Q: How can teachers use technology to design universally designed classrooms?
A universally designed classroom should apply universal design principles to the classroom setting. Universal design, an arcitecture term, means adapting physical environments to provide greater acess to all users.
In a classroom, this can also mean chaning the curriculums delivery for all users in addition to the physical environment.
Technology choices are an important part of creating a universally designed classroom. Technology allows the information to become engaging, flexible, and adaptable to all students (the users).
In the same way technology can be used to adapt a lesson to ESE students, it can adapt a lesson to different types of learners who may noit have a recognized learning challenge.
Summary
Differential instruction (DI) and universal design learning (UDL) complement each other well in a classroom. DI helps each childs needs be met by adapting the teaching to the learning needs of the student. UDL helps the teacher to make DI possible in a classroom full of diverse students with diverse needs.
Assistive technolgies make learning material accessible to all learners by finding ways around learning barriers and teaching the information in a different way. An example of these technologies would be text reading software to make reading easier for visually impaired students.
UDL and DI, while designed initially for those with disabilities, have much value for all students - it is definitely a 'win-win' situation. Your Tech Tool isn't evident here and I would definitely encourage the use of hyperlinks and multimedia to make this a richer post.
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