Equal Access to the Digital World!

What does it mean to provide equal access to the digital world?  Students of varying needs and abilities show up on the doorstep of classrooms across the country every day.  Do teachers use the same methods for all students?  The short answer is "no".  Teachers have to design lessons around what each student needs.  Sometimes this is referred to as differentiation or Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for short.  When students are engaged and able to access the content being addressed, everyone wins.  The teacher accomplishes the goal of teaching an objective, and the student masters the objectives.  There are 3 main ways that a teacher can adapt a lesson to meet various needs:  

• Proving multiple means of representation:
• Some examples:
• Allowing students to listen to information and view it
• Enlarging text for visually impaired students
• Allowing students to use manipulatives 
• Chunk information into smaller units

• Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know:
• Some examples:
• allowing students to type rather than handwrite assignments
• use different forms of media to express learning: making videos, blog posts, etc.
• guide students in setting goals so that they can improve their expression of knowledge
• Stimulate interest and motivation for learning:
• Some examples:
• vary activities so that they are relevant to individuals
• vary demands based on student needs
• create cooperative learning groups 

When teachers are working with students, it should be a priority to consider these 3 main tenets of accessibility.  Teachers can make sure that their digital learning/teaching aligns with these 3 points by:

1. considering the types of technology that they use (how can I make this work for all kids?)
1. Choosing software that can be adapted to different levels and learning needs
2. Using SmartBoards and interactive whiteboards to teach
3. Adjusting contrast and text size for students who are visually impaired
2. determining if there is assistive technology that can be used by students with special needs 
1. calculators for students with math disabilities
2. speech-to-text software for typing to aid students with written expression and reading disabilities
3. text-to-speech readers like Learning Ally or Bookshare for kids who struggle to read
3. grouping students so that all kids can access the technology
1. Physically impaired students can be paired with able bodied individuals
2. Students with speech and language impairments can be paired with students without similar challenges to enhance communication during presentations
3. Grouping students who do not own technology with those who do

Good luck integrating UDL into your own classroom!

Resources:
Home | National Center On Universal Design for Learning. (2014, September 22). Retrieved January 24, 2015, from http://www.udlcenter.org/