Week 6

-

     This week's post is primarily focused on technologies that provide math support for students. This week has especially interested me as I was, and am, someone who struggles with math. A majority of the technologies I learned about were things that I wish I had access to in elementary, middle school, and high school. I feel as though if I did have access to them, I would've done better in math, or at least felt more motivated. Part of my biggest problem that fueled my bad grades in math was that I was afraid of it. I struggled with understanding the values of numbers, and I felt that I was constantly falling behind my classmates. In reality, I just didn't have the support that I needed or the tools that could help assist me with things like memorization and understanding values in numbers. 

The first example of a math technology support I have chosen to delve deeper into is multiplication charts. Multiplication charts are quite self-explanatory. These charts show numbers from 1-10 on top and bottom to provide students with a quick and easy answer to what numbers multiplied by each other equal. This is one of the few supports I was able to work with and use throughout grade school. However, I primarily used it only a few times in elementary school and a few more times in middle school. I found this tool very helpful, as I did struggle with memorization. This tool would be great for students who, like me, struggle with memorization or possibly have dyscalculia. I wish that teachers would make these tools more accessible for students, regardless of the grade they are in. I feel as though the older that you get, the more that these tools become discouraged, even when a student may need them. Not just to help students with multiplication equations, but to even just assist them in practicing memorization.

The second math technology I have chosen is a program called ModMath. ModMath is an application that mainly assists students with setting up equations, and rather than assisting with the math questions themselves, it is more of a technology aimed at students who may be struggling with disabilities like dyslexia, graphomotor problems, or dyscalculia. This is a great tool, as it allows students to worry less about the process of setting up the question and focus more on the question itself. ModMath can even allow students to take a photo of the equation on the paper and allow them to type directly onto it from there. Taking away immediately any sort of process related to re-typing the question. Not only is this tool useful for use in classrooms, but since it is available on many different device platforms, it can allow students to bring it home with them on their own devices, so they are able to feel like they can comfortably solve or practice problems on their own.  

In conclusion, there are so many different math-related assistive technologies, and after researching a few different ones, I feel as though I have a much stronger idea of tools that I can pull out if a student seems to be struggling with math.

ModMath. (n.d.). ModMath. https://www.modmath.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 1

-
     As we become more and more technologically advanced as a society, the rise of technology being used in classrooms becomes more and more common. One of my goals as I navigate through this class is to find and understand the sweet spot with technology. How can it benefit students, while also posing as a negative, and potentially becoming a distraction? I would also love to learn the best tools for assisting students with learning disabilities. I feel as though there are so many tools out there that provide many different supports for different subjects or learning disabilities. I would love to be able to, by the end of this class, have a select few that I retain in my memory, and can pull out if I am faced with a student who needs it. Finally, a more general and personal goal is to just stay on top of assignments. As I am now balancing three classes, it's filled with more important dates I have to remember. I've found that using a planner has truly helped me succeed wi...
Read more

Week 4

-
     Students in the 21st century are lucky to have a wide variety of technological tools to support their reading. Throughout this week's discussions, class meetings, and readings, I have been able to learn more about these different tools and their advantages. Two of the technological tools that stood out most to me were Raz-Kids and Google Read & Write. Both of these programs, I have experience using throughout my education journey when I was a student, and I recall finding them engaging and especially useful.  Raz-Kids is an online program that assists students (usually K-5) with reading by providing online books that match the students' reading level, as well as comprehension quizzes, interactive activities, and awards students with points, to keep students engaged and motivated. Students who may be struggling with reading will be able to read books that better suit their level, and they will be provided with tools that can assist them, depending on what the...
Read more