Loui Lord Nelson, Ph.D. - International UDL Educator
Recipient of the CAST 2024 Inaugural Anne Meyer UDL Design Award
Consulting
Loui consults globally on the implementation of UDL with:
- schools
- districts
- state departments
- national education offices
- ministries of education
- universities.
Whether she works with your organization for a few months or for several years, she brings her depth of cross-cultural knowledge and works alongside you and your staff to identify initial goals, next steps, and provide guidance on how to continue and sustain your own momentum with UDL.
Speaking
Loui’s thought-provoking keynotes and workshops motivate her audiences to reflect on their practice and to move forward with UDL. Whether an audience of 5 or 5,000, Loui values each person in front of her and uses UDL to intentionally design her presentations to engage and inspire each audience member.
Books
Loui’s latest book shares their vision of designing culturally responsive environments through the use of the UDL Framework to benefit all learners. Culturally Responsive Design for English Learners: The UDL Approach was co-authored with Patti Ralabate, Ed.D. in 2017 and has already gained the attention of educators focused on English learners and culturally responsive teaching. Her first book, Design and Deliver: Planning and Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning, came out in 2014 and an updated Second Edition was released in early 2021. This book remains a best seller. It strikes a balance between understanding the background of UDL and suggestions for practice. Stay tuned for an announcement about her next book! Also, learn more about a new game to help UDL educators!
The Why of UDL
From birth, we are learners. Our brains are constantly processing information, experiences, and emotions. This processing establishes our own mix of background knowledge. That knowledge is the base which is built upon as we move through educational systems.
We’re also directly impacted by the environment in which we are learning. Whether or not that environment supports our learning depends on the personal connection we make to the topic or skill. Whether that environment provides us with different ways to connect to and understand the things we’re supposed to be learning influences our learning. And whether that environment offers us different ways to show our understanding determines whether or not we will be successful in showing the skills and knowledge we have gained. The Universal Design for Learning framework provides the structure needed to design the kind of learning environments that allow for these types of supports. Learn how Loui can help you continue forward with your designing your learning environment.