Tannenbaum Tech - 3/3/2024: TransformED Accessibility

Update on #oneword2023 #author

Wow- it seems hard to believe that February is already over and March has begun. The past two weeks have been filled with some very exciting moments. On Wednesday, February 21st, my first Edutopia article was published. It shares how I use icons in my rubrics and the impact it has had on my young learners. Check it out here. Then, on Tuesday, February 27th, my first EdSurge article was published. It talks about why early childhood teachers need a unique approach to tech coaching. Check it out here. In addition to all that excitement, I attended and presented at my first Tech and Learning Regional Summit and this past weekend, I attended and presented at the Innovative Schools Summit in New York City.

This week, I am presenting a free webinar for Learning Forward Florida/Florida ASCD based on my book, TRANSFORM- Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky. It will be on Tuesday, March 5th at 4 PM EST and I would love for you to join me there. Use the QR code on the right to register.

Finally, my #oneword2024, #author, continues to be a north star for me this year. I chose this word because I want to focus on not just telling my story, but creating experiences that celebrate milestones coming this year and also pursuing professional growth opportunities. Since 2024 began, I have run over 165 miles using 4 minute run/1 minute walk intervals. I am so proud of all of my progress so far.

TransformED: Amplifying Learning Using Tech Tools

Three weeks ago, I focused on how you can work alongside your colleagues and collaborate to create authentic learning experiences that leverage the use of technology to amplify learning. This time of year can be a challenge as we are in the midst of the long stretch of time between Winter Break and Spring Break. But there are definitely ways to leverage collaboration to make the most of these moments. on how you can learn about new technology resources and discover them alongside your students. As educators, it is natural to feel like we need to know it all, before introducing new tech tools to our students. However, there are many benefits to co-learning technology with your students.

This week, we will focus on how you can use technology to customize and personalize learning experiences. Using technology allows us to create learning experiences that promote student agency and ensure that all of our learners' needs are met. To do this, we will first focus on what we need to look for when determining the right tech tools and then how we can use these tech tools to provide more inclusive learning environments for our students.

Selecting the "right" tech tools is a great place to start!

This past Friday, I presented my Empowering Creation with the 3 Cs session at the Innovative Schools Summit in New York City. This session shares how I use what I refer to as the 3 Cs of Creation to help me select tech tools for my learners.

The 3 Cs of Creation consist of the following features:

Choice: Does the tech tool give our learners choices in how to respond. Is there more than one way for them to share their thinking such as text, speech to text, audio, video, or drawing tools? This feature links to Universal Design for Learning and promotes giving our learners choices in how they share their learning. We want to make sure that we select tools that provide increased access and accessibility to our students.

Collaborative: Our students are twenty-first century learners and they need to be given experiences and scaffolds that promote collaboration. For many educators, collaboration can be a scary idea, but there are definitely ways that we can help all of our learners to develop these skills. We should look for tech tools that are collaborative and give our students this essential skill.
Clickable: Our learners are visual learners. Our students learn how to recognize icons even before they can read or write. Are the tech tools that we are using easy to navigate with icons that match their functions? Are these tools easy to use and have a simple user interface? We need to select tech tools that are clickable so that the technology does not become a barrier to learning.

Considering how technology can provide Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning or UDL is a framework that creates learning experiences with all of our learners in mind. So how can we use technology to do just that you might be wondering. The chart to the right shares how the selected tech tools can provide UDL for our students.

Considering how tech tools can provide our students with increased accessibility to learning is a great way to select technology tools that best meet the needs of our learners. For example, Edpuzzle provide our students with many aspects of UDL. Teachers can use notes, audio, and feedback to further engage their learners as part of engagement. In addition, they can use emojis, images, links, and closed captioning to give students more access to the content.

When we consider the features of a tech tool, we can then ensure that we are creating more inclusive learning experiences as we integrate technology.

In addition like I mentioned in the last newsletter and blog post, you should also consider how artificial intelligence such as generative AI can be used to provide accessibility to your learners. But be mindful that one you don't enter any personal identifiable information and always check the results you get for accuracy. There are several tools that use this technology that can benefit you and your learners. They include Ludia Chatbot, Magic School AI and Goblin Tools. To learn more about these tools, check out my last blog post: TransformED Planning

Next Steps

Consider how you create these inclusive learning experiences that leverage technology to meet the needs of all of our learners. Try using the 3 Cs of Creation to identify tech tools. Or determine how you can use technology to provide your learners with Universal Design for Learning. Take a deep dive into that technology tool's features or consider using generative AI to act as your virtual assistant while planning accessible and engaging lessons.

A reminder and a huge thanks to Kyle Hill for hosting the Recharge Learning Virtual Bash that features 50 workshops and is offering free access to everyone who reads my blog to the Bash until June 2024. Click this link to join. Two of my sessions are included in this bash too.