Learn about the UDL framework and receive guidance on lesson planning and implementation from experienced, engaging instructors - all while in your pajamas.
Professional Development
Novak Educational Consulting is the premier organization for designing and delivering high-quality, evidence-based professional development on multi-tiered systems of support, evidence-based tiered interventions, evidence-based literacy models, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and effective leadership practices. Our presenters are completely flexible and can design any type of presentation to meet your needs.
Online Courses
Without the proper supports, professional development, and resources, it can be difficult – if not impossible – to improve your teaching game. And even when professional development is available, it sometimes falls short. Our response is to provide universally designed online courses to help you better understand UDL, MTSS, and inclusive practice. Courses will provide you with the theory you need but will focus on practical methods for improving daily practice.
Publications
Katie Novak, President of Novak Educational Consultants, has authored four books on UDL, selling more than 30,000 copies worldwide. In her updated release, UDL Now!, Katie provides practical insights and savvy strategies for helping all learners meet high standards using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Our Consultants
Novak Educational Consulting is the premier organization for designing and delivering high-quality, evidence-based professional development on multi-tiered systems of support, evidence-based tiered interventions, evidence-based literacy models, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and effective leadership practices.
Recent Posts
Better Professional Development in 5 Steps
They didn’t build Rome in a day, and we certainly can’t educate our kids in a day. But all too often our systems limit professional development for teachers to a single intensive day on a new program, initiative, or framework. An intensive PD day shouldn’t be a single event, it should be part of a longer learning journey. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has taught us time and time again that it is not our students who are disabled – it is our curriculum, our assessments, and our systems that are disabling to our students. When we remove barriers to
MTSS vs RTI: What is the difference?
Like all industries, the education industry loves alphabet soup. We could list acronyms for days, but there are two that our drawing our attention today: MTSS and RTI.
UDL Implementation Rubric
If you’ve had a chance to review the UDL Progression Rubric, you probably recognize that UDL isn’t a framework that you can implement overnight. It takes years – not weeks or months – to reach expert level and it’s easy to see how anyone, even the most experienced teachers, could get overwhelmed. For those just getting started, evaluating where you are in the UDL implementation process on a checkpoint by checkpoint basis might simply be too much. When Melissa Toland of Ocean View School District reached out suggesting a simplified version for the time-strapped or overwhelmed teacher, I was totally
UDL Flowchart in Spanish – Flujograma DUA
See in English Translation by Juan Gallardo Proporcionar múltiples medios de motivación; proporcionar múltiples medios de representación; proporcionar múltiples medios de acción y expresión. Con solo un vistazo, es fácil interpretar los tres principios del Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje (DUA) por lo que son: ofrecer opciones a los estudiantes. Parece fácil. Sin embargo, si todo lo que hacemos es ofrecer opciones apenas estamos rozando la superficie de lo que es la implementación del DUA a escala completa. Cuando el DUA se implementa en todo su potencial, nuestros esfuerzos se traducen en aprendices expertos: estudiantes que tienen un propósito y
Testimonials
“Katie Novak is an engaging, dynamic facilitator of professional development. She does not present or direct, she facilities the learning of others. Through her experience as a teacher and administrator, Katie is able to provide practical examples of the application of UDL and is able to engage participants in exploring their own knowledge and experience to enhance their learning. Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporations (BCSC) has been privileged to partner with Katie as a UDL facilitator at the BCSC UDL Summer Institute for each of the last 4 years. Katie is one of the summer UDL facilitators who BCSC teachers seek out year after year. In addition to her "in person" work with BCSC, her book UDL Now! was purchased for all 750 BCSC teachers as a hands-on resource for UDL implementation. BCSC also has created the option of elearning days and used UDL in The Cloud as a guide in many of the aspects of online course development. Katie is exciting, engaging and practical, but most important Katie causes you to think and explore your own beliefs and practices.”
“I have worked Katie in multiple capacities. As a co-presenter, she is amazing to collaborate with - her ideas and energy are endless and she pushes you to be your very best! I have also worked with Katie when I was an instructor in higher education. She delivered a keynote and workshop to our faculty and received rave reviews for the relevancy of her material and for her ability to model the UDL guidelines in her presentation.”
“You will laugh, you will engage, and most importantly, you will learn. These experiences are ones to look forward to if you are fortunate enough to attend any professional development designed and delivered by Dr. Katie Novak. Katie practices what she preaches, and that is all things Universal Design for Learning (UDL). You might be asked to attend a dinner party in the 1970s or line dance with a room full of strangers, but will do so while thinking about how to meet the needs of every single learner in your district, school, or classroom. Be prepared to put your thoughts into action and plan for learning, development, and implementation regardless of your role in education. Katie has the ability to validate every single participant’s interests, viewpoints, and understandings. Whether there are twenty or two hundred people participating in a professional development session, she will make sure it will meet the individual learning needs of all. If you do not have the opportunity to participate in a learning session with Katie in person, be sure to check out her books as well. Reading any of Katie’s books is like having a casual conversation with a colleague and friend. No matter the learning method, you will not be let down!”
“Dr. Katie Novak and I first met when we created the #UDLchat on Twitter with Mindy Johnson, Kit Hard, and Elizabeth Stein. Since, we have collaborated closely working towards the common goal of implementing Universal Design for Learning in more classrooms through a network of supports. She is a leader that never sleeps, and I'm happy to say we have been friends and working colleagues for over five years now. Katie listens closely to the needs of teachers, administrators, and others, and the insights she gains from that is beautifully reflected through her books on Universal Design for Learning and her work in school districts nationwide.”
“Great teaching looks a lot like art. While there has been a great deal of attention lately to the "science" of teaching, it is the art of teaching that we most remembers and that strikes us with awe. And that is hard to describe or codify. Katie Novak is an artist when she teachers. I have seen her. She does things that awe and inspire; watching her is like watching a master sculptor at work. Everyone should have a chance to see her teach - and especially to see her bring UDL to life."”