UDL. She ends with a great story about the power of feedback loops.

Former guest Liz Hartmann from Lasell University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education shares how her understanding and implementation of the framework have evolved over time. She shares her thoughts on the dynamic nature of UDL and the need for educators to be flexible and open to growth.

Jana Nicol returns to UDL in 15 Minutes to share her experiences and growth through the use of the UDL framework. Her roles have changed over the last four years and have directly influenced her interpretation and application of the framework.

The principle of Engagement is entirely rooted in the nervous system. Anne Bishop and Chantill Lopez use their deep knowledge of the nervous system to help educators tap into that critical piece of UDL all while using UDL to develop their own instruction. This is the second podcast of a 2-part series.

Kelly Ackerman and Lisa Renz have collaboratively taught for 24 years and have taught 31 and 33 years respectively. They are also brand new to UDL. In this episode, share how they brought choice into their English II lessons and co-created rubrics with their learners. They also share their amazing results.

Kelly shares her experience of guiding students to create “Brain Stories”, which help them understand their own learning needs and the needs of others. She also shares the benefits and challenges of co-creating rubrics with her students, ensuring inclusivity and accountability in the learning process.

Co-teachers Kyanne Obrock and Carrie McSwain share how they saw a significant increase in student effort and motivation when they started designing lessons that shifted from planning for individual students to planning for learner variability. They created a learning environment where students worked individually, in groups, and checked-in at prescribed time so they could receive individualized feedback.

Gayle Hines, principal at Matoaca Middle School in Richmond, Virginia, shares how she prepares her staff to learn about UDL and the strategies she uses to make UDL PD effective and enticing to her staff.

Beth Stark and Jérémie Rostan, the co-creators of the AI tool LUDIA, share how educators can use the process of “tell, tinker, tweak, and transfer” to enhance their journey with Universal Design for Learning. We dispel common myths about AI and listeners will walk away with clear next steps to use LUDIA as part of their toolbox.

Shannon Costley and Megan Babb discuss how they have used a combination of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), shared unit planning, and a focus on Power Standards to guide their middle school learners back to the face-to-face classroom after the pandemic shutdown.

Kyle Carlin and Andrea Wichers from the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative discuss how they have implemented a UDL-aligned flexible digital tool, Read and Write, and how it has improved students' engagement and expression.

Cindy Malone of Kansas Infinitec shares how a statewide system of UDL Professional Learning Communities and coaching have shifted technology use across Kansas.

Mary Waldron and Michaela Clancy of Washington share how equity work and MTSS were Clover Park School District’s springboard into the UDL.