TechMatrix is AWESOME!

After learning about great resources for implementing AT devices in my previous blog post, this blog will be about activities/programs you can use for students with disabilities. The website TechMatrix (http://www.techmatrix.org) was an awesome website that allows you to type in your grade level, subject content you are looking for, the disability your students may have based on IDEA categories, and the instructional support you need. It then finds products and research based off your search requests.

For my personal use I typed in early elementary, math, autism, and all instructional supports that are possible. This website came back with 31 results that accommodate my needs.
A few products were a little expensive, however there were some that were free. One example that I really like was Classworks. Classworks is a web-based instructional software that provides interactive lessons that are customizable for learning and assessing students in grades K-12 for reading, math, and language arts. Classwork units are based on state standards and offer interactive solutions through multiple means of representation, which is great for UDL.

 

Another example that I really enjoyed and could see myself using in the classroom was, Coin Critters. This teaches students to use money skills. The cost ranges from $1-$50. Students with Autism, emotional disturbance, specific learning disabilities, and speech or language impairments would benefit from a program like this.

Overall, TechMatrix is a great resource for teacher to use if they have students' with special disabilities. I will be using this website in the future for my students.

Resources:

Dell, A; Newton, G and Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experience of Students with Disabilities. Pearson Education

Welcome to TechMatrix. (n.d.). Welcome to TechMatrix. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://www.techmatrix.org