Universal Design for Learning

Unless you are planning to get this resource as an e-book, today's post doesn't really have to do with technology.  It does, however, have everything to do with inclusion. I am working on one of my last courses to get my special education post-baccalaureate and the course that I am taking currently is one of the most practical.  As a part of the course work, I've just started reading Jennifer Katz's Teaching to Diversity: The Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning. The author, a familiar name in the ISD, goes into great length to provide some practical strategies for creating an academically and socially inclusive classroom.  Katz discusses everything from literacy and numeracy instruction, thematic teaching blocks that weave social studies and science outcomes, as well as her well-known Respecting Diversity program that taps on the Multiple Intelligences theory.  Rich with anecdotal snapshots of students Katz has worked with, it is a thought and emotion-provoking read.  At a reasonable $30 price tag, you will see how the best of the last 20 years of pedagogical practice can all be woven together to create a supportive and inclusive teaching environment.
Note: the image below is an interactive ThingLink. Please click on the silhouette centered in the book image for a direct link to a University of Manitoba blog post about Jennifer Katz. You can check out her blog here.

Katz, Jennifer. Teaching to Diversity: The Three-block Model of Universal Design for Learning. Winnipeg: Portage & Main, 2012.