Transform Instruction, Empower Every Learner
Through this Community of Practice (CoP), educators will improve their ability to design instruction that proactively removes barriers and supports learner variability through the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.
Features
Focus
UDL with emphasis on reducing instructional barriers, increasing learner access, and designing flexible pathways across content areas (literacy, mathematics, science, and electives)
Audience
District-nominated teams of general educators, intervention specialists, paraeducators, and instructional support personnel committed to improving access and outcomes for diverse learners through intentional UDL design
Grade Band
Upper elementary through high school, with application strategies adaptable for K–12 implementation
CoP Facilitation
UDL Foundations: Variability & Barriers
- Introduction to BRICK UDL Foundations lesson
- Importance of recognizing learner variability and proactively designing for access
- Identifying common instructional barriers in current practice
- Overview of UDL principles and the role of flexible goals
- Review and reflection on lesson key ideas
UDL Representation: Access to Information & Clarity of Instruction
- Introduction to BRICK UDL Representation lesson
- Importance of using multiple means of representation to support comprehension and decoding
- Highlight of UDL-aligned formats (visuals, models, scaffolds, vocabulary supports)
- Demonstration of options for presenting content in different modalities
- Review and reflection on lesson strategies
UDL Engagement: Sustaining Motivation & Executive Function Support
- Introduction to BRICK UDL Engagement lesson
- Importance of strategic motivation, predictable routines, and scaffolds for EF
- Highlight of engagement strategies for learner initiation, persistence, and self-regulation
- Demonstration of feedback routines that empower learner agency
- Review and reflection on lesson practices
UDL Action & Expression: Flexible Pathways for Demonstrating Learning
- Introduction to BRICK UDL Action & Expression lesson
- Successes and opportunities for growth across the UDL CoP modules
- Highlight of flexible assessment options and reducing bottlenecks in output (e.g., writing, organization, EF, language)
- Review of all UDL lesson with sample planning templates
Why Join?
Improve your instructional design with evidence-based practices grounded in the Universal Design for Learning Framework.
This CoP will help you:
- Reduce instructional barriers
- Support all learners
- Connect with peers and experts across content areas (particularly in mathematics and literacy)
Schedule & Session Topics
Sessions facilitated by Sean J. Smith, Ph.D., University of Kansas
Sean J. Smith, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Smith’s research interests focus on innovations and technology solutions to support struggling learners and those with disabilities, particularly interventions aligned with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework.
January 26, 2026 | 4-5:15 EST
Session Agenda
- Overview of UDL principles and the role of flexible goals
- Recognizing learner variability and proactively designing for access
- Introduction to UDL Foundations module lesson
Session Resources
- The Myth of Average: Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty
- Seeing UDL in Action in the Classroom
- What is UDL? Universal Design for Learning Explained (3 minutes)
- CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines
- 6 Types Of Assessment Of Learning | TeachThought
- Common accommodations and modifications in school
- UDL Tips for Developing Learning Goals | CAST
- UDL FlowChart 3.0
- Bookshare
- Iudia - Poe
- Home - Universally Designed
February 9, 2026 | 4-5:15 EST
Session Agenda
- Using multiple means of representation to support comprehension and decoding
- Highlight of UDL-aligned formats (visuals, models, scaffolds, vocabulary supports)
- Introduction to UDL Representation module lesson
Session Resources
- Why Explicit Instruction?
- Read and Write Chrome Extension Guide for Beginners
- 3 ways to support your students with Immersive Reader - Ditch That Textbook
- How to Use Screencastify
- 7 Tips for Teaching With Videos in K-12 Classrooms | Edutopia
- Project VOISS | VIRTUAL REALITY FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING
- MagicSchool AI for teachers: 5 Features That Make Planning Easier — helloteacherlady.com
- Napkin AI - The visual AI for business storytelling
- UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 1 Mathematics
- Math Teaching Models: Universal Design For Learning
March 9, 2026 | 4-5:15 EST
Session Agenda
- Importance of strategic motivation, predictable routines, and scaffolds for EF
- Engagement strategies for learner initiation, persistence, and self-regulation
- Introduction to UDL Engagement module lesson
Session Resources
April 20, 2026 | 4-5:15 EST
Session Agenda
- Flexible assessment options and reducing bottlenecks in output
- Classroom examples and implementation pathways
- Introduction to UDL Action & Expression module lesson
Session Resources
Questions?
Contact Rachel Evans at evans2rm@ucmail.uc.edu.
This CoP series is sponsored by the Building Robust Intervention Specialist Content Knowledge (BRICK) project. BRICK is a project coordinated through the University of Cincinnati Systems Development & Improvement Center with support from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.