The following is a list of technology-enhanced strategies to assist students with a variety of special needs. Many of my strategies include iPad apps, since my school has a 1:1 iPad program.
Students with Cognitive Difficulties Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a mild cognitive disability that is not uncommon to find a typical high school math classroom. The 30/30 app could help these students stay on track. This app allows the teacher to create a list of tasks and an amount of time for each task to be completed. This way, students can see exactly what they need to do and how much time they have to do it. If students can stay on-task in math class, they are more likely to learn what they need to know and be successful. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/30-30/id505863977?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8
Students with Physical Difficulties The Dragon Dictation app allows students to speak to their iPads and have the device type what they are saying. This could be particularly helpful for those students who struggle with fine motor skills and have trouble using the iPad to take notes or complete assignments. With this app, the students’ physical disabilities don’t get in the way of their math learning. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dragon-dictation/id341446764?mt=8
Some students may suffer from the effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, certain kinds of cancer, or other conditions that have taken away their ability to speak. The Touch Voice app allows these students to type on a tablet, which then speaks aloud what they’ve written. If students can communicate with their teachers and their peers, they are much more likely to feel engaged in class. Especially in math, engagement is very important to success. https://touch-voice.com/marketing/
Students with Sensory Difficulties The LouderTV app works as a personal amplifier for students with hearing loss. If students use headphones, they can hear the teacher speak as someone without a hearing impairment would be able to. In math class, teachers often do a lot of explaining about complex topics. Ensuring that students can hear the teacher will contribute to their success in the class. http://appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-the-deaf
For students with visual impairments, the iBrailler Notes app helps them type. This app contains a dynamic keyboard, which always places the keys under the user’s fingers, eliminating the need for the fingers to be in a specific place on the tablet. This is especially helpful for students with visual impairments, since they can’t always see where the keyboard is. This app would allow visually impaired students to take notes and learn in math class, just like their peers. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibrailler-notes/id929976332?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
At-Risk Students One technology-enhanced method that can be used for at-risk students is flipped classrooms. In this model, students watch videos of the lectures at home and then work on projects or assignments in class. For math, this would take away the cognitive load of going home and trying to remember what was presented in class that day. Also, the projects and non-traditional activities the flipped classroom model leaves time for would be more engaging for at-risk students than traditional math lectures. http://www.ifets.info/journals/16_1/31.pdf (p 364).
Simulations, interactive programs, and video-based lessons can also be beneficial for at-risk students. These students have often struggled in school, and thus, the traditional manner of teaching does not resonate with them. Teachers of at-risk students often have to find ways to think outside of the box to connect math to their students’ lives, such as the example below where students had to use math to find the money and the materials to build a new skateboard ramp. https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/scope-pub-using-technology-report.pdf (p. 7-8)
Gifted and Talented Students Often times, small schools, like the one I teach in, do not have the resources to offer all the classes the gifted and talented students need. Video chat programs, such as Skype, can offer opportunities for students to talk with math experts or participate in a class that is more appropriate for their level. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s) are another good option for distance learning courses, as they are usually free and cover a multitude of topics. These options keep gifted math students from getting bored and also allow them to cultivate their talents. https://www.mooc-list.com/categories/mathematics?static=true
Webquests can be a great tool for gifted and talented students, because they allow students to work at their own pace. Gifted and talented students do not get frustrated waiting for their peers to catch up, and if they finish early they can deepen their own understanding and that of their peers by teaching them the concepts they are struggling with. If gifted and talents students aren’t frustrated by the teaching methods their math teachers use, they are much more likely to be successful. http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Geom/schbus1.html