What is the first thought that crosses your mind when you hear the term “technology”? For most people, computers or other electronic media pops into their minds. Throughout the evolution of technology in the classroom, the electronic media has grown the most. However, if we examine the true definition of technology, we will learn that technology is not limited to just something that is in electronic format.
As an expert in computer technology, I am among the first in my school to use resources such as SMART Boards, CPS Responders, computer labs and mobile carts, and graphing calculators. All of these resources benefit students as they are learning Mathematics. However, I was not using algebra tiles, rulers, protractors, and compasses until this school year. I always considered those tools outdated and obsolete. As I attended a summer training sponsored by my school district, I understood the importance of using hands on materials outside of technology, and I now incorporate those tools into my lessons.
Technology is defined by Dictionary.com as “the specific methods, materials, and devices used to solve practical problems.” Here, the emphasis is on problem solving. In the school setting, tools that help students solve problems are considered technology. Thus, manipulatives are the oldest technology in the classroom, yet it remains the most relevant technology for student achievement. Yes, a lot of the manipulatives can be converted to electronic format, but we still have some students who prefer to touch and deal with the original. As a matter of fact, this opens the door to differentiation. Give some students physical manipulatives while giving others virtual ones. This will ensure all students are engaged.
So, whether we use the latest electronic technology or some of the oldest form of technology, students are the ones that will benefit in the end when they have increased understanding of a topic.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Podcasting: Can We Make it Happen in Our Classrooms?
In the 20th century, people had to set their schedule around the television shows or radio programs. If someone wanted to watch a program, then the person would have to tune into the correct channel at the designated time. Otherwise, the person would miss the show. Later in the 20th century, VCR’s and DVD Recorders came onto the scene, which allowed people to record their favorite television shows and watch the programs at convenient times. In the 21st century, DVR’s are now popular. DVR’s share the same benefits of VCR’s and DVD recorders, but the user does not need recordable media. All the programs are stored on the unit, and the programs are accessible at the user’s convenience. Recently, cable companies have unveiled the latest in convenience for television viewers called “on demand.” With on demand people can watch many programs on their own schedule by choosing the program to view. Now, people do not have to worry about missing any of their favorite TV shows.
Podcasting is Web 2.0’s version of on demand. Lots of shows are recorded by different companies and different people, which are available for listening or viewing on demand. Many of the shows are entertaining, but many of them are educational. By doing a Google search, teachers and students can find lots of instructional podcasts related to almost any lesson. Those podcasts provide supplemental instruction for students who are struggling with a concept. The student can control the pace of the lesson using the traditional fast forward, rewind, pause, and skip buttons on the media player. At the school level, the podcasts are viewed on the computers, but some schools are beginning to allow students to use iPods and mp3 players to view them. Those same podcasts are accessible at home or at a public library through an Internet connection.
Now, suppose a podcast for a particular topic does not exist. The teacher or the student could then create a podcast, and host it either on the school’s server or a third party’s server. The teacher could create a podcast by recording the lesson during class time or record sample problems during planning time. Due to the length of time editing a podcast, I would strongly recommend teachers within the same department work together and decide which teacher would create podcasts for each lesson. Every teacher should not record a podcast on the same topic because that would create way too much work for each individual teacher. The podcasts do not have to be very long; they should be just long enough for the student to understand the topic. Making a podcast too long will cause students to become bored and stop listening to the program.
A podcast could also be used to assess student understanding. The student would have to have understanding of the topic in order to present the information in a creative way through a podcast. Now the most difficult part of getting students to do podcasts is the training. Expect to spend several class sessions going over how to create podcasts. Now, before you start having students create podcast, you better make sure you know how to create one yourself, or the assignment will not go so well with your students. Once the students understand how to create a podcast, then you can guide them and have them showcase their work. You could even use their work as a resource for next year’s students depending on the quality of the podcast.
Podcasting is something that needs to occur in the 21st century classroom. Students need to have access to information on demand. They need to have control over the pace of learning, and podcasting allows students to address this need. If a teacher is new to podcasting, I would suggest the teacher finding websites for good instructional podcasts and sharing them with the students. If the teacher becomes comfortable with podcasts, then he or she could create some podcasts or have students create their own. Overall, if podcasts are used in the classroom, student achievement will rise.
Podcasting is Web 2.0’s version of on demand. Lots of shows are recorded by different companies and different people, which are available for listening or viewing on demand. Many of the shows are entertaining, but many of them are educational. By doing a Google search, teachers and students can find lots of instructional podcasts related to almost any lesson. Those podcasts provide supplemental instruction for students who are struggling with a concept. The student can control the pace of the lesson using the traditional fast forward, rewind, pause, and skip buttons on the media player. At the school level, the podcasts are viewed on the computers, but some schools are beginning to allow students to use iPods and mp3 players to view them. Those same podcasts are accessible at home or at a public library through an Internet connection.
Now, suppose a podcast for a particular topic does not exist. The teacher or the student could then create a podcast, and host it either on the school’s server or a third party’s server. The teacher could create a podcast by recording the lesson during class time or record sample problems during planning time. Due to the length of time editing a podcast, I would strongly recommend teachers within the same department work together and decide which teacher would create podcasts for each lesson. Every teacher should not record a podcast on the same topic because that would create way too much work for each individual teacher. The podcasts do not have to be very long; they should be just long enough for the student to understand the topic. Making a podcast too long will cause students to become bored and stop listening to the program.
A podcast could also be used to assess student understanding. The student would have to have understanding of the topic in order to present the information in a creative way through a podcast. Now the most difficult part of getting students to do podcasts is the training. Expect to spend several class sessions going over how to create podcasts. Now, before you start having students create podcast, you better make sure you know how to create one yourself, or the assignment will not go so well with your students. Once the students understand how to create a podcast, then you can guide them and have them showcase their work. You could even use their work as a resource for next year’s students depending on the quality of the podcast.
Podcasting is something that needs to occur in the 21st century classroom. Students need to have access to information on demand. They need to have control over the pace of learning, and podcasting allows students to address this need. If a teacher is new to podcasting, I would suggest the teacher finding websites for good instructional podcasts and sharing them with the students. If the teacher becomes comfortable with podcasts, then he or she could create some podcasts or have students create their own. Overall, if podcasts are used in the classroom, student achievement will rise.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
When Technology Lessons Go Wrong
Today’s students have access to different types of technology to enhance their learning. When students are familiar with the technology, the lessons flow very smoothly. When students have no clue on how to use the technology, then the teacher is in great trouble.
In the K-12 classroom, idle time is deadly for a teacher. When students cannot figure out how to operate the technology, then they will find something else to do. Often, it is something that the teacher does not desire. For example, students who can’t do a task will often strike up conversations with their peers. Some students may even become disruptive. Then the students end up suffering unnecessarily because the teacher gave them a task that they cannot do.
When I was trying to teach students to use Cabri Jr. last week, I believed they would catch on quickly, so I didn’t plan a detailed lesson on using the application. The results were not pretty. Many of the students didn’t understand what I was explaining or what I expected. I was trying to go over all the features of Cabri Jr. in one class period. This was way too much for most of my students. A lot of them were off task and doing things I did not desire. This was a situation when a technology lesson went wrong.
Had I focused on a few features of Cabri Jr. at a time, then I would have kept my students, and they all would have been engaged. I was so excited about using Cabri Jr. in the classroom that I wanted my students to immediately benefit from using the application. Sometimes, patience is the key. Learn the application fully and know it inside and out before you try to teach the program. Don’t use a program for just a few days and expect to teach it to your students. Remember, you didn’t learn your content in a few days; it took years of study and practice. Now I’m not saying you should have to use a program for years before you teach it to your students, but you need to be very familiar with the program before bringing it into your classroom
In the K-12 classroom, idle time is deadly for a teacher. When students cannot figure out how to operate the technology, then they will find something else to do. Often, it is something that the teacher does not desire. For example, students who can’t do a task will often strike up conversations with their peers. Some students may even become disruptive. Then the students end up suffering unnecessarily because the teacher gave them a task that they cannot do.
When I was trying to teach students to use Cabri Jr. last week, I believed they would catch on quickly, so I didn’t plan a detailed lesson on using the application. The results were not pretty. Many of the students didn’t understand what I was explaining or what I expected. I was trying to go over all the features of Cabri Jr. in one class period. This was way too much for most of my students. A lot of them were off task and doing things I did not desire. This was a situation when a technology lesson went wrong.
Had I focused on a few features of Cabri Jr. at a time, then I would have kept my students, and they all would have been engaged. I was so excited about using Cabri Jr. in the classroom that I wanted my students to immediately benefit from using the application. Sometimes, patience is the key. Learn the application fully and know it inside and out before you try to teach the program. Don’t use a program for just a few days and expect to teach it to your students. Remember, you didn’t learn your content in a few days; it took years of study and practice. Now I’m not saying you should have to use a program for years before you teach it to your students, but you need to be very familiar with the program before bringing it into your classroom
VIDEO TUTORIAL: New Features of the TI-84 Graphing Calculator v. 2.53
After doing a few tutorials on upgrading the graphing calculator, I decided to create a tutorial outlining the newest features of the latest update. Basically, fractions on the TI-84 look like the fractions you see in a text book. You can also take the logarithm of any number using any base. For more information, take a look at the video below.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Updating the TI-84 Operating System on TI-SmartView
In my previous post, I posted a tutorial on how to update the operating system for the hand held TI-84 Graphing Calculator. Today's post will involve updating the TI-SmartView's graphing calculator software. This process is very simple, and it only takes a few minutes. Please view the video for instructions.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Upgrading the TI-84 Graphing Calculator's Operating System
From time to time, Texas Instruments releases an updated version of the TI-84 Graphing Calculator's Operating System. For the most part, these changes are minor, and there was no compelling reason to upgrade your calculator. With version 2.53 released, now is definitely a great time to upgrade your calculators. The newest version now allows users to enter expressions in mathematical form, just like what you would see in regular textbooks. For those individuals new to upgrading their calculators, a video tutorial is provided.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Effective use of Instructional Computer Programs
Let’s face it; there are more computers in schools today than at any point in history. Each year, schools find more money to put more computers in classrooms. Now, it would be an ideal situation for each student to have access to a personal computer for each class. However, very few schools can afford this option. This means that other schools must have teachers share the computers among themselves.
Using computers for individualized instruction is very powerful. Our district has purchased several different programs over the years to help students get that individual attention they need to succeed in school. Our district recently purchased Destination Math for use in the Math Support classes. This program is designed to get students engaged while providing them with additional instruction to fill in weak areas.
In my experience, students love the computer program at first, but after a while, it starts to get boring. Some of the features of the program get repetitive. Students get tired of hearing the same voice over and over again. Eventually, if the students are exposed to a computer program too much, then they start to lose interest and eventually become disengaged. This is why teachers must not rely solely on computer programs to provide instruction.
While students are working on the computer, I walk around the room to monitor where they are in the lesson. I could do this by sitting at a desk and pulling regular reports or use live monitoring software. However, I choose to walk around the classroom. The students need to see me walk around so that they feel they can ask me questions. If I see a student struggling with a concept, I will go that student and provide direct instruction. I would also pull a group of students having the same issue and go over that concept with them so that they can get it. This prevents them from having to repeat the same skill over and over again on the computer just because they don’t understand the concept.
After the students become accustomed to the computer program, the teacher can allow them to use other Math resources to provide additional help or enrichment. For example, a teacher could allow a student to access a math video to better understand centers of triangles. A teacher could have some students work on a real world situation using Geometer’s Sketchpad. Having computers in the classroom naturally opens the door to differentiated instruction. The students are learning, and they are engaged in their tasks.
In conclusion, computers are a great tool in the 21st century classroom, but computers cannot be used as the sole source of instruction.
Resources
Destination Math: http://www.hmlt.hmco.com/DM.php
Impero: http://imperosoftware.com/
Geometer’s Sketchpad: http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/
Using computers for individualized instruction is very powerful. Our district has purchased several different programs over the years to help students get that individual attention they need to succeed in school. Our district recently purchased Destination Math for use in the Math Support classes. This program is designed to get students engaged while providing them with additional instruction to fill in weak areas.
In my experience, students love the computer program at first, but after a while, it starts to get boring. Some of the features of the program get repetitive. Students get tired of hearing the same voice over and over again. Eventually, if the students are exposed to a computer program too much, then they start to lose interest and eventually become disengaged. This is why teachers must not rely solely on computer programs to provide instruction.
While students are working on the computer, I walk around the room to monitor where they are in the lesson. I could do this by sitting at a desk and pulling regular reports or use live monitoring software. However, I choose to walk around the classroom. The students need to see me walk around so that they feel they can ask me questions. If I see a student struggling with a concept, I will go that student and provide direct instruction. I would also pull a group of students having the same issue and go over that concept with them so that they can get it. This prevents them from having to repeat the same skill over and over again on the computer just because they don’t understand the concept.
After the students become accustomed to the computer program, the teacher can allow them to use other Math resources to provide additional help or enrichment. For example, a teacher could allow a student to access a math video to better understand centers of triangles. A teacher could have some students work on a real world situation using Geometer’s Sketchpad. Having computers in the classroom naturally opens the door to differentiated instruction. The students are learning, and they are engaged in their tasks.
In conclusion, computers are a great tool in the 21st century classroom, but computers cannot be used as the sole source of instruction.
Resources
Destination Math: http://www.hmlt.hmco.com/DM.php
Impero: http://imperosoftware.com/
Geometer’s Sketchpad: http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The "Interactive" Whiteboard
The 20th century classroom had chalkboards or dry-erase boards. Those boards were used primarily to give students notes to copy or problems to work out. Typically, the teacher writes information on the board, and the students copy the information into their notebooks. Sometimes, the teacher will underline or circle important pieces of information on the board for emphasis. Many teachers would also allow students to come to the board to work out problems. Now, what if the students didn’t understand the notes or pictures on the board? What if the students could not flip the shapes in his or her mind to see that the two polygons were congruent? These are situations in which the “interactive” whiteboard comes to the rescue.
In the past several years, interactive whiteboards have entered the classroom. I have been in classrooms that had either a Promethean ActivBoard or a SMARTBoard. Regardless of the type of board, the interactive whiteboard opens many doors for student learning. No longer is instruction from the board limited to just lecture and note taking. For example, students in a Geometry class can manipulate shapes on the board to gain a stronger understanding of the theorems or postulates.
The teacher can create visually compelling lessons to grab students’ attention and interest. Instead of just listing a question and four possible choices on the board, the four choices could be on a balloon. The student would pop the balloon of the answer he or she believes is correct. The correct balloon will have positive feedback (i.e. something that says, “Good job” or a positive picture). The incorrect balloons will have something to let the student know that the answer is not correct (i.e. a sad face or something that says “try again”).
The interactive whiteboard is a big touch screen. This allows the interactive board to be used with virtually any application installed on the computer. In other words, the website with an interactive applet to help students understand congruent triangles can be shown and manipulated with the entire class. If a teacher has access to the TI SmartView emulator, then the teacher (or student) can demonstrate the correct keypresses on the screen so that the students can understand how to graph the function on their individual graphing calculators.
When the “interactive” whiteboard is used correctly, student achievement will increase. Now, if the board is used incorrectly, then the students will not benefit. For example, teachers should not use the “interactive” board as just another regular whiteboard. Though the teacher can use the board to write or display notes on the board and keep them across multiple pages, this is not its primary purpose. I am not saying that the teacher must always have interactive lessons on the interactive board, but the teacher should not use the board only to put notes on the board for students to copy on a daily basis. The teacher must use the board to his or her advantage.
Now, one of the major keys to student learning is by getting the students to do the work. The teacher must allow the students to go to the interactive board and manipulate the figures themselves. Now the teacher must keep in mind that there will be some students who will be apprehensive to using the technology. Therefore, the teacher must teach the students how to use the board and encourage them while at the board. Even if the student does something wrong, the teacher must reassure the student that he or she can do it. The teacher can show the student, but the student must work the board for himself or herself. Only by letting the student interact with the board will he or she learn from doing the task.
Interactive boards are great tools. Don’t just use it as a regular whiteboard. Use it to show students the concepts in ways that make sense to them.
Resources
Promethean Board: http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15
SMARTBoard: http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Classroom+solutions/Product+news+and+resources/SMART+Board+interactive+whiteboard/
TI-SmartView: http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_smartview.html
In the past several years, interactive whiteboards have entered the classroom. I have been in classrooms that had either a Promethean ActivBoard or a SMARTBoard. Regardless of the type of board, the interactive whiteboard opens many doors for student learning. No longer is instruction from the board limited to just lecture and note taking. For example, students in a Geometry class can manipulate shapes on the board to gain a stronger understanding of the theorems or postulates.
The teacher can create visually compelling lessons to grab students’ attention and interest. Instead of just listing a question and four possible choices on the board, the four choices could be on a balloon. The student would pop the balloon of the answer he or she believes is correct. The correct balloon will have positive feedback (i.e. something that says, “Good job” or a positive picture). The incorrect balloons will have something to let the student know that the answer is not correct (i.e. a sad face or something that says “try again”).
The interactive whiteboard is a big touch screen. This allows the interactive board to be used with virtually any application installed on the computer. In other words, the website with an interactive applet to help students understand congruent triangles can be shown and manipulated with the entire class. If a teacher has access to the TI SmartView emulator, then the teacher (or student) can demonstrate the correct keypresses on the screen so that the students can understand how to graph the function on their individual graphing calculators.
When the “interactive” whiteboard is used correctly, student achievement will increase. Now, if the board is used incorrectly, then the students will not benefit. For example, teachers should not use the “interactive” board as just another regular whiteboard. Though the teacher can use the board to write or display notes on the board and keep them across multiple pages, this is not its primary purpose. I am not saying that the teacher must always have interactive lessons on the interactive board, but the teacher should not use the board only to put notes on the board for students to copy on a daily basis. The teacher must use the board to his or her advantage.
Now, one of the major keys to student learning is by getting the students to do the work. The teacher must allow the students to go to the interactive board and manipulate the figures themselves. Now the teacher must keep in mind that there will be some students who will be apprehensive to using the technology. Therefore, the teacher must teach the students how to use the board and encourage them while at the board. Even if the student does something wrong, the teacher must reassure the student that he or she can do it. The teacher can show the student, but the student must work the board for himself or herself. Only by letting the student interact with the board will he or she learn from doing the task.
Interactive boards are great tools. Don’t just use it as a regular whiteboard. Use it to show students the concepts in ways that make sense to them.
Resources
Promethean Board: http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15
SMARTBoard: http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Classroom+solutions/Product+news+and+resources/SMART+Board+interactive+whiteboard/
TI-SmartView: http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_smartview.html
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Formative Assessment Using the CPS Response System
Today’s educators face many levels of accountability concerning student achievement. No longer can the teacher just “teach” and “hope” the students grasp the material. The focus on education has shifted to the student. Administrators are no longer concerned with whether a teacher can “teach.” They are looking at how much the student is learning.
Now, how can teachers ensure all students are learning? Formative assessments are the answer. These assessments are designed to diagnose problems in the learning process. Effective formative assessments are short (no longer than 5 questions). Teachers can easily “grade” them and use that information to decide the next step.
My school purchased 5 class sets of Classroom Performance System (CPS) Responders last year. Everyone calls them “clickers.” During that year, a few teachers used them sporadically for summative assessments (big tests for a grade). I have used them for quizzes and tests. In addition, I used the clickers to get students engaged by using the two built-in games. However, I was not using the clickers for the purpose they were intended, to keep track of each individual student’s progress throughout the unit. I was not using them for formative assessment.
This year I started experimenting with using the clickers primarily for formative assessment. Though I received a two hour training on the many features of the responders last year, I did not know how to use the clickers during my lessons. Eventually, I just decided to try it out and learn as I work with the clickers and the software. After a few days using the clickers to assess my students’ understanding, I am now able to use the clickers on a regular basis (at least twice a week) to keep track of each student’s progress. With that information, I can group students based on their weaknesses to provide additional remediation.
During instruction, I can use the clickers to determine whether students truly understand the concept very quickly. After my students have entered their responses, I can view a chart to determine whether my students truly understand the concept. The chart only displays how many students entered the various responses; thus students are free to enter their responses without fear of embarrassment from their peers. I can pull a report after class to determine which student(s) truly didn’t get it.
The CPS Response system can be used in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard using just about any software for presentation. For the past two days, I used the CPS Responders for my “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” PowerPoint game. During each question, I had the students enter their answer with the clicker. If everyone got it correct, we moved on to the next question. If a few students missed it, I had a student who did it correctly explain the process to solve the problem. If the majority of the class missed it, I went over it with the entire class. This ensured that I didn’t waste instructional time on a problem that everyone understood while using that time on the questions the class actually needed.
The clickers are the best way to assess student understanding of concepts. For the quiet student who fears embarrassment in the classroom, the CPS Response system allows that student to communicate to the teacher without ever being noticed by his or her peers. Overall, the CPS Response system allows teachers to assess student understanding while maintaining the flexibility teachers need in their instruction.
CPS Response System: http://www.einstruction.com/products/assessment/cps/index.html
Now, how can teachers ensure all students are learning? Formative assessments are the answer. These assessments are designed to diagnose problems in the learning process. Effective formative assessments are short (no longer than 5 questions). Teachers can easily “grade” them and use that information to decide the next step.
My school purchased 5 class sets of Classroom Performance System (CPS) Responders last year. Everyone calls them “clickers.” During that year, a few teachers used them sporadically for summative assessments (big tests for a grade). I have used them for quizzes and tests. In addition, I used the clickers to get students engaged by using the two built-in games. However, I was not using the clickers for the purpose they were intended, to keep track of each individual student’s progress throughout the unit. I was not using them for formative assessment.
This year I started experimenting with using the clickers primarily for formative assessment. Though I received a two hour training on the many features of the responders last year, I did not know how to use the clickers during my lessons. Eventually, I just decided to try it out and learn as I work with the clickers and the software. After a few days using the clickers to assess my students’ understanding, I am now able to use the clickers on a regular basis (at least twice a week) to keep track of each student’s progress. With that information, I can group students based on their weaknesses to provide additional remediation.
During instruction, I can use the clickers to determine whether students truly understand the concept very quickly. After my students have entered their responses, I can view a chart to determine whether my students truly understand the concept. The chart only displays how many students entered the various responses; thus students are free to enter their responses without fear of embarrassment from their peers. I can pull a report after class to determine which student(s) truly didn’t get it.
The CPS Response system can be used in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard using just about any software for presentation. For the past two days, I used the CPS Responders for my “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” PowerPoint game. During each question, I had the students enter their answer with the clicker. If everyone got it correct, we moved on to the next question. If a few students missed it, I had a student who did it correctly explain the process to solve the problem. If the majority of the class missed it, I went over it with the entire class. This ensured that I didn’t waste instructional time on a problem that everyone understood while using that time on the questions the class actually needed.
The clickers are the best way to assess student understanding of concepts. For the quiet student who fears embarrassment in the classroom, the CPS Response system allows that student to communicate to the teacher without ever being noticed by his or her peers. Overall, the CPS Response system allows teachers to assess student understanding while maintaining the flexibility teachers need in their instruction.
CPS Response System: http://www.einstruction.com/products/assessment/cps/index.html
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