Bountiful Learning in All Places and All Spaces: Planning for Inclusive Place-Based Education With Assistive Technology

Abstract

Navigating local circumstances and funding priorities, educators can move inclusive curricula out of the classroom and help communities address the need for inclusive, community-based instruction. This work explores the enhancement of inclusive place-based education (PBE) through assistive technology (AT) as demonstrated in the Ossabaw Island Curriculum Development Project, aimed toward expanding interdisciplinary PBE opportunities centered on a protected barrier island off the coast of Georgia. A collaborative team of local educators, historians, and partners worked to highlight connections between the community’s rich history and school curriculum, emphasizing the need for inclusive educational practices that are accessible to all learners. The authors examine how community-based instructional practices from special education and the six principles of PBE overlap through AT applications with readily available technology resources. Technology enhances the learning of all students in this how-to guide for practitioners to start inclusive PBE.

Keywords

Assistive Technology (AT)Place-Based Education (PBE)Community-Based Instruction (CBI)Universal Design for Learning (UDL)Inclusive Education

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