Kelly Mac Donald
Susan Cherup
Philosophy Paper
September 24, 2012
Technology used in the learning process
There used to be so much talk about the possibility of online learning, flipped instruction
and engaging students using technology. Today the talk has developed into how, when, and for
how long technology is being used, and how effective it has been. See, technology has become
increasingly crucial in the learning process and interventions for students. It is being used
everywhere: in every classroom, at home, during tutoring, and during interventions
. The media is advertising the capabilities of technology and a growing majority of students have
their own piece of technology. There is no break from technological devices. Technology has
played a role in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), enhanced Response to Intervention (RTI),
and has been made accessible to use as Assistive Technology (AT). In this digital age,
technology is and should be used as a vital part of the learning process.
One national trend that has made its way into the heart of every classroom in the nation is
the concept and process of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This is a philosophy that
works toward meeting the needs of all learners in the classroom. UDL is based off of three
principles. These principles are representations, expression, and engagement. The first principle,
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representation, is how the teacher will present the material while also addressing the auditory,
visual or tactile/kinesthetic needs of the students. Students may hear a lecture, look at a
PowerPoint, or engage in a hands-on experience (Cherup UDL PowerPoint, 2012). The principle
of expression emphasizes giving the students options for demonstrating what they know and can
do. The students can do things such as an exam, paper, presentation, graphic organizer, and many
other alternatives (Diedrich). The principle of engagement is the how of learning, how are
students being engaged. The lessons that are taught should be designed to tap into interests, offer
appropriate challenges and increase motivation in students (Diedrich). Essentially, “UDL is a
framework that can help turn the challenges posed by high standards and increasing learner
diversity into opportunities to maximize learning for every student” (Diedrich).
Response to Intervention (RTI) is another framework that has swept the country thanks
to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004). Response to Intervention is
meant to do just that: intervene. Before a child is referred for special education in a public school
they must go through three tiers of intervention. The first tier is meant for the entire class. Here,
learning strategies and general instruction is provided to all students. The second tier is meant for
about fifteen percent of students who do not respond to the first tier of intervention. This tier has
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increased in and specifies instruction. The last tier is made of about five percent of students who
do not respond to the first or second tier of intervention (Mellard, 2010). Dependant upon the
needs of the student and the tier level they are placed in, the type of intervention may include
reduced class size, small groups, one-to-one instruction, or technology (Mellard 2010). As the
tiers increase, the instructional intensity increases as well.
There are ten distinct variables that may be adjusted to increase instructional intensity…
these include minutes of instruction, frequency, and duration, group size, immediacy of
corrective feedback, the mastery of requirements of the content, the number of response
opportunities, the number of transitions among contents or classes, the specificity and
focus of curricular goals, and instruction specialty and skills” (Mellard, 2010).
Obviously there are many factors that play into the intensity of RTI tiered instruction. The
variables listed above are the things teachers of RTI instruction think about when planning
instruction for students. Research and data have been the driving force behind those variables
especially because “RTI is a research based intervention utilizing assessments in order to make
decisions based on patterns of strengths and weaknesses in identifying students as having a
Specific Learning Disability” (Zirkel). Universal screening or other types of testing happens in
RTI before the referral process in special education. RTI has become a part of the identification
process for students with learning disabilities to reduce the over-representation of those students.
RTI and UDL are very similar in goals. RTI and UDL both begin in the preventative
stages of the special education identification process. In the RTI framework, tier one is for
general education students and includes UDL in that general education population. UDL happens
in the general education setting to meet the needs of individual learners. Both processes provide
students access to the general education classroom and curriculum, thus meeting their Least
Restrictive Environment (LRE) needs and addressing their individual learning styles. The student
focused outcomes of both UDL and RTI assures each student is successful in mastering learning
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and knowledge. Both frameworks have three aspects or parts to them as well. UDL has three
principals as RTI has three tiers.
Although RTI and UDL have many similarities, they differ in many ways as well. RTI is
specifically a process that prevents the over-identification of students with Specific Learning
Disabilities, whereas UDL is meant to meet the needs of all students in the general education
classroom setting. RTI utilizes assessments for identification, while UDL focuses more on how
learners will demonstrate what they know through the assessment process. Also, with RTI,
instruction can be specific and intensified, while instruction in UDL is usually flexible and
dependant upon the learning styles of the students. While UDL occurs all the time throughout the
day, RTI is implemented only at certain times. RTI also provides students “more opportunities to
practice or demonstrate their growth (i.e. learning)” (Mellard 2010).
Assistive Technology (AT) is anything from low technology to high technology that aids
a student in increasing, maintaining, or improving his or her functional capabilities during the
learning process (Cherup PowerPoint 2012). The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals
with Disabilities Act was passed in 1988. This ensured that funding would be provided for states
to develop technology training programs in order to use Assistive Technology to meet the needs
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of students with disabilities (Cherup PowerPoint 2012). The idea of using Assistive Technology
to aid students came from this act. Then IDEA 2004 clarified the definition of AT.
There are three types of Assistive Technology—low tech, middle tech, and high tech.
Types of technology considered low tech include pencil grips, white board, highlighters, and
post-it notes. For example, a student may use a highlighter to seek out key words in a passage for
understanding. Examples of mid-tech Assistive Technologies include books on tape/CD, braille
software, or adapted tables and chairs. A student may need the mid-tech accommodation of
books on tape if he or she has trouble with comprehension. High tech examples include text-to speech software, Ipads, or inspiration software. Text-to-Speech software could be used when a
student has needs in the area of written expression. All of these Assistive Technologies are all
used for students in the classroom, depending on the specific needs of the students. For students
with disabilities, the Student, Environment, Task, and Tools (SETT) framework is used in
identifying the appropriate Assistive Technology for individual students. SETT is based on the
idea that before making a decision on the type of Assistive Technology to provide, the Student,
Environment, Task, and Tools should be assessed. When assessing a student, the SETT team
should look at needs, strengths, interests, and preferences. When assessing the environment, the
team should look at the arrangement, support, materials, access, and expectations of the student.
The SETT team should also look at the tasks for which the student needs to use an Assistive
Technology. Finally the SETT team should research tools that would be helpful for the student
(Zabala, 2005).
Assistive Technology plays a major role in UDL and RTI. During UDL, Assistive
Technology can be used to present materials, lessons, and activities. One instance of this is when
a teacher has a microphone to speak to the class in order for everyone to hear her clearly, or uses
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a projection system so that all students can see the materials. Assistive Technology within UDL
aids students in demonstrating what they know. A PowerPoint or inspiration software may just
do the trick for some students in this area. The third way that AT can be used to benefit students
within the UDL framework is by engaging them in learning. The students can engage in
interactive games or activities using the Smartboard. Audio books that aid in comprehension,
Ipad apps, or online Math help tools are other ATs that would engage students in the learning
process during UDL. AT can also play a role in assessing what students know in order to identify
needs and strengths. Examples of these ATs are poll everywhere or Ipad apps that track progress
and keep scores, not to mention the ATs for teachers such as excel or infinite campus. To clarify,
UDL is not the same as AT. The “Assistive Technology devices and services are delivered
reactively after a referral and evaluation of an individual student. UDL is given to everyone with
the understanding that those who need specialized support will use the tools when they need
them” (Edyburn, 2010). Therefore, ATs work within the support of UDL to increase assistance
for individual students who need it. Within RTI, ATs such as computer software, Ipads,
projection systems, and assessment tools can be used in each tier of instruction. Obviously the
types of technology, the frequency of use, and the duration of use will be based on students’
needs and the tier in which they are placed. Assistive Technology can be used to re-teach, to
model, and to practice concepts within RTI instruction. This could utilize many devices and
services. It may look similar to UDL but may allow students more time using Ipad apps or
computer software.
I believe technology plays a role in learning, teaching, and assessing students in a number
of ways that classrooms can not do without. Edyburn, the director of technology at the
University of Wisconsin, took the words right out of my mouth when he said, “to suggest that the
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potential of UDL can be achieved without technology is simply another way to maintain status
quo” (Edyburn, 2010). I believe that technology gives all students opportunities to reach full
potential. Educators cannot meet the needs of each individual student without the use of
technology. It provides too many benefits for us to pass up. Students are capable of achieving at
levels consistent with their peers when they use technology to assist them in their struggle areas.
Technology is also becoming an increasingly large part of everyday life, which is constantly
being modified and enhanced. Technology is now more readily available and is making it easier
for educators to meet all of the learning styles of our students just by the click of a button or a tap
of a screen. Technology in today’s society is hard to get away from. Some students have needs
that cannot be met without technology. For example, a student may need to read bigger print.
Giving a student a screen reader or the option to change the font size in Microsoft Word might be
more beneficial than having the teacher trying to write bigger or make copies of bigger print,
which uses technology to do anyway. Also, Microsoft Word has many accessible features that
could be beneficial to students, such as spell check, dictionary, thesaurus and the highlighting
feature.
Technology plays a role in the learning process by presenting information in an
interactive way using document cameras, Smartboard, PowerPoint, Prezi, videos, or Imovies.
These technologies are engaging and include the learner in his or her own learning process. For
example, it would be more engaging for a student to watch a magic school bus video clip of the
water cycle instead of the teacher explaining the water cycle to them. Computers and Ipads allow
students to do their own exploring of a topic or concept and the various websites and apps aid
them in practicing what they have learned. Students can practice the sight words that they know
using the flashcard app and it will save the data on the application itself. Inspiration software or
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bubbl.us and mind maps are graphic organizers that students can create to express and
demonstrate what they know. For example, I can take a class into the computer lab of the school
and present a lesson that they are plugging into their bubbl.us concept map. These are just some
of the ways that technology plays a role in teaching and learning. Technology also plays a role in
assessing students. I have mentioned infinite campus before; it is a way to track and record
information about students. Keeping a record of scores or grades on excel is another helpful tool
in monitoring student progress. SRIs or Scholastic Reading Inventories track the reading
comprehension of students through online tests. Students who have taken the SRI have stated
that they like how they could reread passages and retake the quiz. Read Naturally is another way
to track the reading level and comprehension (with an emphasis on phonics development) of
students using audiobooks and quizzes to monitor student progress. Students can also chart their
own progress. I strongly believe in communicating with parents to get them involved in their
child’s learning process. Technology is very useful in communicating with parents. Whether it is
creating a classroom website where parents can see and read what the class has been doing, or by
creating newsletters, emails, and podcasts of updates, the ways technology can be used to
communicate are endless.
In conclusion, RTI, UDL, AT, and technology in general play an integral part in our
present nation. Technology is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Educators need to
become aware of the technologies that are available to assist students with or without disabilities
in the learning process. UDL has become the leading framework in classrooms across the nation
incorporating technology to present information, engage learners, and help students express what
they know. RTI is a helpful three-tiered instruction process that aids in preventing students from
being referred for special education. ATs are designed to help students who have a disability
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achieve in the general education classroom. AT plays a huge role in the implementation of UDL
and RTI, and I believe classrooms benefit greatly from technology and Assistive Technology.
Technology is a vital part in every student’s learning process, and therefore it will play a huge
role in my classroom as a support for the students I teach and for me as their educator.
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References
Cherup, 2012. Class notes and PowerPoints.
Edyburn, D. L. (2010). Would You Recognize Universal Design For Learning If You Saw It?
Ten Propositions For New Directions For the Second Decade of UDL. Exceptional
Education, 33(Winter), 33-41.
Mellard D. Mcknight, M. & Jordan , J. RTI Tier Structures and Instructional Intensity. Learning
Disabilities Research & practices 25(4), 271-225.
“What Is Universal Design for Learning?” J. Diedrich. Leading Change 5(2), 25.
Zabala, J. S. (2005). Using SETT Framework to Level the Learning Field for Students With
Disabilities. SETT Documents. Retrieved September, 2012, from
http://www.joyzabala.com/uploads/Zabala_SETT_Leveling_the_Learning_Field.pdf
Zirkel, P.A. &Thomas, L,B. State Laws For RTI : An Updated Snapshot. TEACHING
Exceptional Children, 42(3), 56-63