Universal Design for Learning Training @ GWU

Welcome to this blog space, dedicated to the George Washington University graduate class, Sped 220: Universal design for learning: Implications for career assessment and transition. This graduate course debuted during the summer of 2003 and has continued since. We’ve seen a variety of students cycle through this summer institute through a range of majors — vocational evaluation, transition, curriculum and instruction, rehabilitation, acquired brain injury, and secondary instruction (just to name a few). Each student has arrived with their own interests and desires for how UDL might fit into their educational plans. Many have folded this information into their private practices, consulting work, classroom teaching, and college coursework. We applaud you all for indeed –many of you — have been pioneers in this journey. We invite you to participate in this online blog space by commenting on the conversations. Or, maybe you’d like to add your own blog and link to our class. If so, we encourage you to check out Edublogs. Regardless of your approach, we hope you’ll help us grow this conversation and online community.

Last summer, I asked my esteemed VCU colleague, Dr. Susanne Croasdaile, to join me in teaching this class. What a wise decision that was and has continued to be. Susanne brings a background in curriculum and instruction, research, and systems change. Her curriculum lens and her experience in the classroom offer just what is needed in this class. My background is in vocational evaluation, transition special education, and higher education. Together we complement each other, delve quickly into assistive and instructional technologies, and have a passion for UDL. Our students in 2007, brought a diverse platter of interests and desires for how they wished to explore and promote UDL.