End of the Year Recap

What did I learn most about: The two weeks that I learned the most was when we covered Geometer Sketchpad and graphing calculators. I have used both graphing calculators and Geometer Sketchpad in the classroom prior to this course, but I learned new applications in both deepening my understanding.

What technology will I utilize the most: The technology that I will utilize the most is Smartboard, if the school I am teaching at has the technology. The power of Smartboard allows for a teacher to implement many strategies that enhance student learning. It is also a great organizational tool for teachers’, having the ability to save notes taken from previous classes.

Has you view of technology changed: No my view of technology has not changed from taking this, but it has deepened it. I believe that technology should be implemented in the classroom more and more and this course has helped me see the technologies that are readily available to me.

How will this course benefit me: This course gives an in depth understanding of the different technologies I can look forward to using in my future classroom. I know that the first couple years of teaching can be overwhelming, but being familiar with these different technologies will help alleviate some stress. Also awesome resume builder, and worth mentioning at an interview.

Positive Effects Using Graphing Calculators

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3950/is_200310/ai_n9340707

This article is about the hand-held graphing technology in the developmental algebra curriculum. Laughbaum states, “Many argue that every piece of technology used to teach mathematics takes away from teaching time. But learning to properly utilize the graphing calculator in the context of teaching an algebraic topic can be a teaching enhancement, not something that detracts from teaching mathematics”. The article discusses two examples that demonstrate why graphing calculators should be implemented as a tool in the algebra curriculum. The two examples used were solving equations and factoring.
I agree with Laughbaum that technology should be implemented when possible. It is foolish to not use a tool that will enhance students learning and understanding of any topic in mathematics. An astounding statistic mentioned in the articles was that only 26% of the developmental faculty reported that they were using graphing calculators (national survey taken). I think that teachers need to use the technology that is readily available to them instead of sticking to the traditional approach.

Standard Deviation: A Real Life Application

I would begin by asking this student “What do you need to get things you want?” He would most probably answer “money”. Then I would to proceed to ask the same student how much money they want to make someday. Anytime I have asked my students they have all told me at least a six figure salary. I would explain that when you have a lot of money people tend to invest in things such as stocks, bonds, and property, hoping for a big return. The example I found on www.wikipedia.org is, “Stock A historically returns 5% with a standard deviation of 10%, while Stock B returns 6% and carries a standard deviation of 20%. On the basis of risk and return, an investor may decide that Stock A is the better choice, because Stock B's additional percentage point of return generated (an additional 20% in dollar terms) is not worth double the degree of risk associated with Stock A.” By knowing the standard deviation it helps in making good decisions with one’s money.

Pitfalls

Villier states, “Another pitfall I’ve often observed by textbook authors and teachers, is the apparent assumption that children and students should first master the relevant software fully before they will be able to use it effectively in the classroom for teaching and learning.” I agree with the point that Villier mentions about how students do not need to have the software mastered in ordered to use it effectively in the classroom. Many times how students learn is by exploring and navigating, that is how something is mastered. By giving students an opportunity to do this it is actually furthering their understanding in learning the content and the software.
Villier states, “One of the students wrote praisefully in her reflection how using the software had so wonderfully helped her to now ‘fully understand the theorems and proofs’ so much better. However, when it eventually came to the exams, I found to my shock that she had hardly learned any geometry! It seems that she had been merely impressed, and perhaps even “confused”, by the colorful, dynamic displays!” It is important that there is a balance between using technology and teaching arithmetic. I think that a little intro with technology is important but then focus on arithmetic followed by an extension with technology.

Video Math Instructors Replacing Us!!!

I think that math teachers are going to be the last teachers that will be replaced by technology. Mathematics is a subject that can become very confusing and must be explained. Throughout my experience thus far observing and teaching all of the students need math reiterated in a way in which they can understand it. The student to teacher interaction in the classroom is crucial in the success of the students understanding the material. I feel that by putting on a video is a good idea, but what happens when students do not understand what the instructor in the movie teaches? The administrator in the classroom will then have to explain the mathematics in a different way to the students taking up precious time that neither the teacher nor the students can afford.
I believe other subjects such as history or psychology will be replaced first with this idea of using such technologies. In these subjects the material is more about facts and information than it is about problem solving and critical thinking. One reason to ensure me that my job will not be replaced is that in a worse case scenario I would still be a classroom administrator to proctor my classroom. I am sure I would still be teaching, it would just be in a different way. My number one concern is what is best for my students’ education. If results show that using this technology is more beneficial for the students learning than I would be content with being a classroom administrator because I want the best possible education for my students.

Technology in the Classroom

I went to a private school (not a lot of funding) throughout middle and high school and no technology besides graphing calculators were implemented in the classroom. Throughout my experience at Doyle Middle School I was able to see Geometer’s Sketchpad which is a great tool when teaching transformations. I taught the students translations, dilations, translations, and reflections.
I noticed when teaching them the properties of transformations began to jump out at me, and my understanding deepened because I was able to see a shape on a graph and manipulate it. The students expressed how seeing the pre-image and the image of the transformation up on Geometer’s Sketchpad helped them to visualize and have a greater understanding of the transformation taking place. I also liked how precise the computer was when showing these transformations because when doing them by hand they can become distorted.

I’m a math teacher so why do I need to know how to blog?

Now that the internet has become more and more prevalent in our society today, it is really important to incorporate technology effectively in any subject area in the classroom. It is also important to not just throw any technology into a lesson, but incorporate it appropriately. If it is done correctly than it is an effective tool to enhance the learning experience of a student.

Last week in the classroom my cooperating teacher handed out the midterm grades and the quarter grades. After she did this for a homework assignment she had each of the students express how they felt the midterm and quarter grade was accurate to what they think they should have got. She also had them journal what their goals are for the upcoming quarter. This idea could definitely work in a blog format. The benefit of this is that students can read what their peers post while the teacher can see what the students posted.