Breaking Down Invisible Barriers to Learning

Breaking Down Invisible Barriers to Learning The primary channel for learning is something that can’t be seen: listening.   In fact, children spend 75% of their school day listening. But research has verified that thousands of children are at risk academically from classroom audio inequality created by mild hearing loss, distance, and noise.  Mild hearing loss […]

Podcast: How to Enhance Listening in the Classroom and Why It’s Crucial to Student Success

Podcast: How to Enhance Listening in the Classroom and Why It’s Crucial to Student Success Technology is evolving at a more rapid pace than ever, but even in today’s digitally connected classroom, the primary way students learn is still through listening. However, this fundamental component of student engagement is often frequently overlooked. In a recent podcast […]

Achieving audibility and intelligibility in the classroom 

Achieving audibility and intelligibility in the classroom  January 11, 2013  By Dan Ostergren, Au.D.  Is “speaking up” good enough?  One of the great ironies of teaching is that many teachers probably think that as long as they speak loudly enough, every student in their class will not only hear them, but also understand them.  There’s […]

The Key Component That Might Be Missing From Your ELL Instruction

The Key Component That Might Be Missing From Your ELL Instruction Many English language instruction programs focus on tools for vocabulary and repetition and adaptation of standard EdTech tools to help support students who are non-native English speakers. They ensure the inclusion of both visuals and auditory tools so students are exposed to the language in multiple ways to […]

Helping Teachers Find Their Voice

Helping Teachers Find Their Voice Students spend the majority of their time listening–three-quarters of their day, in fact!–which makes it their primary channel for learning. But there are a range of issues that can interfere with that channel, from student hearing impairments to background noise that makes it difficult to understand even the speech they […]

Looking Back at Our 10 Top Blogs for Future Inspiration

Check out this list of our most popular blog entries and you’re sure to find inspiration to improve the learning environments you support for the future.

Educators Share their 2019 Goals for Special Education

One of the hardest aspects of being a special education teacher is the uncertainty.

3 Ways Classroom Audio Supports ELLs

3 Ways Classroom Audio Supports ELLs Every English-language learner (ELL) has their own unique, individual needs when it comes to gaining structural knowledge around communication. Among the main challenges they face when developing their language acquisition are: • Density of unfamiliar vocabulary; • Grammar usage, especially the “exceptions to the rules”; • Use of regional U.S. dialects; and • Fear […]

How Every Classroom Can Celebrate Diversity

How Every Classroom Can Celebrate Diversity The world we live in is filled with diversity in every corner. Think of a natural ecosystem like a forest. Every tree, plant, and critter has its own unique makeup—different colors, shapes, and sizes—and yet they all come together to make a beautiful environment. When we begin to acknowledge […]

Advice for Helping Students Find Their Voice

Advice for Helping Students Find Their Voice There is so much to be said about student voice. Every class has children who tend to be quiet and children who speak up more often than others. But student voice is so much more than that. It’s when they truly find themselves owning their learning and speaking […]