Each of these tools, if properly used, can contribute to a rich learning environment for developing and applying mathematical concepts. Advanced technology tools, when integrated into a mathematics program, broaden the scope of mathematics to which students have access. The ever-increasing use of computers as communication devices and sources of information has an impact on schooling, including instruction in mathematics. Manipulatives and advanced technology help students understand mathematical concepts. The use of these devices allows students to investigate situations of increasing complexity and contributes to the development of necessary mathematical intuition.
Technology changes what mathematics is to be learned and when and how it is learned.
Currently available technology provides a dynamic approach to mathematical concepts, such as functions, rates of change, and averages, that was not possible in the past. Some mathematics becomes more important because technology requires it, some becomes less important because technology replaces it, and some becomes possible because technology allows it. The use of the internet has become an important supplement to library resources. Technology can enhance a student's access to the curriculum, increase opportunities to interact with peers, and assist in other avenues of communication. Technology can be especially helpful in assisting students with special needs in regular and special classrooms, at home, and in the community.