Technology in the UDL Classroom

I just think it’s important to be open to the idea of change. And I know we all kind of get into a rhythm where we’re comfortable with what we’re doing and we’ve been doing it for a lot of years but we also have to keep in mind that times are changing, so it’s just like something with the technology you have to be open to using it and learning about it and change with the times. Don’t just stay in your comfort zone.

John Lussier speaking to class

When you’re ready, the iPads are here, laptops are back there, there’s some books at the side.

John Lussier, Kinnikinnick Elementary

I haven’t always taught this way. I am probably a real techno-moron, but the kids will teach me and they embrace it, so it’s like we’ll just go with it, and the more I do it the more it becomes comfortable for me.

Logan, Kinnikinnick Elementary

It’s really easy, instead of looking through all of these different books, you’ll have it on one thing. The computer. Instead of like, oh, you’ve got to find this book, and this book, and this book, you know, for all the different information, when you could just have it on a laptop instead of having to go find stuff. Y

Sylvia Bisbee speaking to class

Inventors, 400.

Sylvia Bisbee, Davis Bay Elementary

With the technology my advice would be don’t get, like I’ve taught a lot of people about smart boards, and as soon as something doesn’t work they don’t want to use it. But I think it’s just, you just have to just go with it. And if it doesn’t want to work, then students will see you work through it. And they’ll see you don’t have to get mad, you don’t have to give up, you don’t have to go, oh! I’m so stupid, because this won’t work. They’ve seen me do a lot of stuff, take a lot of risks with technology, and, you know, have things not work and have my computer crash, and they’ve also seen me just deal with it. And I think that gives them some courage to go ahead and take those risks too.

Marcus, Black Mountain Elementary

Like the Smartboard it makes it like very visual and makes it, like, easier to learn.

Alex, Black Mountain Elementary

It’s nice to have the Smartboard because you can watch a lot of videos and you can, it’s like a chalkboard, but it’s a lot better.

Jessica Bernhardt speaking to class

If you know the words you can read them with me okay?

Jessica Bernhardt, Pineridge Elementary

I think the first few times we brought out the technology, like one group would be doing iPads and we weren’t necessarily doing smart board so they did get a little bit distracted, but we’ve kind of worked around it where before we had them all mixed at the table so some of them might have been doing paper work and then one person beside them is doing iPad, and it kind of was distracting. So we kind of changed it so that one whole table was iPads and one was the other, so that it wasn’t quite as distractive. And I think they’ve learned that they get to do whatever that group’s doing the next day anyways, so they know they’re going to get a turn at it. So it doesn’t really distract them anymore. They’re pretty good with it.

Cody, McNicoll Park Middle

A lot of it is kind of the Smart Board based activities. Like today we used dart guns on this game that he has and then you get to shoot the targets and do the equation behind that target. It’s really fun to be able to, it just kinds of adds fun to just doing math, really.

Dave Lewis speaking to student

So why don’t we try, finish this one, and then do these two here.

Dave Lewis, Pender Harbour Secondary

We’re lucky in the purchase of the iPads. We have a few students who have some comprehension issues, we have a few students who have some reading issues, and so it allows them to either enlarge the screen, in some cases it allows them to use a reading function.

Eleni, Kinnikinnick Elementary

A lot of people do because sometimes they have troubles with reading in a book because either it’s too small, the font, or they just don’t really, they can’t really like remember it and understand the book very well so it’s kind of easier and on Kurzweil it kind of explains some words to you if you click on it or something.

Dave Searcy speaking to class

We gave you all kinds of options. You could use your cell phones, you could use your whiteboards.

Dave Searcy, Penticton Secondary

Oh it took me awhile. But, I wasn’t always a teacher, I was a principal before this, and we always had the fight about cell phones in classrooms. And you come to the point now where you realize that they have, they’re holding in their hands, smart phones, you know all this incredible information and instant technology, and then you realize, they’re also able to make films. And edit them. I had students take photos, edit them, email them to me put them up and the front and there’s this magic that they have. And we seem to refute it. Put them away. Turn them off. It’s too distracting. It’s an incredible tool. I always do it with groups, not individuals, because not all students have access. You have to be careful with that, and groups have options of jumping to it or not, but I find it, although they are distracting, they’re always going to have them, and so the use of that technology, can they use it appropriately in a learning environment or in a community

Tara, Penticton Secondary

He’s very down to earth, he understands that with today’s day and age we can use our phones and we most likely if we get bored, we will. So if he sees, looks around the room and we’re all on Facebook or Twitter, he’ll make it more interesting in a way. Like sometimes he just tells us like stand up, or something, or hey, put your phone away we’ll take pictures later. About 85-90% of our projects are with our phones or laptops or whatever to take pictures of it.

Dylan, Penticton Secondary

When we’re researching new laws, the phones are always out looking up the new laws that aren’t in the textbook because the textbook’s older. So we expand on that. So it makes everything a lot easier because we did a project earlier in the year where we made a scene of a crime and then videotaped the whole thing and then sent it to him and presented it to the class rather than having to draw everything out. And we could just use our own phones and email rather than borrowing the school’s equipment.

Dave Searcy, Penticton Secondary

No I find that to be empowering. I try to point out to them how influential they can be with that. They can create videos that go viral, they can bring people on  board, they can be powerful people changing ideas, changing how people feel and they’re right here in our classrooms with that power in our hands. So I think it would be a waste not to take advantage of it. Makes my life easier too.

Max and Liam, Skaha Lake Middle

(Max) Using the technology is really great because it helps us learn different things that we don’t know sometimes.
(Liam) Yeah. Technology it’s like not only like a learning thing but it’s also really fun for us, we really like using it, it’s really enjoyable. Like, when the teacher says, okay, you can use a computer, everybody’s like, Yay!

John Lussier, Kinnikinnick Elementary

I think the advice is just go for it. Because as I said I am not a tech person at all, but once you start you realize it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers, because the kids will help you find the answers, and it’s just, it’s another way of doing it, and letting go of some of those beliefs like everyone has to be the same and it has to look a certain way, it doesn’t. It’s all about the learning. So however we can get them there is great.