Differentiated Instruction, Web 2.0 and Learning Differences

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am passionate about removing the obstacles to learning for students with learning differences and knows that I believe that technology helps to remove those barriers. Today I had the privilege to talk with Vicki Davis of coolcatteacher blogging fame. She is a prolific blogger and writer who pointed me to one of her earlier posts that I link here entitled, "How wikis, podcasts and laptops help students with learning disabilities." As she states,

Any teacher can teach a smart kid -- a "smart kid" with regular learning abilities can learn from an inanimate object -- a book. They can teach themselves on the Internet. Teach them and you are knowledgeable about your subject. But it is the child who has challenges -- you are a true teacher when you accommodate and reach that child.

>Technology and Web 2.0 tools allow teachers to accommodate and reach those students with learning differences. Ten years ago Richard Wanderman wrote an article about how computers change the writing process for students with LDs. I added a number of additional benefits in a document that can be accessed at my wiki.
We do a great disservice to our students with different learning styles when we withhold readily available tools from our instructional technology tool kit. These tools provide the opportunity to differentiate instruction in a number of ways to accommodate all types of learners.
It's all about helping students to access the curriculum and better demonstrate what they know. Vicki gets it right in her blog and with her own experiences. Other teachers can benefit from what she articulates and from the links included in this post. Please feel free to use this information as you prepare for the new school year.