AT and UDL In Education

 Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual Assistive Technology Tool 

AT and UDL are in the same category of what they are meant to help with. Specifically to help with the variability of learners educators can get inside a classroom. Whatever tools you are using should be able to bridge the gap between when a student is not able to complete an assignment or do an activity and can actually participate like any other student in the standard's activities. Some examples of AT

-poor sight: use of device to enlarge text or picture

-poor speech: use of device to speak for the student

-poor hearing: use of device to create and have subtitles or a text version of an audio segment

-poor attention: use of device to bring the student's attention back on the teacher and the classroom

-poor language: use of device to translate and aid in questionable language moments

From my own personal experiences I have seen specific tools used for poor sight and poor attention in students. My little brother has poor sight so teachers are usually able to provide some kind of Chromebook, tablet, or general device that is available for students. this allows for the student to have something close to them instead of half-way across the room that they are squinting to see. There is also the universal problem every teacher has of getting the attention of your students back at you. I have seen this problem solved with an Amazon Wireless Doorbell! They will plug in the actual doorbell that plays a ringtone anywhere in the room with the teacher holding into a button that can activate the ringtone. Whenever teachers notice attention elsewhere or needs the class to regroup, just press the button and you have a nice and short song to signal attention needs to be brought back up to the teacher.

Assistive Technology Tool

Looking through the UDL Exchange, there are a whole bunch of great resources at your disposal as an educator. One that really stood out to me was the YouTube channel of National Geographic Kids. I specifically was able to find a quick one minute video that explained a few facts about the solar system. The best part? It was kids featured in the video. I believe this not only allows for the students to have a more universal connection with the material seeing someone else other than an adult relay information to them, but it can inspire them to create their own information videos which can become a class-wide project.