Katie Novak, Ed.D.

“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.”

“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.”