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Interview – Technology in the Math Classroom

III. Classroom Practice, Technology in the Math Classroom

Interview Excerpts and Analysis

Subject: MathematicsLevels: Grades 3 (8 yrs old) – College levelTechnology: Smart Board/Whiteboard interactive
Interview excerpts	Analysis
Motivations for Using technology in the Classroom ‘I wanted a touch and interactive technology. I saw it in my head and I searched around and went to conferences until I found it’. ‘I really wanted to get technology into the classroom’. ‘Students are able to get more involved in the lesson. It’s interactive and so students can get to use the technology.’	The main drive came from the teacher to implement the technology from what they thought was a better experience for students. The main drive was the desire for increased interactivity. Therefore any technology of value had to be touch enabled and interactive.
Technology – Advantages of and Disadvantages of use ‘It’s interactive. Students can come to board and use technology. They can extrapolate concepts that they would be previously asked to just imagine. It helps them to reduce levels of ambiguity and clear up concepts’. ‘Using the traditional way you spend time writing notes on a regular whiteboard. With the technology you can preplan notes. You don’t need to waste time writing notes. It saves on a lot of time. Also, you don’t need to erase the board. Students can’t miss notes. ‘The days of writing off notes are over. You can now spend time on understanding’ ‘I can just click on something. I can have the power of the internet right here. I am released from my curriculum being restricted by what I just walk into the classroom with.’ Disadvantage ‘Subject to power supply or computer crashing’ ‘If students cannot make use of access such as Internet access for notes etc’	Time, organization and classroom management were great advantages alongside expected benefits of increased interactivity and engagement. Students do not need to spend writing off notes and can concentrate instead on understanding and on taking personalized notes.Students are offered practical and concrete reference as well as self-paced learning with opportunities for making learning relevant, as well as clear up ambiguities and interact with concepts in a more meaningful way.The only disadvantages seen by the teacher are reliance on resources needed to facilitate the technology use.
Student Experience Using the technology‘Organization of notes is better for them and it’s cool and fun’.‘It is very user friendly and these students of this age are technology oriented. They pick up based on watching you use it and you teach them whatever else as you go along’‘Their interest is definitely piqued but technology is really just a tool. It boils down to the teacher and how the teacher can influences students to want to practice and learn.’‘ Interest is piqued because the class reflects technology in their everyday life’[no cultural or gender bias] but ‘boys want to play a bit more but that is it. The girls are good’	Interest is added based on interactivity. Students are more inclined to try and explore concepts for themselves as they are desirous of working with the technology. It also offers them increased practical ways in working through concepts and unclear areas.It simplifies the experience in understanding concepts and making connections (in content and in real-life).
Teaching experience using the technology‘The thing is how you view mathematics and how you view how to teach. Some teachers use smartboard without implementing or using features of the technology. I use the technology and features to influence how I teach. In the past what you would see is the finished product and trying to remember how to get there. Here they see process. You can take notes from the interactive session and email as a pdf. The student can follow blow by blow and understand.’‘you can have a teacher that does not know how to use the features’	The teacher has to be knowledgeable of and use technology to its full potential and limits to stretch themselves and the students
Pedagogy/Teaching methods‘It doesn’t make sense to assess them in a way that they will not get assessed. We have standardised exams and so what we can change is how we deliver it [the content] so that they can understand better and when we break down past papers they will go into the exam a lot more visually aware.’‘Technology is just a tool’‘Teachers need to have an open mind and know there is no set way to teach. How can I stretch the limits of technology to make the lesson better, how can I stretch students to have that experience?”Finding ways of using the technology to its limits’‘How the teacher can influence students to want to practice and learn.”Can just have a bad teacher with technology.’‘There is only so much and no more a teacher can introduce and then some onus is on the student. Technology can be a blank screen and it is how the teacher uses it to get what they want or in trying to get across the task’‘I just want to use the technology all the time. It is just a matter of how you view the mathematics and how you view how to teach. That’s the major difference. You could have teachers who have the technology and just use it as a regular whiteboard.’	Technology stretches limits and capabilities of the teacher as well as offers access to resources that can enrich the experience. However, onus still lies on strong pedagogy and teaching methods that utilise the potential of the technology and that create tasks that get students to want to learn and practice, whether with the technology or otherwise.
Challenges with implementing the technology ‘Power supply, computer and cost of technology’ ‘Cost is a big challenge particularly in developing countries.’ ‘You have teachers who don’t know how to check emails yet asking them to learn all of this technology. The openness of a teacher and willingness to learn is important and if they don’t have the technology to interact with daily it gets hard. Teachers then take up a lot of time and the wow factor for students gone.	Teacher training in being able to fully utilise the technology is essential in gaining benefits. Teachers’ openness and a willingness to learn are paramount. Also, the drive to research and find the technology you need.
Ideal Classroom‘Each student with Ipads or any tablet technology plus the interactive technology’	Technology integration is crucial because if the classroom does not reflect the reality and interactions of students then school and learning become abstract, dull and boring for today’s technology driven and oriented society.
Reasons for innovation‘The classroom needs to mimic outside. We need to tweak the curriculum to keep up with changing times. We must challenge ourselves as teachers to make new ways or models to increase interaction of students and how we deliver info to let technology answer a lot of questions students may have and increase their drive to interact and learn’