As a future instructional leader, I have been charged with the task of finding ways to incorporate and spend monies earmarked for technology to benefit all students whether traditional or virtual. Can I utilize www.mathway.com into my lessons? The main representations of the aforementioned and others, often categorized as “the big three,” are graphical, algebraic, and numerical representations, but there are others as well (Garofalo & Trinter, 2009). Students for the most part enjoy using the interactive features of Mathway because of its many integrated features. It has features on utube that will assist them understanding the concept of mathematics. The address is: https://youtu.be/kRE8JnS3bC0 which incorporates ways to get help to solve math problems, view an example, watch a related video, try a similar example, and ask my instructor. There is also integration with graphing calculators encompassing the use of the TI-83. Studies about what students have to say about the use of multiple representations in College Algebra found that students were better at approaching problems with the use of multiple representations and felt it deepened their understanding. However, many students maintained the belief that symbolic manipulation is the mathematically correct way to solve problems while graphical and other uses of the calculator and software should only be used for checking purposes (Hunsaker, 1997). In a balanced mathematics program, the strategic use of technology strengthens mathematics teaching and learning (Dick & Hollebrands, 2011).
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics states that “technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students’ learning” (NCTM, 2011, position statement). Moreover, technology can provide students with opportunities to explore different representations of mathematical ideas and support them in making connections both within the area of mathematics and other related major of studies (Cavanaugh, 2006).
The following websites have been beneficial for my
students: Jamboard, Classkick, Padlet, Pear Deck, and Nearpod are all platforms
that both promote student engagement and capture student thinking. They also
allow teachers to watch their whole class, on one screen, in real time, so that
students can engage with each other and build on each other’s ideas to arrive
at a richer understanding of mathematics. With these tools, students can show
what they know; teachers are then armed with the information they need, and,
just as important, students feel seen. Jamboard, for example, allows students to
work collaboratively on the same page and offers options for students to share
their thinking by text, drawing, dragging images, and inserting photos of their
work into the page. Envision for a moment second graders studying the
difference between two numbers: on a Jamboard, students or teachers can insert
images of two people and visually compare the heights. From there, students can
see that subtraction is not just a removal but the distance between two
numbers—a subject for robust in-class analysis. Based on what they see in
Jamboard, the teachers can offer immediate feedback to the whole class or to an
individual student.
References
Cavanagh, S. (2006). Technology helps teachers home in on student needs. Education Week, 26,10-11.
Garofalo, J. & Trinter, C.(2009). Multi-representational
approaches to equation solving. NCSSSMST Journal, 14(2), 26-27.
Dick, T. P., & Hollebrands, K. F. (2011). Focus
in high school mathematics: Technology to support reasoning and sense making. Reston,
VA: NCTM.
Hunsaker, D. (1997). Ditch the calculators. Newsweek.
Technology and mathematics go together like a hand and a glove (or a mitten). I appreciated your thoughts about not needing numerous problems to determine if a student is struggling or not. While I do see value in practicing a math skill, that practice is only meaningful if the student understands the concept. Without that understanding, the student is only reinforcing the incorrect skill. My daughter's largest improvement in math came with a technology that catered the problems to her skill level to allow her to identify gaps and focus on the gaps to improve the overall performance. Montgomery (2019) states that 70% of 8th graders test below grade level in math, but 80% of jobs out of college require significant math skills. Clearly, the need is there for improved math instruction and technology can bridge that gap.
ReplyDeleteMontgomery, M. (2019, September 3). This math edtech startup says its found a winning formula with on-demand tutoring. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemontgomery/2019/09/03/this-math-edtech-says-its-found-a-winning-formula-with-on-demand-tutoring/?sh=5bb3437e716d
The ultimate goal of technology is to improve teaching and learning. Therefore, whatever purchases are made should have a positive effect on teaching and learning. I believe that all input for the technology plan should be based on data and research-based resources and strategies. In our text, our authors provide some guidance for ensuring that there is a balance of input from all stakeholders in the planning process. Frazier and Hearrington state, “when teachers, administrators, board members, community representatives, and students are all involved, a variety of needs and ideas can be expressed and vetted…” (p. 169, 2017). I think involving the students in the decision-making process can make implementation easier. It increases buy-in. This means fewer resistants from students and teachers and more engagement. As you mentioned, students enjoy using the digital resources, they are learning and teaching is happening. As a result, the goal of technology is being achieved.
ReplyDeleteReference
Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed., Ser. Revised and Expanded). International Society for Technology in Education.
Submitted by,
Pamela Davis
Hi, LaTasha! I definitely agree that as an instructional leader, especially one who is comfortable with technology, that it is important to be knowledgeable about what types of technology to integrate within one’s area of expertise. Frazier and Hearrington (2017) mention the importance of the new technology meeting students’ needs. As a math teacher, you have that deep subject matter knowledge to know what makes sense for enhancing mathematical concepts. Ottenbreit-Leftwich (2020) researched technology coaches, and one of the areas that presented a little bit of a challenge was when the coaches were not familiar with the pedagogy. I think that it is great that you are taking the time to find what motivates even the most reluctant learners. Keeping the kids’ learning at the forefront will help when it is time to decide about what technology to use.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Frazier, M. & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.
Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., Liao, Y., Karlin, M., Lu, Y., Ding, A. E., & Guo, M. (2020). Year-long implementation of a research-based technology integration professional development coaching model in an elementary school. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 36(4), 206-220. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2020.1804494
Hi LaTasha, your statement about not needing 100 problems to see if your students understand I think resonated with me the most. As a child, I remember dreading math homework because it felt like pages and pages of the same problems. While skill and drill (practice) is a necessary component of math, I agree with you that we should focus on teaching math conceptually and focusing on engagement. Frazier and Hearrington (2017) mention the benefit of providing necessary staff with access to current research on the use of technology in learning. Unless technology leaders allot for providing on-going professional development and access to such resources I fear courses such as mathematics will continue to resort back to the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality. I read about a study conducted on teachers integrating technology into mathematics but they received an exceptional amount of preparation and on-going access to such resources as mentioned by Frazier and Hearrington (2017). This study conducted by Benning et al. (2018) stated their results from the study found that all of the teachers indicated that technology could in fact enable new instructional approaches where students can concretize mathematical ideas through dynamic pictures and videos. One teacher even said, “using technology makes teaching simple as students could visualize the mathematics concepts and make out their own meaning (Benning et al., 2018).” So again, I go back to the skill and drill mentality of assigning 100 plus problems. Is that really effective? I would agree with you and say that it is not as effective as designing an engaging technology-infused lesson that forces students to visualize and understand the math skill conceptually. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Benning, I., Linsell, C., Ingram, N., & Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. (2018). Using Technology in Mathematics: Professional Development for Teachers. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia.
Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator's handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.