Instructional Designer and Research Associate
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Short Biography - Education - Current Projects - Selected Presentations and Courses
Short Biography
Yvonne Domings participates in the formative development and research of technology-based universally designed learning environments. In addition to her research and development work, Ms. Domings develops and delivers professional development programs to integrate UDL into the classroom.
Ms. Domings has expertise in course development, technical assistance and training. She provided technical assistance and support for a federally-funded program, Project Focus Academy, helping nine high schools develop school communities in which school personnel, youth, family members, and adult service agency personnel integrate course knowledge and skills into practice. She helped to transform the original Project Focus online modules into stand-alone units suitable for delivery and use in train-the-trainer implementation models used in several of the schools. Ms. Domings also delivered several face-to-face mini-workshops to support these training efforts, and provided other technical assistance and support to the schools. Most recently, she was a Teaching Fellow for Dr. David Rose’s course Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Challenge of Individual Differences at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
Before joining CAST in 2008, Ms. Domings assisted in the development of graduate level, pre-service teacher training programs at Lesley University. While at Lesley, she also worked on the MOSAIC cognitive neuroscience research project that evaluated the efficacy of preschool curricula in improving executive functions and self-regulation. She was a researcher and executive editor for the Minority Language Assessment Project, a three-year federally funded action research initiative developed in collaboration with teachers from the Lowell Public Schools in Massachusetts and funded by the United States Department of Education. In 2007, she helped write the parent educational materials for the Autism Consortium of Boston, a scientific and clinical collaboration of 11 Boston area institutions dedicated to research leading to breakthroughs for autism. She also has several years experience providing academic support services to post-secondary students via an online environment.
Prior to this Ms. Domings worked in the Pentucket Regional School District where she specialized in helping teachers broaden regular education curricula to encompass the academic, social and behavioral needs of students with autism spectrum disorders. Ms Domings has shared her expertise in the educational and affective needs of children with autism in teacher professional development programs.
Education
M.Ed., Mind, Brain & Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
B.A., Human Development, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Current Projects
Book Builder 3.0 – With funding from an anonymous donor, CAST is enhancing the universal design features of our existing Book Builder tool. Book Builder is an online authoring tool that allows educators to create their own digital books with embedded support and coaches to improve the reading skills of students. Initial funding for the project was made possible in part by generous support from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, NEC Foundation of America, The John W. Alden Trust, and The Pinkerton Foundation.
AIM Consortium – An OSEP-funded project that brings together 15 states working to put into place effective systems to ensure that K-12 students with print disabilities receive the instructional materials they need in order to access, participate, and achieve in the general educational curriculum. Member states include: Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
UDL Modules for Pre-Service Teacher Training – With funding from The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, CAST is developing, piloting, and disseminating online modules to be integrated into teaching methods courses in post-secondary, pre-service teacher training programs. The modules will introduce the theory, principles, and application of UDL to teacher candidates in their methods courses so that they will be better prepared to address the diverse needs, challenges, and strengths of their high school students.
State-wide Professional Development Initiative: Louisiana – A state-funded initiative to develop courses in Universal Design for Learning for K-12 educators across the state of Louisiana.
Selected Presentations and Courses
Group Facilitator, Universal Design for Learning Conference, Harvard University Programs in Professional Studies, Cambridge, MA (July, 2007).
Group Facilitator, Urban Special Education Conference, Harvard University Programs in Professional Studies, Cambridge, MA (July, 2007).
Presenter, Differing minds: Understanding and educating the entire spectrum of neurodiversity, Christ The King School, Teacher Continuing Education Series, Burlington, VT (February, 2006).
Presenter, Parent information packet: Vision and process, Autism Consortium, Boston, MA (2006-2007).
