Trusting All Students As Sensemakers
Dr. Rachel Lambert
April 8, 2025 (7:00-8:00 EDT)
Description: All students, including and especially neurodiverse and disabled students, have mathematical gifts. Instead of designing for these students based on student deficits, we will investigate beginning with strengths using neurodiversity. We will explore how teachers create the conditions for mathematical sensemaking for all students, focusing on the creative work of teachers to make mathematics more accessible to all.
Rachel Lambert is an associate professor in special education and mathematics education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before becoming a professor, she worked for more than 10 years as both a special education and a general education inclusion teacher in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Dr. Lambert researches how students of color with disabilities construct identities as math learners and the role of emotions in mathematics. She also researches UDL in the area of mathematics, as well as neurodiversity in mathematics. Her goal is to increase access to meaningful mathematics for students with disabilities.