In the 21st century, technology is no longer just a tool. It is a fundamental skill area for personal and professional success. For students with diverse learning needs, mastering business technology can be a transformative experience. They unlock opportunities for independence, employment, and personal growth. At Northstar Career Center, we believe in the power of individualized instruction to meet every student where they are.

When you step inside the Business Technology classroom, you may notice some things are a little different than a traditional classroom.

Northstar leverages assistive technology to create access for all learners. For instance, a student whose physical disability prevents them from typing with a standard keyboard may instead use voice-to-text software or an adaptive keyboard.

We offer choice in how students show their knowledge. For example, a student might pre-record an oral report using an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device instead of presenting live. This allows them to demonstrate their understanding in a format that plays to their strengths.

Each student works towards their own unique goals. We know that no two students learn the same way or at the same rate. In the Business Technology program, a student’s goals will differ depending on their unique strengths or challenges. For example, one student may be working towards the objective to send and receive professional emails independently. Meanwhile, their peer sitting beside them may be working towards the goal of demonstrating understanding of all the hardware components of a computer.

This practice of individualized instruction allows for flexibility in the classroom. It involves a responsive cycle of teaching and assessment. We are constantly monitoring each student’s progress to ensure they are meeting their goals and building skills.

The Lesson Matches the Learning

Northstar’s program relies on the principle of scaffolding. Teachers start building a foundation of basic skills, then gradually introduce more complex concepts. In a lesson about encryption, we are able to see these methods in action.

First, students learn about how spies use codes to send encrypted messages. Each student builds their own cipher wheel, complete with letters, numbers, and symbols. Then they write encoded messages made with their own unique cipher and were tasked with unscrambling each other’s notes.

“A lot of computer tech is abstract,” says Business Technology teacher Cynthia Izac on the lesson, “so I try to make it into something we can see and feel.”

With a grasp on basic encryption, students then learn about its real-world applications in the tech world. End-to-end encryption is a communication security method where data is encrypted between the sender and receiver, making it unreadable to third parties. The U.S. Department of Justice calls encryption “an existential anchor of trust in the digital world” and stresses the importance of its part in protecting digital privacy. Because this kind of intangible concept can be difficult to understand, a hands-on activity can help our brains make a connection.

Scaffolding breaks up curricula into bite-sized segments. This lesson on encryption leads into more complicated concepts, such as the binary numeral system and data management.

“That’s what teaching is,” says Izac. “It’s students getting comfortable with the basics and then building and building on top of that.”

By supporting inclusive education and meeting students where they are, we can help all students find their path to success.

Why Does It Matter?

Digital literacy is not just a convenient skill — it is essential for navigating today’s world. For students with learning differences, it’s a key to future employment and self-sufficiency. Our Business Technology program empowers students to feel confident and capable by:

• Teaching broad job skills like navigating computer systems and using email.
• Connecting tech skills to real-world examples that prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce.
• Empowering students so they can use tools to communicate, create, and problem-solve.

At Northstar, we believe that every student has the potential to thrive. Through individualized instruction in our Business Technology program, we celebrate the uniqueness of each learner. We equip them with the skills they need to build confidence, capability, and a bright future.