Designing for All: A Teacher’s Guide to UDL and Technology

In a traditional classroom, we often design one lesson and then “fix” it later for students with IEPs or 504s. UDL flips that script. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is structured around three core concepts that mirror the biological processes of the human brain.

1. Engagement: Tapping into student interests, building motivation, and giving learners a sense of purpose to keep them invested in the material.
2. Representation: Presenting information in diverse formats to ensure every student can accurately perceive and understand the content.
3. Action and Expression: Provide various outlets for students to demonstrate their skills and share what they’ve learned, rather than relying on a single type of assessment.

By using technology to build flexibility into the lesson from the start, we reduce the need for accommodations and create a more inclusive environment for everyone. Here is how you can use technology to apply UDL across every grade level.

PreK – Grade 2: Building the Foundation
Focus: Using technology to bridge the gap between physical play and digital literacy.

1. Digital Choice Boards: Use a simple Google Slide with icons (a book, a play button, a microphone) so non-readers can choose how they want to learn a concept.
2. Audio-Visual Flashcards: Use apps like Quizlet with the “audio” feature turned on so students can hear the word while seeing the picture.
3. Speech-to-Text Storytelling: Have students use the microphone tool in Seesaw to “write” their stories by speaking, removing the barrier of fine motor skill development.
4. Interactive Anchor Charts: Use Padlet to post photos of classroom anchor charts so parents can reinforce the same visual language at home.
5. Virtual Manipulatives: Use digital math blocks (like those on Mathigon) for students who struggle with the tactile coordination of physical blocks.

Grades 3 – 5: Promoting Independence
Focus: Scaffolding student agency and self-regulation.

1. Immersive Reader: Teach students to use the Microsoft Immersive Reader extension to change font size, background color, or have text read aloud to them.
2. Video Reflection: Instead of a written journal, let students use Flip (formerly Flipgrid) to explain their mathematical thinking via video.
3. Graphic Organizers: Use Canva templates for digital mind-mapping to help students visualize the connection between ideas before they start writing.
4. Self-Paced Learning Paths: Use Nearpod in “Student-Paced” mode so faster learners can move ahead while you provide 1-on-1 support to those who need it.
5. Gamified Assessment: Use Blooket or Kahoot to provide immediate, low-stakes feedback that keeps engagement high through “friendly competition.”

Grades 6 – 8: Exploring Identity and Expression
Focus: Providing multiple ways to demonstrate mastery during the transition to complex subjects.

1. Podcasting for Social Studies: Instead of a poster, allow students to use Anchor or GarageBand to record a “historical interview” as their final project.
2. HyperDocs: Create a Google Doc with embedded links to videos, articles, and interactive maps. This allows students to “represent” the information in the medium they understand best.
3. Closed Captioning as a Standard: Model the use of Live Captions during your Google Slides presentations to support both students with hearing impairments and English Language Learners.
4. Digital “Check-In” Forms: Use a Google Form at the end of class for “Exit Tickets” that include a question about how the student is feeling about the material (Engagement).
5. Collaborative Digital Whiteboards: Use FigJam or Jamboard for group brainstorming, allowing students to contribute via text, drawing, or sticky notes.

Grades 9 – 12: Preparing for the Real World
Focus: Expert learning and professional-grade tools.

1. Canvas/LMS Accessibility Checker: Use the built-in accessibility tool in Canvas to ensure all your uploaded PDFs and images are readable by screen readers.
2. AI Writing Partners: Use Gemini to help students brainstorm outlines or “re-level” difficult primary source documents into modern English for better comprehension.
3. Multi-Modal Portfolios: Use Google Sites for students to curate their work over a semester, including videos, written essays, and photos of physical projects.
4. Simulations: Use PhET Interactive Simulations for science labs, allowing students to “Act” on the variables in a risk-free, repeatable digital environment.
5. Guided Note Templates: Provide a digital skeletal outline (in Docs or OneNote) for every lecture, allowing students to focus on the “Action” of listening rather than the “Drudge Work” of copying every word.

If this feels like a lot, remember the “Plus-One” Rule: You don’t have to redesign your whole curriculum overnight. Just look at your next lesson and think, “What is one more way I can represent this info, or one more way students can show me they get it?”