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BC TEAL is proud to present our 2025 Annual Conference: Disruptive Educational Practices: Strategies for Transformation.

Educators shine in times of change to face unexpected challenges. This is when creativity flourishes by combining proven practices with fresh and innovative ideas. These times call for transformation which can be rooted in tradition or experience, or it can arise through unexplored approaches. The synthesis of old and new ideas drives meaningful progress. Join other insightful and creative educators as we flourish within the power of our community.
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Inclusive Second Language Writing Instruction with the Universal Genre Sphere
Saturday May 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT
TBA
This presentation introduces the Universal Genre Sphere (UGS), an instructional model for teaching academic writing to all learners, including neurodiverse students, dis/abled students, and students with limited formal education (David & Anderson, 2022). While research on second-language writing for neurodivergent EALs is expanding, little work has explored ways to scaffold writing instruction to serve all learners, including learners from other vulnerable and underserved communities. Rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Genre-Based Approach (GBA), UGS fosters equitable, inclusive, and effective learning environments (Hyland, 2003; David & Brown, 2020; CAST, 2025). UGS prioritizes inclusive design, aligning instruction with students’ interest while breaking learning into manageable and adaptable segments, making academic writing more accessible to a wider range of learners. 
This presentation will be divided into two parts. The first will provide an overview of UGS and findings from a one-year longitudinal study examining its impact on EAL students in a Master of Education TESL program at a Colombian university. The program’s traditionally lecture-based academic writing instruction was redesigned using a blend of principles from UDL and GBA to create a student-driven, multimodal learning experience. The redesign incorporated audio-visual materials for input and feedback, maximizing student-instructor interaction to support writing development. The second half of this session will be a hands-on workshop where participants will learn how to apply UGS principles into their own teaching contexts. Through a series of guided activities, educators will explore strategies aligned with UGS to enhance accessible and engagement in L2 writing instruction. Participants will leave with concrete strategies, and practical tools to implement UGS in their classrooms, making academic writing instruction more inclusive, flexible, and effective.  
Speakers
avatar for Rosa Dene David

Rosa Dene David

PhD Candidate, Lecturer, The University of British Columbia
Rosie Dene David, a PhD Candidate at the University of British Columbia, teaches in the Teacher Education program and holds a MATESOL from Portland State University.
Saturday May 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT
TBA
  Writing, Writing

Attendees (1)


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