ABSTRACT
As an educational framework, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a lens for educators to systematically plan their instruction in ways that celebrate cultural differences and increase diverse learners’ engagement, expression, and deep understanding (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014). UDL can also promote educators’ development as adaptive experts who think flexibly and creatively in response to learner variability (De Arment, Reed, & Wetzel, 2013). This chapter describes the creation of an international online community to promote educators’ adaptive expertise within the framework of UDL. Through a free, open, and web-based process, US and Jamaican colleagues leveraged technology to collaborate and learn about UDL, curate resources, and apply UDL strategies to enhance educators’ adaptive expertise, enrich learning environments, and support educational equity for all students. Outcomes of this project suggest this online virtual classroom model may be valuable for replication in other international contexts to support and reduce barriers to professional learning and collaboration.
