This week we had a presenter talk to us a lot about inclusivity in the classroom and her website, BCEdAccess. Tracy Humphrey was very easy to listen to because she seemed very passionate about the subject of inclusiveness and technology in the classroom. This presentation made me realize that tech is not always inclusive because it can be outdated, there’s a lack of access, no supports for parents, and much more. There were a lot of great conversations in my breakout room about inclusiveness and the challenges teachers face in their careers to try and meet these standards (and go beyond).

Tracy made it very clear that as teachers we should use technology that honours strengths and challenges in our students. There are a few steps to approaching this, so here I have made a list:

  1. Find out what the student needs
    1. You can do this by talking to the parents, past teachers, admin, and the student themself.
    2. You can also do this by reading their IEP (if they have one)
  2. Figure out what you have available for technology in your class
    1. Is there anything that should be updated?
    2. Figure out a way to advocate for anything new you need
  3. Use technology in the classroom to support all students
    1. Visit BCEdAccess.ca
    2. Educate yourself as a teacher in technology
    3. Educate your students in technology
    4. Educate the parents in technology

This link on the BC Ed Access website shows a great example of exclusion in the classroom and what teachers should strive to avoid: https://bcedaccess.com/2021/02/26/discrimination-by-the-numbers-a-bcedaccess-exclusion-tracker-report/