Technology Tools for Visual-Spatial & Motor Control Difficulties

There are a variety of tools and applications available for students with visual-spatial and motor control difficulties that minimize the handwriting demands of math work. The following is a list of applications that can be used for this purpose:

1. Math Pad: This is a talking math worksheet for basic operations. This program has a number of assistive technology tools imbedded (including a scanning feature and customizable speech output) and enables students to perform arithmetic computations with whole numbers on the computer.
2. Math Pad Plus: This is the extended version of Math Pad provides addition features and allows doe computations with fractions and decimals, it also provides additional features to support student access including pie charts, fraction bars and decimal grids.
3. Virtual Pencil Arithmetic: this is an education application designed to help students with working through basic operations of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. It allows students to solve problems on the computer in a similar manner as a pencil and paper. This program also features a speech feedback and tutor or tutorial mode. There is an additional version of this application Virtual Pencil Algebra, which extends the aid to help students solve algebraic equations.
4. Number Navigator: This free program is a simple math processor that allows students to enter and solve basic math problems. While this program does not feature speech or scanning, it does provide options for customizable colors, fonts, and font sizes.
5. Scientific Notebook: This high-end application, unlike the programs above, is designed for solving equations. Students can work with calculus, vector calculus, transformations, matrices, etc.

Math Applications for Automaticity/ Math Fact Fluency

There are a variety of educational applications available for students who need support with automaticity and math fact fluency. Automaticity or fluency is defined as having the basic skills to quickly, accurately, and effortlessly process content information. Applications that can help to include the following (all examples can be found on pg. 125 of Assistive Technology in the Classroom):

1. Addition and multiplication charts
2. Calculators
3. FASTT Math: This is an intervention program for math that helps students acquire math fact fluency. The program operates by assessing students’ command of basic facts by measuring response time and then generates customized activities based on the results.
4. Timez Attack (Big Brains): This focuses solely on multiplication facts, teaching the 2 to 12 times tables. Designed by video-game creators, this program is highly-engaging and contains high-tech and high-quality graphics.  A free Base Version is available for download and a Full Version with additional game environments can be purchased; however both versions are fully functional.
5. ArithmAttack: This program can be played online or downloaded free to your computer and played off-line. This program is designed for  students to practice basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. This program also allows the creation of customized problem sets to target specific problem areas of individual students.
6. Academic Skill Builder: This program is designed to increase automaticity in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, integers, fractions, and ratios. This online program can be played in either multiplayer or single player form.  As with ArithmAttack, customized problem set can be created to target specific problem areas of individual students.

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. (2nd ed., pp. 3-22). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

Key Questions to Consider when Selecting Educational Applications

When selecting education applications, educators should consider the following series of questions to help make sure that the applications help to meet the student’s goals and objectives. 

Questions to consider:

1. What is the intended outcome of the use of the educational application?

2. Is the educational application likely to fulfill its stated purpose?

3. Can the educational applications be used as an alternative to traditional classroom activities to enhance students' participation?

*it is also important to consider student’s interest during the selection of an application. If an application meets their interests, they will be more likely to dedicate their attention to it.*

Assistive Technology for Math

It is now time to shift our focus to my favorite subject, math. I understand that this is not a popular opinion, and many students dislike math because of the difficulties that they can face within the content area due to a variety of disabilities. Luckily, there are also ways that we can use assistive technology in math to help meet the needs of students who struggle in math for a variety of reasons. There is a myriad of educational applications, interactive web-based activities, and applications that are specially designed for students with disabilities that grant students with the opportunity to make general education mathematic accessible to students with a large range of disabilities. In the following posts I will be reviewing a few different assistive technology resources in math.