Assistive Technology and Math
Mathematics can provide many difficulties for students, whether it’s understanding the material or just learning it in general. Math is a subject that either students understand the material right off the bat or have difficulties right in the beginning. Math is an important skill that everyone should to have a general idea because they will have a hard time after their career as a student is over. Therefore, students must have an open mind when math is concerned and be open to the possibilities of learning aides to help them understand the material better. There are many different resources that can be used in helping students understand at all grade levels. These learning aides consist of low, mid, and high tech possibilities that are available for students. These three areas are important because there are learning aides available that range from inexpensive to expensive tools.
Low Tech
· Fraction Rubber Stamps: provides visibly of numbers, coins, and other objects that can help assist students when learning math. These stamps allow students to see what is being taught by using pictures, symbols, numbers and much more as examples.
· A Manipulative Number Line: is a number line with positive and negative numbers to help students add and subtract positive and negative numbers. A manipulative number line helps students because they are able to jump from one number to another and see how they retrieve the correct answer.
· Laminated addition and multiplication tables: helps students learn their multiplication tables.
· A Manipulative Number Line: is a number line with positive and negative numbers to help students add and subtract positive and negative numbers. A manipulative number line helps students because they are able to jump from one number to another and see how they retrieve the correct answer.
· Laminated addition and multiplication tables: helps students learn their multiplication tables.
Mid Tech
·Large calculators with oversized buttons helps students who lack motor control.
·Talking calculators check the student’s work by reading aloud the buttons the student presses.
·The coin abacus and coin-u-lator help students to learn and understand money counting.
High Tech
· FASTT Math (Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching with Technology; Tom Snyder) helps students with math fluency. This program tests students command of basic facts by measuring their responding time. This program also generates unique and customized activities that the student could do and it shows the progress the student has made.
· MathPad Plus (Cambium Learning) is an extended version of the MathPad. The MathPad is generally used for grades K-2, where the MathPad Plus is used for grades 3-8. In the MathPad Plus students are able to view problems through pie charts, fraction bars, or decimal grids. This helps students because they are able to see the problem in a different form, allowing them to understand the material better because it is in a way that is represented best for them.
· MathTalk/Scientific Notebook (Metroplex Voice Computing Inc.) is a program that must be used with Dragon Naturally Speaking (voice recognition software. This program allows students to speak the math problem into the program ranging from pre-algebra, algebra, trig, calculus, statistics, and graduate level math. After submitting the problems and calculation through voice, the student then can print their work out using this program.
· MathPad Plus (Cambium Learning) is an extended version of the MathPad. The MathPad is generally used for grades K-2, where the MathPad Plus is used for grades 3-8. In the MathPad Plus students are able to view problems through pie charts, fraction bars, or decimal grids. This helps students because they are able to see the problem in a different form, allowing them to understand the material better because it is in a way that is represented best for them.
· MathTalk/Scientific Notebook (Metroplex Voice Computing Inc.) is a program that must be used with Dragon Naturally Speaking (voice recognition software. This program allows students to speak the math problem into the program ranging from pre-algebra, algebra, trig, calculus, statistics, and graduate level math. After submitting the problems and calculation through voice, the student then can print their work out using this program.
Resources
Dell, Amy G., Deborah A. Newton, and Jerry G. Petroff. Assistive Technology
in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with
Disabilities. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print. 124-134.
in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with
Disabilities. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print. 124-134.