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.