The purpose of this blog post is so you understand how to use the Tech Matrix website and understand how to pick a product on this site that is going to be the most beneficial for the student you have in mind!
Tech Matrix is a very useful resource for parents or teachers who are looking for an AT device to help a specific type of child. Tech Matrix allows you to narrow down your search for the perfect AT device by content area, grade level, IDEA disability category and instructional support. Once you enter in all of your information, Tech Matrix provides you with a list of products that fit your criteria. If you are still unsure of which product is the best choice, Tech Matrix allows you to select all of the products that you're interested in and compare them to see which product has what specific features!
For this blog post, I searched for a product for a math class, elementary level student who has a specific learning disability and is looking for opportunities to learn concepts for learning support. When I searched using the above criteria, Tech Matrix generated 17 products that fit it! I decided to have all 17 products compared to see which was the best. After clicking compare, I was left with 4 products, Fraction Shape-up, Cosmo's Learning Systems, Academy of Math and Classroom Suite 4.
Features of Fraction Shape-up:
- Content Area: Math
- Grade levels: Intermediate Elementary and Middle School.
- IDEA Disability Category: Autism, emotional disturbance, major-other health impairment, specific learning disability and speech or language impairment.
- Instructional Support: Opportunities to learn concepts, practice and reinforcement activities, differentiation, multiple activities and level, multiple user profiles, teacher control, user data stored for progress monitoring.
- NCTM Content Standards: Number and operations.
- Cost: $1-50.
- Special Features: N/A.
- Operating Systems: Windows (MS 98 and newer).
- (TechMatrix).
Fraction Shape-Up
Features of Cosmo's Learning Systems:
- Content Area: Math
- Grade Levels: Early Elementary and Intermediate Elementary
- IDEA Disability Category: Autism, emotional disturbance, major-other health impairment, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disability and speech or language impairment.
- Instructional Support: Alternate access devices and systems, opportunities to learn concepts, practice and reinforcement activities, differentiation, adjustable skill levels, multiple activities and level, multiple user profiles, student control, teacher control and user data stored for progress monitoring.
- NCTM Content Standards: N/A
- Cost: $100-$500+
- Special Features: Custom control options and switches.
- Operating Systems: Macintosh and Windows (Ms 98 and newer).
- (TechMatrix).
Features of Academy of Math:
- Content Area: Math
- Grade Levels: Early Elementary, Intermediate Elementary, Middle School and Secondary.
- IDEA Disability Category: Autism, emotional disturbance, major-other health impairment, specific learning disability and speech or language impairment,
- Instructional Support: Opportunities to learn concepts, practice and reinforcement activities, differentiation, adjustable skill levels, multiple activities and level, multiple user profiles, teacher control and user data stored for progress monitoring.
- NCTM Content Standards: Algebra, geometry and number and operations
- Cost: $500+
- Special Features: SN/A
- Operating Systems: Web-based.
- (TechMatrix).
Features of Classroom Suite 4:
- Content Areas: Math, Reading and Writing.
- Grade Levels: Birth to Preschool. Early Elementary and Intermediate Elementary.
- IDEA Disability Category: Autism, emotional disturbance, major-other health impairment, specific learning disability and speech or language impairment.
- Instructional Support: Multimedia products and projects, opportunities to learn concepts, organize and plan, practice and reinforcement activities, customizable interface, adjustable rate, adjustable response time, font size and/or color, differentiation, adjustable skill levels, multiple activities and level, multiple user profiles, teacher control, user data stored for progress monitoring, drafting, drafts can be created from note, web or outline, graphic web organizer, outlining tool, embedded resources, outline template, input options, on-screen keying, programmable or large print keyboard, scanning input, output options, sound output for visual tasks, text-embedded prompts, spell check, reads suggested words and prompts, text-to-speech, dynamic highlighting, multiple voices, reading rate control, recorded human narration, synthesized, word prediction, customizable word list(s), reads suggested/ selected words and word cueing.
- National Reading Panel Standards: Fluency, vocabulary and transcribing.
- NCTM Content Standards: Number and operations.
- Cost: $51-99
- Special Features: Cursor control options, scanning cursor control and switches,
- Operating Systems: Macintosh and Windows (MS 98 and newer).
- (TechMatrix).
Based on the comparisons between the four above products, as an educator, I would purchase the Classroom Suite 4. I would purchase the Classroom Suite 4 because it covers the most content areas, has the most instructional support, meets reading and NCTM content standards, is relatively cheap (considering all the instructional support and special features it comes with) and can work on both Macintosh and Windows computers!
I really enjoyed using the Tech Matrix website and would highly recommend it to help any IEP team, parent or teacher who is looking for the most appropriate AT device to help a student in their life!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASSROOM SUITE 4, WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW!!!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASSROOM SUITE 4, WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW!!!
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