Journal #10

Writing Tools for differntiating Instruction
Kylie Steward, Diana Greer and Sean J. Smith

The author of this article discuss different technology tools that educators can access to support the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles which dictate that content standar should be delivered in a variety of ways that address the needs of a diverse group of students . Some of these tools mentioned in the article are Inspiration, Draft Building, Co: Writer, Write :OutLoud
and Speech sythesis. All of these resources address a specific problem or need that students may have in understanding course material.

1. How can Draft:Builder help a student that has difficulty planning, organizing, and drafting written material?
Draft:Builder is specifically designed to address those problems. Acconding to the aticle, it reduces the writting process into small pieces that can be easily managed by the student. Student become more focused on finishing these small tasks and develop effective writing strategies. Draft:Builder takes into account the pricncipal of UDL by making software that can be used in a variety of ways that take into account the way that students process information. It also provides students with templates that can be applied to different content standards.

2. How would implementing the resources listed on the article make content more accessible to my students?
My role as a teacher is to find ways to differentiate my instruction in the classroom. One way to do this is to implement techniques that will enable my students to learn to the best of their ability. By using these resources, I will be creating an environment that makes learning more accessible and that meets that needs of my students. For example, software such as Speech synthesist makes it possible for students to see the connection between the visual and auditory representation of words and as a result it can help them to do better at developing their writing and reading skills.