The interactive keynote will address the current challenges facing our WELS classroom in engaging a diverse group of learners. Our discussion will center around the following:
Unpacking our assumptions and beliefs for what we teach, how we teach, and who we teach.
Understanding the various academic, cultural, instructional, and environmental barriers facing all our students and their ability in accessing the curriculum successfully.
Learn the three fundamental principles behind the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and understand how the framework provides the pathways for overcoming the predictable barriers through flexible means yet still maintain firm lesson goals and objectives.
Learn the value in adopting a proactive mindset through UDL to ensure all learners have equal access to our curriculum.
Apply UDL to your future lessons.
Dr. Muente serves as a professor of Social Studies Education at MLC. She earned a Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum with an emphasis in Social Studies Education from the University of Missouri. Her research and scholarship focuses on curriculum, instruction and Universal Design for Learning implementation in the areas of teacher education, inclusive education and practices, special education, and culturally responsive teaching practice. Overall, her aim to help WELS teachers learn the value in integrating a Universal Design for Learning framework into the instruction decision- process to ensure all students have equal access to the curriculum.