During our third class, we were involved in an activity called "The Dinner Party." During this activity, we were broken into groups and told that we had to create a menu for a dinner party that we would be hosting. It should be an easy task, right? However, the catch - there were many restrictions we had to consider. Some of our guests were vegetarians, we also had to offer gluten-free options, paleo options... When we first began this task, we were overwhelmed; however, we quickly came to the conclusion that to meet the specific dietary needs of all our guests, we would over a buffet. This would enable us to meet the needs of all our guests.
Dr. Katie Novak uses this analogy of the dinner party to compare the strategy of DI and the UDL framework.
If we take the analogy of the dinner party, UDL would be the equivalent of providing a meal that is accessible to all! Guests can have the option to choose what they want while having access to all the choices. Within the classroom, that's what UDL offers students - a "buffet" of choices so that we can meet the needs of all students in our class.
2. Apps, Apps and more Apps!!!
During this class, we were introduced to a variety of apps for reading and writing. Some we reviewed in our last class. Some of these apps I have seen before and even used while others were new to me. Unfortunately, some of these apps incur a cost, and although they would be beneficial in the classroom, we may not be able to access them due to the price. When we are recommending apps, we need to remember that we do not want to overload on apps. You want to find ones that work best and focus on those.
Some of the apps include:
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| Voice Dream Writer |
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| Voice Dream Reader |
Keeble Keyboard
3. Read & Write Google Extension 
This is the first experience I have had with R&W4G. To say that I was completely overwhelmed at the introduction to this extension is an understatement! However, after Ms. Welsford offered a second class to review the extension and each of its toolbars, I can see it's benefit in helping students gain confidence in reading and writing. The toolbars and features align with CAST'S UDL guidelines and I think it's something that should be available in every class for every student!
I've also noticed that a few fellow classmates have completed a course through Texthelp. I think that is something that I would look into as well. The more I know, the better prepared I am to implement in the classroom.
Good post! You shared a lot of information. It's unreal how many good apps there are for assistive tech and literacy! :)
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