This week’s topic was near and dear to my heart as am always searching for ways to make classrooms more inclusive. I have a lot of very important people in my life who have diverse needs and abilities and they have struggled throughout their school years with inclusion. There are so many incredible ways to use technology for inclusivity, such as iPads for communication, digital personalized learning programs, translation devices, and so much more. After completing my BEd, I have intention of earning my Special Education Certification so I can continue to assist students and build more inclusive classrooms.
While doing so more research into what has been successful in this area, I came across Microsoft Education, a branch of the Microsoft company that focuses on Education. Microsoft Education has dedicated itself to inclusive education across its platforms, such as Word or PowerPoint. The website highlights important features, such as a narrator, eye control, colour filters, and an accessibility checker to see if your work is accessible to all learners. Along with these, courses are offered for educators to explore and learn more about inclusive education.
I do want to highlight that Microsoft is a company that asks you to pay for its services. I understand that the website is trying to sell its readers on buying the Microsoft programs and I am not trying to sell it to you. With that, many school districts partner with Microsoft and give their educators and students full access to all of its features. If you are working in a school with this privilege, I encourage you to explore the inclusivity that Microsoft has to offer.
Here is a link to the website:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/education/educators/student-centered-learning
If you’re more of a video person, here is Microsofts official video on inclusion:
Thanks for stopping by and see you soon!
