What if the “GAP” was the missing tools all along?

‘Every student can learn, just not in the same way or the same day’.  – George Evans 

As a newly qualified teacher in 1980, I realized very quickly that every classroom has children with barriers to learning. Unfortunately, these children are often labeled as ‘naughty’. As someone who is severely ADD, I personally experienced the impact of such a label during my school days. 

With this experience as my backdrop, I enrolled to add remedial education (as it was called in those days) to my teaching qualification shortly after qualifying as a teacher. This new knowledge enabled me to identify discrepancies and barriers to learning that children in my classroom were facing.   

I believe that understanding and supporting these learners made me a better teacher, one who could address the learning needs of every child in my class. As a result, I firmly believe that this should be a standard learning criterion for all teachers in training. For educators, diversity demands that they provide inclusive, accessible learning environments that inspire confidence and encourage independence. Ignoring the needs of children with learning barriers does not provide this equal training ground for all learners. 

As educators, we know that implementing such inclusive learning environments can be challenging. While several tools and methods have been developed and implemented over the years to assist learners with learning difficulties, many of them are limited and expensive.  

Enter Microsoft Inclusivity and Accessibility Tools! An absolute game-changer not only for students with barriers to learning but for people who need to navigate their digital world differently, more efficiently, and with confidence. 

Microsoft Education has a set of learning tools for the inclusive classroom that span reading, writing, math, and communication. These tools are built natively into products, including Teams, OneNote, Flipgrid, Minecraft, Forms, Word, PowerPoint , and more. They create a real awareness of the ‘Totality of Possibilities’ and enable teachers to enhance teaching and engage ALL learners in a meaningful and purposeful way.’  

If you would like to get yourself or the educators in your school equipped to provide inclusive learning environments, then start the conversation with me today. 

Author: Charmaine Cowell

    Head of Learning | NBConsult Learning