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.