Chapter+5+Reflections

Reflections of Chapter 5

Computers and the Internet to Teach Math

Students with special needs are easily accommodated with the recent developments in the internet and developments in computers technology with software developed to assist special needs students be able to cope with and understand math. The accommodations include simplified screens, consistant placement of menues with contril options, graphics with text that support nonmreaders and early readers, sound features with spoken instructions, easily accessable, abillity to create a pace and level of difficulty, progress feedback, and simple error correction.

Whatever the student needs, the internet, the computer and/or the software can be adjusted the accommodations the student may need to succeed. If the student need repetition or additional explanations to be able to master a lesson, the internet and use of computers can provide what is needed. New software are constantly being developed to accommodate the various special needs of the students.

The National Mathematics Advisory Council, Foundation for Success, defined automaticity of basic skills as "the fast, accurate and effortless processing of content information." Automatically also refers to math facts fluency, while the National Council od Teachers of Mathematics stresses computational fluency as being able to efficiently and accurately carry out procedures to solve computation problems. Both of these comp tenancies are difficult for students with special needs to master. Assistive technologies help the students aqttain the required levels of proficiency necessary to master the skills needed.

Several programs have been writtern to assist the speciak needs student. MathPad is a talking math worksheet program that enables a student to do mathematical computations on a computer with whole numbers instead of using a pencil and paper. MathPad Plus adds additional capabilities to MathPad with additional features to allow the student to view problems in pie charts, fraction bars or decimal grids which assists students that are visual learners. A Virtual Pencil Arithmetic has been developed for students who are pencil impaiored, and are blind, otor impairments or learning disabilities that interfere with writing. An additional feature is the Virtual Pencil offers audible feedback while it is being used. Number Navigator is a simple math processor, it has no special features. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Equasion Sditor and Microsoft Office all have tools that students who have difficulties in writing but are able to control a mouse. MathType has additional symbols that has a wider variety of equasions. MathTalk/Scientific Notebook is a high-end application that allows the student to write and solve equations in advanced math classes. Students that rely on speech recognition to use a computer could use MathPad or MathTalk/Scientific Notebook both require Dragon Naturally Speaking software. .

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives: http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html