The American Center in Moscow invites English language professionals to join a free 9-part online series of practical workshops Disability and Difference in the English Language Classroom: Implementing the Principles of Universal Design for Learning, taught by English Language Specialist Rosa Dene David. UDL is a framework for teachers to use to help improve the teaching and learning experience for all learners, including learners with disabilities.

About: This series of nine 90-minute hands-on workshops will provide teachers with a comprehensive introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) while also helping teachers take the steps needed to implement the UDL framework into their existing classes. Participants will also practice designing activities and lesson plans that incorporate UDL principles to make their classrooms more inclusive and equitable for all learners, including English language learners with disabilities or who are neurodiverse. This program is a practice-focused continuation of the series Disability and Difference in the English Language Classroom: Creating Inclusive Learning Environments, yet can be taken and completed as a stand-alone program.

Who is it for? This series is best suited for English language professionals, including English language teachers, curriculum designers, but also could be beneficial to general education teachers who teach in English. 

Why participate? For students with disabilities, the English language classroom setting may present certain challenges that need accommodation and consideration. There is a growing need for English language teachers to develop inclusive learning environments that support the second (or additional) language acquisition process for all English language learners (ELLs), including those with identified and unidentified learning disabilities. Yet, one of the main challenges globally is related to the lack of teacher training initiatives that can provide English language educators with a set of transferable skills to support inclusion in the English language classroom. This workshop series will equip teachers with practical skills of applying UDL principles to their existing classroom activities and tasks, assessment tools, and curriculum in general, to create more inclusive classrooms for all ELLs.

What to expect? In these workshops, the participants will learn about practical considerations of each UDL principle, study ready-made examples of its application in EFL classrooms, brainstorm topics and learning objectives for tasks from their teaching contexts, work together to redesign these tasks and activities with each UDL principle incorporated in them, discuss their modifications and adaptations for different classrooms, micro-teach them, and get feedback and suggestions for improvement from the attendees and the instructor. They will also create together and have access to a resource bank of classroom activities incorporating UDL principles, created during the program, that they can use with their students. Overall, upon successful completion of the program, the participants will be able to differentiate and implement the three principles of UDL to improve the learning environment for all learners, apply teaching strategies to support ELLs with disabilities, recognize some of the barriers present in their own instruction and in their instructions to create strategies to mitigate those barriers, and determine potential next steps needed to build a UDL culture in their classrooms or institutions.

Schedule: Every Monday between January 23, 2023, and March 20, 2023, at 5:30-7:00 p.m. MSK on Zoom. Fill out the registration form below to sign up and receive join links.

Topics: This series will include the following workshops:

• Workshop #1 on January 23, 2023: Overview or UDL and inclusive edtech and resources

• Workshop #2 on January 30, 2023: Principle 1 — Multiple Means of Engagement: guidelines and checkpoints, examples and strategies for the classroom, analysis

• Workshop #3 on February 6, 2023: Principle 1 — Multiple Means of Engagement: designing activities, micro-teaching, feedback

• Workshop #4 on February 13, 2023: Principle 2 — Multiple Means of Representation: guidelines and checkpoints, examples and strategies for the classroom, analysis

• Workshop #5 on February 20, 2023: Principle 2 — Multiple Means of Representation: designing activities, micro-teaching, feedback

• Workshop #6 on February 27, 2023: Principle 3 — Multiple Means of Action & Expression: guidelines and checkpoints, examples and strategies for the classroom, analysis

• Workshop #7 on March 6, 2023: Principle 3 — Multiple Means of Action & Expression:  designing activities, micro-teaching, feedback

• Workshop #8 on March 13, 2023: UDL in assessment: guidelines and checkpoints, examples and strategies for the classroom, analysis

• Workshop #9 on March 20, 2023: UDL in assessment: designing activities, micro-teaching, feedback

Certificate: Participants who attend at least 7 of 9 workshops between January 23, 2023, and March 20, 2023, and create at least 3 activities applying the UDL principles will earn an e-certificate of participation from the Regional English Language Office. 

How to participate: To take part in this workshop series, fill out the registration form below (below the announcement) and select the workshops you’d like to attend. Participation in the workshop series and individual workshops is free. You will receive a join link for each workshop 30 minutes before it begins.

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About the instructor: English Language Specialist Rosa Dene David

Rosie began her teaching career in Bolivia, and since then she has taught in several countries. In addition to serving as an English Language Specialist in Russia, Rosie is a Senior Research Analyst and a PhD student at the University of British Columbia. Rosie is the Outgoing Chair of TESOL International’s Supporting Students with Disabilities. Rosie has served as the Associate Editor of the Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, the Co-editor of Difference and Disability Matters, and the Chair of Supporting Students with Disabilities, the TESOL International Interest Section.

She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Portland State University. Rosie’s passion is serving and supporting English language learners with disabilities and this work comes in many forms. From offering workshops to teachers, to designing curriculum or working on educational policy, Rosie demonstrates her love of education and her belief that everyone has the right to learn through her work. Additionally, Rosie’s research areas include critical disability studies, critical pedagogies, and inclusion in the Global South. In her free time, Rosie enjoys exploring the outdoors, experimenting in the kitchen, and curling up with a good book.

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ALL AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE / ВСЕ МЕРОПРИЯТИЯ АМЕРИКАНСКОГО ЦЕНТРА В МОСКВЕ БЕСПЛАТНЫ

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The workshops in this series are hosted on Zoom. If you are interested in joining, please create a Zoom account beforehand. When registering below, please submit your valid email address to receive a link to the Zoom meeting 30 minutes before each workshop begins.

To join other AMC Online programs, please check the American Center’s website and TimePad calendars.