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Joy Zabala presentation from Spectronics Inclusive technologies conference, 2012, Australia

"I have to admit that two years ago, I didn't, in general, use the terms access, accessible, or accessibility as a frame for beliefs about learning. Of course, as with most educators, I've been quick to embed phrases such as learning for all, eliminating achievement gaps, and opening the door for all learners into my edu-speak, but I'm shifting how I think about what accessible learning for all actually looks like."

"Here's the thing - I have a theory. My theory is that most people who don't like it, don't like it because of the way it was taught to them - A bunch of $100 words by a very intelligent teacher. Now, I'm not trying to bash on teachers because they (we) are important. However, sometimes, it is necessary to break down concepts into little bite-sized chunks. That is what Interactive Biology is all about - Breaking down the concepts in biology so that if a Freshman in High School wants to understand Graduate-level Neurobiology, with enough discipline, she could do so. Technology is AWESOME, and I enjoy using it to enhance my classes. The internet continues to amaze me. It's such a useful tool that can help anyone who wants to learn about any subject. Well, if biology is the subject you want to learn about, this is the site for you."

Great series of blog posts on education change

CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both in the U.S. and worldwide. Using an open-content, web-based collaborative model termed the "FlexBook," CK-12 intends to pioneer the generation and distribution of high quality educational content that will serve both as core text as well as provide an adaptive environment for learning through the FlexBook Platform™.

"Out of Print highlights the sea change underway in the multi-billion dollar U.S. K-12 instructional materials market enabled by recent technology and intellectual property rights innovations. With a focus on the ultimate impact on student learning, the report provides examples of lessons learned from recent digital and open (OER) content initiatives by leading states and school districts and offers comprehensive recommendations for government, industry, and educators to ensure that the inevitable shift to digital instructional materials improves student achievement and engagement and efficiently uses scarce resources."

"The Center reviewed an array of software products and digital materials currently used to develop or distribute elementary and secondary instructional materials. The purpose of the review was to identify the extent to which product developers or publishers offered readily discoverable and publicly available information about product accessibility. Using the Section 508 standards for physical and sensory access as a benchmark, the Center has color coded products green, yellow, or red. "

"Make any web page print friendly"

"In addition to learning our content and curriculum standards, today's students also need to be able to do the following effectively: collaborate with one another, synthesize ideas, create content, communicate ideas clearly, and use technology. A great way to accomplish all of these learning goals is to have students create movies of classroom content (i.e., textbook) to share with each other."

"Discover the best video clips, activity ideas, and lesson hooks to capture your students' attention and make your lesson unforgettable. Browse every topic taught in middle school & high school science."

"Rewordify.com is powerful, free, online reading comprehension software. It helps people understand difficult English faster, and helps them learn words in new ways. See the yellow box at the top of the page? Just paste in a difficult English sentence, paragraph, or more, or enter a web page URL and click the button. You'll instantly see an easier version, for fast understanding now. No dictionary needed! Plus, the easier version is specially highlighted to help build vocabulary."

"Newsela automatically gives each student the version of an article that's just right for his or her reading ability. And an easier or harder version of each article is just a click away."

Westerville high school quadratic equations video

"The first one is about the Declaration of Independence and uses One Republic's Too Late to Apologize. The second video, which won an Emmy for Best Informational / Instructional Program in 2012, is about women's suffrage and it uses Lady Gaga's Bad Romance to tell this important story. These two music videos make great additions to any history teacher's history lesson."

"ewordify.com is powerful, free, online reading comprehension and vocabulary development software. It helps people understand difficult English faster, helps them learn words in new ways, and helps teachers create high-interest learning materials from any English text passage. See the yellow box at the top of the page? Just paste in a difficult English sentence, paragraph, or more, or enter a web page URL and click the button. You'll instantly see an easier version, for fast understanding now. No dictionary needed! Plus, the easier version is specially highlighted to help build vocabulary."

"The SimScientists program in WestEd's Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) program is comprised of a portfolio of research and development projects that focus on the roles that simulations can play in enriching science learning and assessment. The capabilities of technology allow modifications of simulation-based activities to offer accommodations for English learners and students with disabilities. Science simulations can be used in curriculum activities, as embedded, formative assessments, and as summative assessments."

" Drawing upon research and an extensive collection of evidence from multiple sources, the Common Core State Standards were developed to reflect the knowledge and skills that young people need for success in college and careers.  Those standards impact teachers in several ways, including to guide them "toward curricula and teaching strategies that will give students a deep understanding of the subject and the skills they need to apply their knowledge" (Common Core State Standards Initiative, FAQ section).  For many the standards require changes in how mathematics is taught, thus they will influence instructional strategies that educators use"

"The process of transforming learning in our schools from an industrial, assembly line model to a modern, learner-centered and learning focused approach involves much more than adopting an expanded set of instructional skills and strategies. It is not just one more thing that educators are asked to do. In reality, this transformation is about approaching the work of learning and teaching differently and implies some fundamental changes in the roles learners and educators play in the educational process."

"Our students benefit from learning in an environment where they feel included and where they are taught in ways that recognise and support their needs as individuals, and as part of a learning community. Our commitment to inclusivity means we recognise and value our diverse student body. It also means we take measures to improve the success of specific groups, where research has shown that the route to educational success is less straightforward. "