“Technology can be the difference between students with special needs sitting in a classroom watching others participate and all students participating fully.” -Bausch and Hasselbring, 2005
Access to technology is a critical factor in an accessible mathematics classroom. For all students, access to a variety of digital media allows for mathematical explorations that may be difficult, or even impossible, with only pencil and paper. These media include, but are not limited to, spreadsheets and databases, software such as Geometer’s Sketchpad, computer assisted design, and interactive games. This study demonstrates the inherent nature of these digital environments to represent and express mathematical concepts in dynamic ways.
The research team made a number of attempts to introduce a range of technology-rich environments: Email, wikis, and access to a common drive were used. A website was also created so students could access Geometer’s Sketchpad activities and instructions. Additionally, it would have been impossible to incorporate UDL principles, had students not gained access to working laptop computers.
