Math teachers explain how you will improve the ways you use technology media in your classroom. Make sure to include your classroom setting, your specific teaching change, expected change in student performance, your implementation plan, and your plan for measuring changes in student performances.
Watch the following video as a premise for what role technology should play in the mathematics classroom. Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers
Improvement Plan for Technology
Classroom setting: The classroom setting for this instructional issue will be 10th grade geometry.
Need for educational change: Educational change needs to take place because technology is such a large part of culture today. For most students, using technology is a day to day thing. It is part of their lives thus, relevant and easier for them to understand. Technology is also a great tool that can be used to build deeper mathematical understanding.
Change in student performance: Performance wise it will be necessary that the students can demonstrate that technology has helped them gain a deeper understanding of materials. Instead of simply giving answers, the students will have to change in the sense that they will be required to give a detailed explanation of how they arrived at their answer. Technology will be used to do this.
Instructional change: For geometry I plan to use Geometer’s sketchpad more often. I have worked with this program before and it is beneficial in the sense that students can make mathematical discoveries on their own. What I plan to do is to have a Geometer’s sketchpad project once every week or two. The students will be given a project paper with hints as well as explanation of what to do. Using sketchpad they can come to certain conclusions about many different types of triangles. I believe that if they are forced to discover things on their own, they will gain a more deep understanding.
Measuring student performance: I plan to measure student performance by having them turn in these projects. Students will have to explain their findings using diagrams from Geometer’s sketchpad. When doing this they will have to explain in depth how they came their conclusions. I think this is a great way to measure if the students gained deeper understanding. It is difficult to communicate ideas using written mathematical communication if there is not a thorough level of thought and understanding. If students can do this accurately it will show me that they most likely did gain a deeper understanding of the material.
Educational Issue #2
Plan for Improving Technology use in the Classroom
The classes that I teach that would benefit most by the introduction of technology would be my Algebra 1 classes. In my district we have a large number of students in Algebra 1 who are not performing at a sufficient level in order to move on to the next class. I think the implementation of technology, specifically the use of graphing calculators, would help in several ways.
In a culture where cell phones, IPods, computers, video-games, etc. are becoming more and more prevalent, I think it is important to include technology in school in order to keep students interest. Furthermore, students have become very tech savvy and they would easily be able to learn the different functions that a calculator has to offer. In fact, I believe that they would maintain and be able to recall the calculator knowledge much better than some of the book knowledge.
The way in which I would like to implement the graphing calculators would be as a resource for checking work. There are several different concepts that are covered in an Algebra 1 class that students could work out by hand, and then use the calculator to check their solutions. For example, students who are learning to graph linear equations, could use the graphing function on their calculator to check their hand drawn graph. After students have solved systems of equations by graphing, substitution, or elimination, they could graph the systems on the calculator and use the intersect function to check their solution. Students could check their graphs of quadratics, and solutions for quadratics as well. These are all topics that are stressed in the Algebra 1 curriculum, and from my experience, students really struggle with these concepts. Knowing how to use the calculator would not only help students check their work but it would also provide further insight into what these concepts really mean. Students would be making connections between the algebraic and the modeling ideas.
There are a few ways that I would be able to assess whether the implementation of this technology is helpful. One is that I can formatively assess by seeing how many students actually are using the graphing calculators on a daily basis. I will also be able to use quizzes and tests as more of a summative assessment. Theoretically, if students are checking their answers by use of the graphing calculator their quiz and test score should increase because they will be able to fix any mistakes that they may have before they turn the quiz or test in.
Overall, I think the implementation of graphing calculators will be helpful for my students because I believe it will increase motivation, help make connections, and help fix mistakes.
Aaron Brien
Improvement Plan #2
Just as we have discussed in class, mathematics is evolving more than any other subject. Do we still require students to learn math with an abacus? The answer to this question is obvious, “Of course not!” We live in a culture where technology has never before been more available. I must also add that we live in an age where on a frequent basis, new technology is being developed that can enhance the way students learn mathematics. It is for these reasons that we have a need for improving the technology use by students to assist learning.
As I talk to other teachers from other school and districts I am finding that I am very blessed with the technology available at my school (West Valley High School). Within our math department, we currently have access to graphing calculators for all students, a Smart Board, and student responders. We also have Geometer’s Sketchpad available to our student on all computers, as well as site licenses for web-based curricula (ie. Cognitive Tutor). Even, having said this, there is still plenty of room for growth. What I would like to see in the near future, is a class set of laptop computers, so that students may from their own desks more easily use the ever growing list of technologies available to assist math learning.
One thing that I can plan to do to improve in this area, is to use these technologies more often. It can be so easy to fall into a rut of repetition. I need to work on myself becoming more familiar with these technological tools, so that I can have my students use them more frequently. I don’t expect immediate change in technology use, because of the time intensive learning curve for both myself and my students. However, by working to include a different application of technology each semester, over time I will be able to provide my students with access to the technology.
It should be very easy to measure change in student performance in this area. I must simply ask myself the following question: Are my students using more technology to aid their learning of mathematics? Also, as they use this technology, as an educator, I will need to be monitoring their appropriate use of the technology. Technology can be very difficult to learn sometimes and it is important that we ensure our students are using it correctly. We can help our students, by first modeling the technology.
In conclusion, we are living in a time of technological growth, and many of these advancements in technology can support the learning of mathematics. We must adapt and incorporate more technology into our classrooms. I plan to improve the use of technology amongst my students by making it more readily available to them and by using more of the technology in my own instruction to demonstrate how it helps us study mathematics.
Suzanne Colgren
To improve the way my students use technology media for doing mathematics in a specific way, I would like to move the Data and Analysis unit to the beginning of the school year and have students collect data on a particular job or field that interests that particular student. This research project would be the unit’s culminating project and the report, which would include facts about the job, the years of schooling and classes needed for the job, the salary, the hours worked, why they are interested in the job and if they are still interested in the job and why or why not, would be the performance assessment for the unit.
My classroom is set in a portable that is about 1 ½ blocks from the main building of the high school. Since I have only 2 computers and this lesson requires each child do research on a computer, I need to take them to our computer lab that is in the far end of the main building.
Because my algebra students in the past have not seen a reason to study math, I thought learning about a job that interests them and knowing the classes needed to be successful in that job might give the students a relevant reason for studying the math concept of the day.
The expected change in student performance is that the students now have a reason for learning the math. They will now be more engaged in the lesson. This lesson helps them answer, “When are we ever going to use this?”
Implementing this plan requires that I talk to the other two algebra teachers about the change in the algebra units calendar and get them to see the reason for the change. I am hopeful that they will agree that this is best for the students, as the students’ engagement should improve as a result of this change.
I will measure the change in student performance by comparing the scores that they receive on their reports, the performance assessment, to the unit test scores of the previous year’s students. Also, the engagement of the students, as measured by the number of students working in class and the number of on-task questions during the lesson, should improve following their research on jobs of thier interest.
My plan for improving technology can be found on my blog using the link below.
http://pierckat.edublogs.org/2011/07/18/plan-for-improving-technology/
-Katelyn
The classroom setting for this assignment a 7th grade Math/Science class that is taught in a daily 120 minute block. The math curriculum being used is the Connected Mathematics Project. The demographics of the students consist of approximately 49% white students and 43% Hispanic.
The plan presented in this paper for improving the methods that technological media can be used by students for doing mathematics relates to the use of Microsoft Excel when doing basic statistical analyses such as a five number summary and basic graphs of data. This is particularly beneficial for students since the usefulness of statistical analysis lies in the concepts behind the different measures, and not so much in how to calculate those measures. For example, a student may be given a small set of data and be asked to determine the five number summary of the data in addition to constructing a box and whisker plot. This is an acceptable way of determining if students understand how to determine the different measures of the five number summary. However, a more useful (and perhaps more interesting) activity would be to present students with a real life set of data (i.e. Census data) and ask them to repeat the exercise. Working with such large data sets would prove daunting to the young students. Consequently, allowing students to work with Excel to complete the activity would serve a number of purposes.
Firstly, students would be able to concentrate on the meaning behind the different values of the five number summary rather than get bogged down with determining the mean or median of hundreds of data points by hand. Secondly, accuracy of the results is assured since the calculation is being performed by a computer. As a result of this, stricter guidelines when reporting results can be enforced. Thirdly, students are being connected to an authentic problem that involves real life data.
The change in instruction that I plan to implement is to allow students use of computers. My school district is increasing the availability of ‘COWS’ (Computers on Wheels) which are available for classroom use. This change may encounter resistance if the math department or administration is more traditionally-minded than tech-savvy? Time will tell.
Change in student performance will be determined by the accuracy of results in addition to written explanations of the findings.
–Josh
Improvement Plan for Technology
Classroom setting: My classroom setting is a college classroom and the class is pre-college level.
Need for educational change: Technology is a major part of the world today, most people use some sort of technology every day. Technology is a great tool that can be used to help build deeper understanding of math concepts with being bogged down by the computations.
Instructional change: For the class I teach there is not a lot of technology that I can use, they are not allowed to use calculators for the first half of the term or on a third of their final. Most of the calculator use is only to speed up their calculations when we get to solving equations. I plan on implementing more technology by having them use an online homework system. This system asks them questions that they then solve and give back an answer, which are immediately graded for correctness.
Change in student performance: Performance wise this program should help students complete more assignments with better understanding, because they will always know if they have done the problems correctly or if they need to get more help on the concepts.
Measuring student performance: I plan to measure student performance by grading the assignments and seeing how they performed on their tests. I also plan to compare this to previous class where I did not use this program.
I just got a set of graphic calculators last semester. I’m planning on teaching the students how to use the calculators the right way. What’s the point on letting them use the calculators for the EOC if they don’t know how to use them? I will have at least one lesson on how to use calculators on my page by next week. I’m hoping that after calculators I can work my way to other programs like Geogebra so they can get the most out of technology. Meanwhile I will use visual in the lesson using my computer and the projector to engage them in the lesson.
Subject: Ax2 + Bx +C in Context
Classroom setting: Algebra II remedial courses
Specific teaching change: I will change from speaker to listener. I will spend more time planning than teaching.
Change in student performance:
Students will can visualize the whole context of the Ax2 + Bx +C. They will can move among the different representations, and they will use winplot to graphic.
Materials: Activity 1. Lectures, quiz and Test. Self evaluation rubric
Plan: This class will be in the computer lab because students will need the winplot software in order to do the graphics they need. Professor handouts to students Activity 1. Students work with a partner; they share their answers in order to double check their knowledge and make generalizations.
Assessments: We will measure the skills to move among the different context of Ax2 + Bx +C. They are algebraically, numerically, and graphically. In addition, students will evaluate their self learning. A scale Likert-type scale will be used.
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Since the time I have been in school, 15 or so years, many things have changed in school, including our dependence on technology. There is more emphasis put on justification. Students are being asked to see the big picture. For example, graphing quadratic equations is something that took a lot of time and required a lot of work to understand what happens when parameters are changed. Now the bigger picture is making connections between graphing, linear functions, quadratic functions, absolute value functions, exponential functions, etc.
I propose technology is used to have students explore one set of equations like linear functions within a 15 to 20 minute period of time and then compare that to the absolute value functions. Then compare that to quadratics and so on. I believe this to be a much better approach than memorizing formulas and values. Maybe instead of inputting different values for parameters, they just click an equation or parts of an equation so that they may observe what parameters are changing.
I teach high school aged students in what is essentially an alternative high school. Students have little motivation many days and even less patients to deal with anything that appears to be too difficult in math. Many live in homes where there is little technology or are limited from technology because of a lack of internet access. I have 20 computer in my classroom but only 16 or so are functioning at this time.
I want to use my computer lab to access the internet and use Geogebra as a tool to help students see the relationship between functions and parameter of functions.
I believe students willing to do an exploration than listen to me for a few days telling them what happens in math language they don’t want to understand. I believe test score will be better on average compared to last year and I home to deal with less frustration from students.
The first day beginning the chapter on graphing linear equations I will have students do their first exploration on moving line and observing parameter changes and then changing parameter to create specific linear equations. For example, change parameters a and b to create an equation to a line that has a slope of 5 and passes through the point (0,4), then sketch the graph on a piece of graph paper.
As mentioned before, I will compare average chapter test score and quiz scores from last year to measure student performance. I will also survey students on frustration level, ease of assignment, and confidence of goal attainment. As well as their perception of this activity compared to daily routine.
Our main buzz while we rebuilt our curriculum flew around the purpose of calculators in the classroom. Reasons for and against calculators (in particular) oscillated between “it helps students conceptualize” and “it makes kids too [damn] dependent.” If we couldn’t agree on the use of a tool that has been around for 40 plus years, I find it difficult to believe that we will agree on implementation of more recent and advanced technologies.
Two years ago, I tried to advocate going to my website to get homework, notes, and helpful hints from the items that I posted there. Last year, I dropped development of my website (as you can see at: http://www.cwu.edu/~glabrant) because I didn’t have the time to spend on it, nor did I believe that I would get the most “bang for my buck” as I devoted energy to maintaining it. Instead of promoting my website where students could get help, I promoted http://www.wolframalpha.com in the hopes that students would use that site to help them do homework. Because I showed my students that they could see step by step instructions for solving some types of problems, I had 2 or 3 tell me they used it regularly to help them with their homework, but to the rest, it was continually new information that such websites existed, continually new because it was continually forgotten. From that last sentence, I have some new insight for this upcoming year; if I make the technology easy to access, students will be more interested in using it.
As I see it, the tricky part will be in involving each member of my class in order to give every student access to the technology and also teaching with the technology so that students actually learn because of it.
http://gplb.edublogs.org/2011/07/20/improving-mathematical-thinking-through-technology/