Neurodiversity in the Classroom:
Universal Design for Learning (a Virtual Session)
The UMBC Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Program Presents
a Virtual Session
Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Universal Design for Learning
Dr. Jules Buendgens-Kosten
Goethe University in Frankfurt
Thursday, December 7, 2023
4 : 3 0 - 5 : 3 0 pm
Online - Eastern US Time
Summary
This talk will look at one type of diversity that can be found in every classroom: Neurodiversity, i.e. the diversity in cognitive processing.
Using the neurodiversity paradigm, we start from a perspective that values this diversity, and that acknowledges the challenges that arise when people of a minority neurotype have to deal with environments and activities that were tailored to the needs of neurotypical people.
I will discuss how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help make classrooms and classroom tasks more accessible for learners of different neurotypes, focusing especially on providing options for sustaining effort and persistence, for self-regulation and for executive function.
Throughout,
I will draw on the voices of neurodivergent learners, former learners,
and educational experts, including interviews from the
ELLeN
project,
to illustrate the points made and also to show the breadth of
experiences and opinions within the neurodiversity community.
Dr. Jules Buedgens-Kosten is a teacher educator and researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) and a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at UMBC. Their primary research focuses on inclusive education in the EFL context, including with a focus on technology, and on computer-assisted language learning, especially from a multilingual lens. They are part of the ELLeN project, which uses inquiry-based learning in teacher education focusing on neurodiversity. and language learning.
Free Registration
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About the UMBC TESOL Program
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) offers a master of arts (MA TESOL) and a four-course postbaccalaureate certificate (TESOL PBC) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Options are available for those seeking to teach any age group from children to adults in the United States or abroad, including Maryland P-12 teacher certification in ESOL. Both the MA TESOL and the TESOL certificate can be completed on campus, online, or through a combination of online and campus courses. Discounted tuition is available for current P-12 public school educators in Maryland. Find out more at https://tesol.umbc.edu/learnmore.php