Equal Access to the Digital World!

Each student has a unique learning style. No two students learn alike. There is no “one size fits all” method to engage the students in your classroom. Our twenty-first century students are digital natives, having grown up with technology at their fingertips. Providing equal access to the digital world in education is more than just handing students computers as they enter the school. It is about providing access to the tools to augment their learning in ways that engage them and help them succeed. It is about meeting the diverse needs of all of our students and allowing them to be successful in our classrooms. Equal access to digital technologies is based around the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines. (UDL Guidelines, n.d.)

http://youtu.be/FSHflViWRCQ (Universal Design for Learning, 2013)

Providing equal access includes, but is not limited to:

• Providing Text to Speech (TTS) software in the classroom or voice recognition software on laptops for students to utilize if they lack motor skills or are unable to type due to an injury or lack ability to use their hands.
• Allowing students options of tools to use for completion of assignments such as Glogster, PowerPoint, Animoto, VoiceThread, eMAZE, etc.
• Providing adaptive technologies such as keyboard shortcuts in place of mouse action.
• Presenting material in visual, auditory and kinesthetic methods.

Intrinsic barriers often exist for students to access these technologies out of the classroom, so as an educator it is my job to ensure that these technologies are available for use in the classroom as well as provide sufficient classroom time for students to utilize these technologies. Our classroom and WebQuest allow for provisions for adaptive technologies to be used. Students are afforded choices in how they present material and complete assignments in order to effectively engage them in the lesson and allow for all students to be successful.

Works Cited

UDL Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved from National center for Universal Design for Learning: www.udlcenter.org

Universal Design for Learning. (2013, June 5). Retrieved from You Tube: http://youtu.be/FSHflViWRCQ

How to Modify Window's 7 Text to Speech Settings. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dummies: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-modify-windows-7s-text-to-speech-settings.html

Types of Assistive Technology Products. (n.d.). Retrieved from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx