Week 5

Digital Tools and UDL-Based Instructional Strategies to Support Students with Disabilities Online


When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world and schools shut down, many teachers were scrambling to teach their students through online learning.  For the most part, we learned that this type of learning could be done, if necessary.  Many teachers turned to digital tools to assist in this teaching and learning.  One problem that arises with the use of online learning is the need that some students have for the physical teacher in the classroom.  This article describes many tools that help students represent their work in multiple ways, engage with the material, their classmates, and their teacher, and even some tools that help students who need help with time management and to break down assignments into smaller pieces.  Tools such as Padlet, Book Creator, Google Forms, EdPuzzle, as well as many others can be used to help students with disabilities to be successful during online learning.  It is also important to note that while many students can be successful with online learning and completing online tasks, there are students, especially those with disabilities, that need extra support to be able to be successful. 
In terms of the lesson plan that I am developing, I think that it is important to understand that some students may need extra support to complete an online activity.  While the activity that I am using seems to be straightforward, it is important for me to know that I may need to break the task up into smaller pieces for some students or provide more opportunities for one on one interaction with other students so that they are able to successfully complete the task.  I think that it is also important to remember that while I feel like the website that I am using is user friendly and easy to use, there may be some of my students that don’t feel the same way.


CAST Universal Design for Learning Strategies


One strategy that I can integrate into my lesson is to “Provide frequent, formative feedback.”  Throughout the activity, I plan to provide verbal feedback as I monitor students as they work through the activity.  If I see something that either a single student or multiple students are doing incorrectly, I would either discuss this with the student individually or with the whole class, depending on how many students are making the same mistake.  Another strategy that I could implement is to “start with a clear goal.”  If I start the lesson with a clear goal and communicate the goal with my students, they will be better equipped to be successful for the lesson.  Sometimes it seems like we do things without a clear goal in mind.  By establishing the goal at the beginning of the lesson, my students and I will know where we should end up by the end of the lesson.  This also assures that everyone is on the same page throughout the lesson about where they should be headed.


2024 NETP-Digital Use Divide


I think that it is important for teachers to understand how different technologies can help their most vulnerable students.  I agree with the 2024 NETP that many teachers do not have the time that it takes to find and understand the technology that can be useful in the classroom.  I feel that the administrators and technologies departments need to find a way to do most of the leg work when working to implement new technologies in the classroom.  There are many technologies that would be useful to help with the integration of UDL strategies in the classroom.  I agree that for the integration of UDL strategies to work, there needs to be a way for teachers to learn about and implement these strategies without them being just another thing that teachers have to worry about and implement in their classrooms.


References

CAST (2016). UDL tips for designing an engaging learning environment. Wakefield, MA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2016/udl-tips-designing-engaging-learning-environment 


CAST (2020). UDL tips for designing learning experiences. Wakefield, MA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2020/udl-tips-designing-learning-experiences 


            Office of Educational Technology. (2017). Reimagining the role of technology in education:  2017 National Education Technology Plan updateLinks to an external site..  Retrieved from http://tech.ed.govLinks to an external site..  Introduction and Section 1 (22 pages).

Links to an external site.Retrieved from http://tech.ed.govLinks to an external site. Introduction and Section 1 (22 pages).

Rao, K., Torres, C., Smith, S. (2021). Digital tools and UDL-based instructional strategies to support students with disabilities online. Journal of Special Education Technology, 36(2), 105-112.

Comments

  1. JMSJuly 25, 2024 at 2:18 PM

    I agree with you that providing frequent formative feedback would be important and useful to students. Some students will continue on, not realizing they have totally misunderstood an assignment or a task, and the sooner you can set them back on track the better. Others will just stop because they are unsure, and will not ask, but may look like they are still working, so it's important to catch that too. Having clear goals is also good for keeping them on track.
    - Joanne Scott

    ReplyDelete
  2. ErinJuly 26, 2024 at 7:18 AM

    I like the CAST UDL strategy you chose for frequent feedback. I notice in my math classroom that students that receive feedback quickly and accurately, are more likely to persist through hard problems. Likewise, my students who answer questions without quick feedback tend to give up quite easily.
    - Erin Rabb

    ReplyDelete
  3. Julie YouseyJuly 27, 2024 at 9:16 AM

    Your plan to give frequent, formative feedback is spot-on. By keeping an eye on students and giving quick, verbal feedback, you'll help them correct mistakes on the spot, which is super helpful. Addressing issues individually or with the whole class based on how many are struggling is a smart move. Starting with a clear goal is also a great idea. When you set and share the lesson's objective from the get-go, everyone knows what they’re aiming for. This keeps the lesson focused and makes sure everyone is on the same page, which makes the learning process smoother for everyone.
    Great post!
    -Julie Yousey

    ReplyDelete

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