Process: Access lessons and materials

  • 5 minutes

When and how students access lessons and class materials plays a role in successful learning.

Access to content before the lesson

Students who have slower processing, use assistive technology, or struggle with anxiety may find having content in advance of class beneficial, enabling them to focus on the lesson with some prior knowledge, as well as being able to engage with familiar content.

Consistent workflow

Whether materials are in Teams, Stream for videos, or a OneNote Class Notebook, it's important students know exactly where to go to access materials in a timely way with minimal opportunity for frustration or distraction.

  • Determine which apps and tools will be used for the class. As often as possible, use the same tools in lessons, so students can focus on the content, not on learning a new tool.
  • If new tools are introduced, give students the opportunity to explore the tool, whether that is independently or together as a class; this minimizes frustration and increases confidence.
  • Materials should always be stored in the same place, using a system that is simple and easy to use. Create channels in Teams with purpose, for example, the General channel is for fun peer-to-peer chats, while another channel is for questions and discussion about a class-related topic.
  • Consistency of naming material. Model good nomenclature by teaching students how they should name their work by using the same system for educator-created materials.
  • Help students create a workflow in their OneDrive, documents, and Teams that best suits their personal needs and preferences.

Assistive technology

Students using assistive technology during a lesson may need a few minutes to set up before the lesson starts or access during the lesson. Check in with students to ensure they have everything they need and are ready to go before and during the lesson. These may include:

  • Immersive Reader to access reading materials
  • Ease of Access Center to personalize the computer
  • Narrator as a screen reading tool
  • External Assistive technology such as a Braille display or buttons and switches