Looking back, Looking ahead: Technology in Education

Today's the final day of my first accelerated graduate school course - Integrating Technology into Programming, Services, and Instruction. Eight weeks has flown by! When I started this course and wrote my first blog post, I felt excited, but incredibly nervous. I'd shared a classic SpongeBob meme to describe how I felt at the time.

Image Source: tenor.com

Now that I'm on the other side of this course, I'm taking time to reflect on the shifts in my feelings and views. What's changed about technology in education? What's changed about graduate school coursework? Most importantly, what's changed about myself?

Technology in Education: What's changed?

I've always believed that technology is integral to education. That belief hasn't changed. I still have an intrinsic drive to learn new tech - for my own personal benefit, as well as the professional benefit of applying tech knowledge to my library science career. However, I'd never learned how to use technology through pedagogical frameworks. I'm learning how technology can go hand-in-hand with active learning. Technology paves the way for accessibility. Technology can be a great way to share resources, such as Wakelets, as well as professional print and online libraries. While social media use can lead to connection or disconnection, technology as a whole can build digital spaces with others (such as online communities), share stories with others (such as blogs), and connect with others (such as professional learning networks). My technology toolkit now has many more tools; before this course, I'd never written a blog, made a Wakelet, participated in a Twitter/X chat, published a website, or designed a word cloud. I had a blast making the word cloud below on my librarianship philosophy.

Image Source: Personal Word Cloud designed in PowerPoint

Even with the excitement of new tech tools and rainbow word clouds, the bigger shift involves how I use these tools - whether it's for connection, equity, accessibility, or growth. I'm excited to continue exploring how to use technology in education - an endeavor that'll take me beyond the final day of my graduate class. As one example of a particular tech tool, I'm excited to explore the possibility of making a library blog featuring the work of the students in my Writing Club program. I'm also brainstorming ideas for continuing this blog, such as posting about libraries that I visit. I've loved visiting libraries over the years, such as the Seattle Public Library, Boston Public Library, and more locally, the Geneva Public Library. I'd love to take the photos off my phone and the thoughts out of my head, encapsulating my adventures in the form of a blog. Regarding my field trip to the Geneva Public Library, I'd love to share how I made their paper flower craft out of recycled book pages.

Image Source: Personal Photo

Graduate School & Me: A Rocky Road

Prior to this semester, I'd taken a semester off to get back on track with my mental health. If I were to describe how I felt one year ago, I'd use the word defeated. I'd done well as far as grades were concerned, but life changes combined with graduate coursework led to a burnout that required gentleness, patience, and self-compassion to get through. A year later, my entire outlook on graduate coursework has shifted. I've gone from burnout to growth - from feeling like the smallest task is impossible, to enjoying taking on the impossible (such as building a website.) By taking a course that integrated active learning with assignments that were both fun and challenging, I've learned that homework can actually be invigorating. I've developed self-efficacy thanks to this course, and I'll carry that growth into my future studies.

I still have anxiety, and I've still had late nights working on homework (calling you out again, website!) Except this semester, the challenge feels fulfilling, and I'm excited to see what the next semester has in store. If I were to describe how I feel now, I'd say this gif sums it up well:

Image Source: giphy.com

As one final note, this gif also describes how I feel about my fellow students. It's been wonderful to see the growing portfolios of the students in my course - whether it's reading their blogs, watching their Flip videos, or exploring their professional websites. I'm proud of how far they've come on their own journeys, and it's been great taking this journey together with my students and my professor. Cheers to technology in education!

Should I Stay or Should I Go (off Social Media)

Facebook provides plenty of options for your relationship status. Single. In a relationship. In an open relationship. Engaged. Married. Divorced. All valid options. All with crystal clear boundaries. Hence, I admire how one particular relationship status calls this status into question. Rather than defining the relationship, this status deconstructs the relationship, muddying the waters. Introducing my favorite relationship status:

Image Source: tenor.com

I can find no better way to describe my relationship - not with a person, but with social media. I'm far from the only one with this complicated relationship. As a millennial, I witnessed the rise of social media before it was normalized. Newer generations were born into this normalization, such as teens with constant access to online information and digital spaces. According to this study by the Pew Research Center, "Today, 97% of teens say they use the internet daily, compared with 92% of teens in 2014-15 who said the same. In addition, the share of teens who say they use the internet almost constantly has gone up: 46% of teens say they use the internet almost constantly, up from only about a quarter (24%) of teenagers who said the same in 2014-15." Considering the increase in how many teens and how often teens utilize the internet, I found it fascinating to learn how divided teens were on the subject of living without social media. As the study notes, "When reflecting on what it would be like to try to quit social media, teens are somewhat divided whether this would be easy or difficult. Some 54% of U.S. teens say it would be very (18%) or somewhat hard (35%) for them to give up social media. Conversely, 46% of teens say it would be at least somewhat easy for them to give up social media, with a fifth saying it would be very easy."

To be honest, I was surprised by this final statistic. Teens can't live without their phones is an assumption that's been drilled into my head. And yet, 46% would find it easy to give up social media. This statistic led me to wonder - what would happen if teens opted to give up social media, or the internet altogether? Is going off the grid even possible in a world so reliant on "staying connected?" Do digital spaces hinder or help our human need for connection?

To explore these questions, I dived into two case studies about fellow tech users who omit or limit their technology use. It's a road that some might find easy, and others might find difficult. As I discuss their journeys, I'll share my own travels on this road - trying to understand exactly why, in Facebook's words, it's complicated.

Case Study 1: The Luddite Teens

Contrary to the assumption that teens can't get off their phones, the Luddite Club high school students quit social media to "socialize without screens" (in the words of a club member in the above video.) By staying off social media and using flip phones (rather than smartphones), the Luddite Club omits and limits their technology use. In their words, technology made it easier to be "disconnected from reality," while being tech-free made it easier to be "more present in your life, in your community, in your actions, in who you are."

I find it interesting that this tech-free space is made possible through a social space - i.e. a club. By making a shared commitment with other teens, this club opened opportunities for these teens to connect with each other. I can imagine that this support network helped alleviate the fear of missing out on online connection. When this online connection leads to escapism, as expressed by one club member, it can lead to feeling disconnected.

I can certainly relate to feeling disconnected in a space that's designed for connection. That's partly why my relationship with Facebook is so complicated. In recent years, Facebook has been an invaluable resource for creating events and connecting with friends in my pride group ELGbtq+. However, I first needed to change how I used Facebook, reshaping it into a tool for connection, rather than fuel for anxiety. Prior to making these changes, I noticed a pattern in my Facebook usage. I'd break up with Facebook, take a break to work on myself, then get back together with Facebook. After making a new account, I'd feel the change in my brain chemistry, the rush as I added friend after friend. Alas, I always ended up escaping into other people's lives, leaving no time for living my own. Inevitably, I'd delete Facebook once again, granting a feeling of relief till the cycle repeated.

Case Study 2: Kevin's Phone Problem

I'm far from the only one stuck in unhealthy relationships with technology. In his article Do Not Disturb: How I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain, Kevin Roose describes his former phone use as cycles of "addiction" and "relapse," portraying the unhealthy nature of the relationship. Interestingly, he doesn't call for omitting technology completely, like how the Luddite Club omitted social media and smartphones. Instead, he proposes, "The point isn’t to get you off the internet, or even off social media — you’re still allowed to use Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms on a desktop or laptop, and there’s no hard-and-fast time limit. It’s simply about unhooking your brain from the harmful routines it has adopted around this particular device, and hooking it to better things." To achieve these better habits, Kevin didn't ditch his phone entirely. Instead, he ditched his phone habits, developing healthier habits to cultivate a happier life (even if it meant locking his phone up in a mini-safe overnight.)

Image Source: Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times

As if debating whether or not to send a final break-up text, I'd hovered over the button for deleting my Facebook profile. Before cutting ties one last time, I had an idea - what if I changed the way I used Facebook, rather than the fact I used Facebook? If me and Facebook were never meant to be soulmates, could we still be friends? Or at least, awkward acquaintances?

In the end, setting healthy habits meant setting healthy boundaries. Since checking the newsfeed led to mindless scrolling - or worst, doomscrolling - I unfollowed nearly everyone, making the newsfeed so terrifically boring that I wouldn't want to check it. Since I have a compulsive need to reply immediately anytime my phone buzzes, I uninstalled Facebook Messenger. I stay logged out of Facebook anytime it's not in use, forcing myself to type my egregiously long password every single time. By setting these boundaries, I find that Facebook hasn't taken up so much real estate in my mind. I treat it more like a tech tool, not a digital space. Although digital spaces can be invaluable, Facebook just wasn't a healthy space for me to spend a ton of time. Ever since minimizing my Facebook use, I've had more time to maximize the joys of my own life.

Case Study 3: My Life

After reflecting on my past social media use, I'd like to be more intentional about cultivating healthy habits. Although my Facebook use has dwindled considerably, I'd like to stay vigilant about how well I'm spending my time online, and how well I'm feeling while doing so. Although I don't see myself surrendering my smartphone, I do wish to make better use of its features, such as Bedtime Mode, to set better boundaries. Inspired by the Luddite Club, I'd love to try a screen-free day on a day off work, cultivating an appreciation for the technology that's so central to my career as a library professional and as a writer.

Can I survive without my phone? Like the teens surveyed by the Pew Research Center, my opinion's divided on how easy or difficult it is to travel the road ahead.

What's My Digital Tattoo? I had an Inkling, but the Results May Shock You

As someone without any tattoos, I'd imagine that getting your first tattoo is a momentous occasion. Whether it's an impulsive decision or a carefully constructed plan, it's a choice made by and for the person getting the tattoo.

Digital tattoos, however, are another matter. In short, digital tattoos are our online persona - the version of ourselves that anyone can meet if they find our information online. Rather than making a choice to get a tattoo in a finite moment of time, it's a series of cumulative choices made over an indefinite period of time. These choices impact which information about ourselves is shared online. It's not just our own choices. Information about us can be shared by anyone with an internet connection; hence, why babies have digital tattoos if their caregivers share their child's name, photos, birthday, and more (a parenting phenomenon dubbed sharenting). According to a report published by the Human Rights Council, "Some 80 per cent of children living in developed Western countries have a digital footprint before they are two years old, largely due to the actions of their family members." For more information on this report, check out the article Children’s right to privacy in the digital age must be improved, published by OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights).

It's a little ominous, to be honest. Anyone can look up anyone, uncovering all sorts of information. Rather than a photo of your first birthday cake, perhaps they pull up a photo of your home courtesy of Google Maps, along with the exact address down to the apartment unit. When I found my address online, I felt torn between taking a deeper look at my digital tattoo, and looking away as quickly as possible.

Image Source: tenor.com

Although we can't always control which information others can find or how it's used, there is good news! We can choose which information we share about ourselves. If we cultivate our online presence to create an authentic portrait of ourselves, we can use our online presence to paint a picture of our own making, thoughtfully designing a tattoo that we'll be proud to show the world. Our online presence can also lead to opportunities. For example, if you have an online professional portfolio, it can open up job opportunities, or make you stand out as a candidate for a job before you even interview.

To explore my own digital tattoo, I performed a data mine on myself. To find unbiased search results, I logged out of all my accounts and went incognito on Google. I also used a separate browser (Microsoft Edge) to perform additional searches in private mode.

For the first part of my data mine, I looked up my name on the following people search sites: 

Nuwber, Truthfinder, ZabaSearch, Radaris, My Life, Intelius

I only looked at information they had available for free, not the information in the report locked behind a paywall. Regarding the report, it was intimidating to read, The Results May Shock You! Needless to say, I passed on these results. Here are the results I found without forking over any money. I documented these results in a Q&A format, in light of the investigative tone of people search sites.

Part I: People Search Sites

How old are you?

30. This information was listed on the majority of people search sites. Some websites seemed to include birthday information, but locked it behind a paywall.

Who are your relatives?

Names of immediate family members were listed on multiple sites. Some sites just listed names; other sites listed names and ages.

Where do you live?

Some sites listed my current city. Other sites offered more of a residency history, listing the different towns I've called home. Some sites caught onto the fact that I lived in Chicago for a year; other sites did not catch onto that fact. One site listed my exact address down to the apartment number.

Where do you work?

Some sites listed only my current employer. Other sites listed my current and past employers, including the timeframes I'd worked there. One site even included my work phone number. I can see these websites being goldmines for employers looking to see if a candidate's resume matches up with their reported employment history. Still, it was strange to see my resume on the internet without my knowledge. Based on the information that was included, I'm certain that this site pulled my information from LinkedIn. I used to have a LinkedIn profile, but deleted the profile years ago. Clearly the information was saved elsewhere, showing how a digital tattoo isn't limited to the original source material. Anyone can replicate your information verbatim.

Part II: Google Search

While the people search sites revealed information you'd find on my resume, the incognito Google search and private Microsoft Edge search yielded a few surprises. I realized that I'd forgotten all about certain digital tattoos. For example, I uncovered articles that I'd published under my old name on a website called The Artifice. In these articles, I'd analyzed a few of my favorite films. It was strange (and a bit cringey) reading my writing from nearly a decade ago. Strangest of all, the image search made the articles show up, not the general search. I don't know why that was the case, but I thought it was an intriguing find.

I also found a YouTube channel under my old name. I'd forgotten I'd uploaded AMVs (some of which are very cringey). However, one AMV had a decent number of views (25,000). I had no idea!

As for searching my current name, I uncovered information on my library career. Working at a public library, my name popped up on my library's website. I chose to list my name under library programs, such as this event for my Writing Club program, as well as this page for my Volunteens program. My name also showed up under a scholarship I'd received - once on the ALA website, once on the Bound to Stay Bound Books website. If it weren't for this scholarship, I wouldn't have been able to start my MLIS, so it's neat that the scholarship page showed up while writing this blog for an MLIS course.

I also found my name on the Elgin Poet Laureate website. I'd given permission for the Elgin Poet Laureate to share the poems I'd read at the Loving Elgin Poetry Celebration. Here's how one of my poems shows up on the website:

Image Source: https://www.elginpoetlaureateproject.org/loving-elgin-poems/
Poem authored by Aron Ryan

What does this digital tattoo say about me? I'd say that it shows I love libraries and poetry. Overall, I couldn't be happier with that kind of digital tattoo. After all, it's definitely something I'd want people to know.

Part III: Social Media Search

For the final part of my data dig, I ventured into social media. Since I have active accounts on both sites, I looked up my name/username on Twitter/X and Facebook under a separate account (without being friends/followers). I thought it would be fun to write this part of the blog in third person, as if I've never seen this man's account in my life.

Twitter/X: I found Aron's profile. Considering that his bio lists that he's a Library Associate, and that he follows a solid twenty accounts related to libraries and books, I'd say that he's pretty dedicated to reading. Since he follows Gail Borden Public Library, I wonder if he works there, or if that's his home library. Either way, Elgin is probably his hometown, considering they follow several accounts local to Elgin. Based on other accounts he follows, he also seems passionate about LGBTQ+ rights and neurodiversity. His bio lists that he's a snake dad. Since his background photo is a snake, I'm assuming that it's a photo of his snake. I know it's a banana ball python, thanks to Google Image Search. 

Image Source: twitter.com

Facebook: Although the Facebook profile didn't show up under a Google/Microsoft Edge search, I found Aron's profile on Facebook's search once I'd logged in. Although their friend list is private, I was able to see some of his friends' names under the comments of his public photos. There are 11 public posts. 6 of these posts are profile photos or cover photos. By using Google Image Search on his current profile photo, I learned that he'd hiked at LaSalle Canyon at Starved Rock State Park. It seems like he loves to hike, considering he posted about a deer he found on a hike. I learned he's a snake dad from his bio, plus there's a profile photo of Aron and his snake. I learned he works at Gail Borden Public Library, since he shared a photo posted by Gail Borden Public Library of him and his coworkers. I learned his roommate's name, since he'd tagged his roommate in 2 posts and called her "roommate" in each post. Based on his bio, I learned that he's LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and a writer.

Image Source: Facebook.com

Part IV: What Now?

Now that I've explored my digital tattoo on people search sites, general searches, and social media platforms, I'll explore how I can further build my professional web presence. Since I'm creating an online professional portfolio, my data mine couldn't have come at a better time. Now that I've seen my online persona from the outside, I can better craft my website, ensuring that my newest digital tattoo is one that I'm proud to share with the world. I can also better connect with the wider world by including my preferred email and preferred social media profiles on my website, ensuring that people who find me online connect with me through the bridges I choose to build (rather than the bridges I wish to burn, i.e. my poorly edited YouTube AMVs of Avatar the Last Airbender). All in all, I'm happy with the digital tattoos I've accumulated thus far, and I'm excited for my next tattoo of my website.

Twitter X - Dead Social Network? Or Professional Learning Network?

Having never made a Twitter/X account, I had a case of imposter syndrome. Can I even call myself a millennial if I've never tweeted in my life? Considering Twitter/X has gained a bad rep, to put it lightly, is Twitter/X still a viable social network for a professional learning network?

To answer this question, I made my very first Twitter/X. Without further ado...

Image Source: tenor.com

Step 1: Following

In order to develop my professional learning network, I started by following Twitter/X accounts relevant to my profession and my interests. Each account's name and profile description are included below, in case any accounts may be of interest for your own learning network.

Library Organizations:

• American Library Association: Updates from the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries in general.
• ALA Booklist: Book #reviews, readers' advisory, & insight for #librarians & book lovers, from the experts at ALA.
• ALSC: The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of  @alalibrary. Our members engage communities & advocate for better library service to children.
• PLA: Wherever public libraries are working, possibility lives. The Public Library Association helps shape that possibility for public libraries nationwide.
• YALSA: For more than 60 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and library staff to engage, serve and empower all teens.

Intellectual Freedom in Libraries:

• Banned Books Week: Banned Books Week, the annual spotlight on book censorship and intellectual freedom, will be held October 1 - 7, 2023.
• Freedom to Read Foundation: A #FirstAmendment legal organization affiliated with the American Library Association. #FreedomToRead
• IFRT: The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association provides a forum for the discussion of intellectual freedom in libraries.
• OIF: The Office for Intellectual Freedom is part of the American Library Association. Follow for library news about privacy, banned books and censorship.

Books:

• Children's Book Council: The best in children's and young adult literature and literacy news.
• Junior Library Guild: A collection development service providing libraries with the best new-release books for children and young adults.
• Lee & Low Books: Since 1991, children's book publisher specializing in #diversity. Award-winning + POC-owned + independent.
• School Library Journal: School Library Journal is the largest reviewer of kids & YA content, from books to digital.
• The Horn Book: Independent, opinionated, and stylish: essential multimedia publications for everyone who cares about children's and young adult literature.
• WeNeedDiverseBooks: We Need Diverse Books is a nonprofit organization that strives to create a world where everyone can find themselves in the pages of a book.

LGBTQ+ Books:

• ALA's Rainbow Book List: #RainbowBookList is an annual bibliography of LGBTQIA+ books for children & teens selected by the Rainbow Book List committee of  @glbtrt
• Lambda Literary: Celebrating queer books & writers every day.
• LGBTQReads: Queering up your bookshelves, one rec at a time.

Neurodiversity:

• Reframing Autism: Reframing Autism is run by and for Autistic people and their families and allies. We celebrate and nurture Autistic identity.
• The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project: Website cataloguing all books about autism/with Autistic main characters, written by Autistic authors.

Ed Tech & UDL:

• CAST: Working to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning.
• edutopia: Sharing what works in education. 
• ISTE: ISTE is home to a passionate community of global educators who use technology to revolutionize learning.
• UCET: Utah Coalition for Educational Technology - an @ISTEofficial Affiliate. We promote cooperative development & effective use of edtech in UT. #utedchat
• UTedChat: We discuss educational topics relevant to Utah and the general education landscape every Weds @ 8pm MST using #UTedchat

Local Organizations & Events:

• Boys & Girls Club of Elgin: Mission: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as caring, productive, responsible citizens.
• Elgin Public Museum: Our mission is to enhance knowledge of the natural sciences & anthropology through the use of exhibits and interactive experiences.
• Explore Elgin Area: The Elgin Area is rich with exciting and memorable experiences in Northern IL. We are your go-to hub for all the info! Events, Meetings & Tourneys.
• Gail Borden Library: Fueled by the power of community.
• Nightmare/Chicago St: Save the date, citizens. Save the city. Again. Experience the party at the end of the world on 10*21*23.
  *If you made it to the end of this list of resources, congrats! Please note that this final resource is not for my professional network, but for my personal love of all things Halloween.

Step 2: Resources

After following 30 accounts, I was admittedly overwhelmed. There was so much content to sort through, and I had no clue where to start or what to prioritize. In order to curb my completionist tendencies, I set a timer to scroll through Twitter/X for no more than twenty minutes each day. Sometimes, I'd look through my general Twitter/X feed. Sometimes, I'd look through a particular account's Twitter/X feed. Either way, I could spend as much time as I'd like on the resources I'd found. However, I wouldn't scroll endlessly through post after post of book challenges, logging out of Twitter/X after the twenty minute timer. I love learning about book challenges, but it's important for me to maintain boundaries on certain topics, lest informing turn into doomscrolling. Particularly since many of the books being challenged are LGBTQ+ books, it hits me hard as an LGBTQ+ community member.

With these boundaries in mind, I was surprised by how many resources I discovered just by scrolling through my Twitter/X newsfeed. Here are just a few examples of these resources:

• a haiku writing activity (courtesy of edutopia)
• a video on including People with Disabilities in the Workforce (courtesy of CAST)
• In honor of World Cerebral Palsy Day: a booklist of three novels starring queer main characters with cerebral palsy (courtesy of LGBTQ Reads)
• stats on Banned & Challenged Books (courtesy of IFRT)

Image Source: IRFT's Twitter/X & ALA's Book Ban Data

I shared the final resource with my coworkers, i.e. my own Professional Learning Network. My library team had started a Microsoft Teams conversation about book displays for Banned Books Week, in light of the fact that a customer had issued a complaint on the topic. In response, I shared ALA's stats on banned and challenge books in the Teams conversation. Although I haven't had many conversations on Twitter/X thus far, I can say that the resources posted on Twitter/X have opened up conversations with coworkers, as well as sparked ideas for library programs, book displays, and inclusive library services. I also joined a brand new kind of conversation on inclusive library services, thanks to Twitter/X Chat.

Step 3: Twitter/X Chat

For my Twitter/X Chat, I participated in UTedChat. The topic of this chat was #fREADom in schools and libraries. This topic had piqued my interest after seeing so many posts about Let Freedom Read Day. Particularly with Banned Books Week right around the corner at the time of the Twitter/X chat, I was excited to see what other professionals had to say about this important topic. Although the chat with these professionals lasted an hour, it felt like time flew by! Since I only had 280 characters to work with in a given response, I initially felt like each word must be chosen carefully. Then, I realized that my responses didn't need to be perfect. It was a chat, not an interview, after all. Hence, I let myself submit my real time response, giving myself more time to read others' responses. It was interesting how we emphasized different aspects of intellectual freedom, but were all on the same page about the importance of #fREADom. 

Overthinking my responses at the start of the chat

Image source: UTedChat

Enjoying my responses at the end of the chat

Image source: UTedChat

Step 4: What now?

Now that I've gained experience using Twitter/X, I'll take time to discern how I'd like to use the platform going forward. If utilized with clear boundaries, Twitter/X can be a fantastic resource for finding more resources. If the number of posts is daunting, I can narrow down which accounts I follow, limiting my content to the most helpful resources for my learning journey. To further expand my professional learning network, I'd need to branch out into more chats and actively participate in more groups. That said, I'm happy with all that I've learned from month one on Twitter/X. The longer I familiarize myself with this tech tool, the more comfortable and confident I'll become connecting through that tech tool and building that learning network.

PowerPoint: Making Learning Accessible for All Learners

Just as there's not a single template for a PowerPoint presentation, there's never a single template for how somebody learns. Traditional education often prioritizes what is being learned, rather than how it's taught or how students demonstrate their knowledge. In contrast to traditional education, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) emphasizes teaching content in multiple ways and empowering students to demonstrate their knowledge in multiple ways. This pedagogical model empowers students of diverse neurotypes to succeed, benefitting all learners in a given classroom. UDL gives students agency in their education, as discussed in the article The difference between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and traditional education. 

 
Image Source: https://udlguidelines.cast.org

Why Does Accessibility Matter?

Accessibility matters because it demonstrates that every student matters. If all students are provided opportunities to succeed in ways that set them up for success, then every student can develop a positive relationship with education. In traditional education, students whose neurotypes don't fit into a traditional lecture-style classroom are set up for an uphill battle. If the way that content is taught mismatches the way that students learn, then students may become disconnected, disappointed, or frustrated - particularly when traditional education prioritizes performance (grades) rather than process (learning). However, classrooms that not only accommodate, but integrate diverse learning styles can ensure that every student has opportunities to succeed. Although UDL is rooted in accommodating students with disabilities, every student benefits from engaging in a classroom where they can develop multiple ways of learning.

After learning about UDL, I realized that my experience with accessibility in education is limited. For example, as a person without visual impairments (and without experience teaching students with visual impairments). I've had the able-bodied privilege of not needing to know how to use certain assistive technologies (such as screen readers). I've grown up breathing the air of traditional education, and I'm so used to the smell of that air that I don't even notice it. After reading about UDL and assistive technologies, I realized that I have a lot left to learn. It's daunting, but also invigorating to know how many technology tools are out there for the betterment of learners of all ages.

Although I'm brand new to UDL, I realized that I'm already using technology to manage my own neurodivergences - one of which is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). (For a brief video on this neurodivergence, check out Dr. Mike Lloyd's visual demonstration on how alters form.) Since I frequently dissociate, I use Google Maps when I drive, so I don't dissociate and miss a turn. As another example, reading print novels can be frustrating. Thanks to dissociating through whole pages and missing information, I often have to reread over and over. Audiobooks, meanwhile, help me process the words as they're being read. I rely on Google Calendar for me and my fellow alters (also called headmates) to remember the schedule for a given day. Since memory is greatly affected by DID, I made a System Homework Tracker on Google Drive to track not only when assignments are due, but also which alters in our system worked on these assignments. Giving credit where credit is due is important, especially when hyperfocusing on homework looks a lot like this:

Image Source: tenor.com

Reflecting on this technology use, I realized that I use technology tools that aren't considered accessibility tools by society at large. After all, a lot of people enjoy audiobooks. A lot of people love Google tools. In other words, there's no stigma associated with these tools. No one sees a disability when they see me looking at my phone. However, people do stare if I'm stimming in public, or when I'm wearing my ear defenders in noisy environments, making it difficult to mask as neurotypical - a survival tool for blending in, rather than standing out.

Whether a student masks or not, normalizing assistive technology makes it much easier for students who rely on this technology to feel confident using this technology. One of my strengths in UDL is that I understand what it's like to need the right tools and the right environment to use these tools. This understanding fuels my goal to understand more. As I develop my knowledge of technology tools and accessibility tools, I'll be better able to ensure that all students in my library programs are given opportunities to succeed.

There's so much technology! Where do I start?

Start somewhere! I'd recommend picking just one technology tool at a time, then mastering that tech tool before trying the next one. Having said that, it's your learning journey, so learn however works best for your own neurotype.

For my learning journey, I decided to learn - or rather, relearn - PowerPoint. As a student, I've admittedly dissociated through many professors' PowerPoint lectures. I've also used PowerPoint for my own presentations, be it a college class or a library program. However, I'd never before explored PowerPoint through a lens of accessibility. I was delighted to discover that PowerPoint boasts many accessibility features, including:

• Subtitles
• Alt Text
• Accessibility Checker
• Last but certainly not least, Immersive Reader!

If you'd like to learn about these features, I'd recommend checking out my video below. Under Additional Resources, I've also included articles that helped me learn the ropes. Whether you join me on video or explore articles on your own (or both!) I hope that you enjoy the learning journey as much as I did!

Additional Resources:

Accessibility in PowerPoint:

Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities [webpage]

Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker [webpage]

Use Immersive Reader in PowerPoint [webpage]

Adding Alt Text to Images:

Write good Alt Text to describe images [wepage]

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

Universal Design & Technology [wepage]

UDI Guidelines [webpage]

Technology and ​Universal Design for Learning (UDL) [webpage]

The difference between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and traditional education [webpage]