Technology in the Classroom

Technology in the Classroom:

Today we talked again about both the pros and cons of technology in the classroom. Sure there is a lot of pros: students are already addicted to their phones, so why not utilize that. There's a wealth of apps and games to get them engaged, that make learning fun. It allows them to have access to so much information at the push of a button, and can give them another perspective if they just aren't understanding what you're saying. BUT, what about the negatives to this: They can find solutions without doing the work, they can take advantage of phone or computer time to just chat with friends, and they don't have to compute things by hand, when they can just put it into graphing calculators and other similar apps. The newest concern, is photomath. This app allows you to take a picture of a problem, whether handwritten or typed, and it not only gives you the final solution, but also the step-by-step process. This can be both a good and a bad thing. To me, its a great idea. If students are doing homework and they can't seem to get on the right path, this allows them instant access to a starting point, rather than having to wait till the next day to ask you, the teacher. However, it also allows lazier students to just copy the answers and move on, without actually doing the work. To most people, this is a negative, to me, its not all bad. Sure they aren't really using much brain power, but realistically, these are probably some of the same students who normally just wouldn't do the homework. Although they are just copying answers, at least they are getting exposure to the questions, and going through the routine of the step-by-step process. I find I remember a lot more when I write things and don't just look at them. These students are now writing the process rather than just looking at it when it gets taken up in class. To me, this is at least a little better.

Photomath app, gives full solutions

However, then there becomes the question of technology during tests and assignments. Since we are now living in the age of technology, should we allow students to use it as a resource. As Lisa mentioned in class, people once freaked out about students using calculators to find the roots of numbers. However, I believe it would now be rare to find people who can do it by hand, and it is commonly done with a calculator, even on tests and assignments. Perhaps this is the beginning of new age math, and technology will one day be expected for assignments, as we advance. To me, I believe there is a time and place for technology during tests and assignments. I think students should learn basic, in their head, math. I also think, once those skills are learned, why not use technology to speed up this process so that you can learn more in depth knowledge, and expand on these skills without doing everything by hand, every time. To do this, I believe I would not allow students technology for certain parts of tests and quizzes, but once those were handed in, why not allow them to use the resources they now easily have at their fingertips?

Whats your thoughts on technology in classrooms? Not only for learning, but for showing their knowledge on tests and assignments? I'd love to hear from you!

That's all for today,
Miss Sydor

Hands on Activities for Grade 11 College Math

Today we explored the grade 11 college math course. We looked at some statistics, and I found it very interesting that so many people take this course, which I did not realize. In the DSBN, 29% of students actually take this course in grade 11. It allows you to continue in college math, and eventually go to college, which is many students preferred path after high school.

The first activity we looked at, had to do with finding the mean, mode, and median. It had students use their 7 cards (from a regular deck of playing cards, from ace to 10), to first find the mean. This meant the students had to add up the 7 cards, and then divide by 7. This number was then recorded, and it was a game to see who got the highest mean of 3 turns. I really liked this game idea as it allowed students to have physical cards to add up. It allows them to practice adding easy numbers together, and sort them so they are less likely to miss a number. It also adds a competitive element, which always seems to get students excited, and can be adapted easily for mode and median as well. According to our teacher, some students have never seen a deck of cards before. I found this absolutely shocking as I grew up playing endless amounts of cards, as did most of my peers. However, then I thought about it, and children now grow up with ipads and so much technology, as well as in so many different cultures, that it doesn't really surprise me. I think this makes it that much more important to add aspects of cards throughout math class, so that when you really want to use them for lessons such as those on probability, the students are more used to them.

The second activity we did, was to create a box that could hold three chocolates, while leaving the least amount of wiggle room, and using the least surface area of materials. I absolutely loved this activity, and would love to use it in my classroom. It forces students to plan and initiate their ideas, and allows them time to explore options using a hands-on approach. Since there isn't always a lot of hands-on activities in math, this is one I would love to utilize. As well, I think this is a great lesson, as it shows students real life questions they may need to answer if they go into certain jobs. A lot of food packaging companies face problems like these, and answers are obtained through collaboration, which is what is occurring here. It also allows students to work in groups, and forces them to come to a group consensus on what they want to build. As well, once everyone is finished, groups could present their design and say why they chose it. I really like this idea as it allows students to see there is not always just one right answer, but instead, many different options, some of which may have never even crossed their minds. Below, is an image of the design our group created. 

What do you think of the two ideas above? Could you see yourself using them if you were teaching the grade 11 college math course? Do you have any other hands-on activities for this course? Let me know your thoughts!

That's all for today,
Miss Sydor