Author Archives: nicole moxey

Role Playing in math and science

According to Resnick and Wilensky (1998)1 , while role-playing activities have been commonly used in social studies classrooms, they have been infrequently used in science and mathematics classrooms.

Speculate on why role playing activities may not be promoted in math and science and elaborate on your opinion on whether activities such as role playing should be promoted.

In my opinion I think that role playing activities are often overlooked not only in math and science classrooms, but in all subject areas. For some teachers, these types of activities come naturally for them, but for others it is a real struggle to find the courage to “role play” with their students. I also think that some teachers believe that they do not have the time to integrate role playing activities into their classroom. Allowing all students to participate in role playing activities can take some time, but teachers need to remember that for many students, this is the way they learn best. Kinaesthetic learners thrive in an environment that allows them to get up and move (while learning). With role playing can also come a bit more of a chaotic looking classroom and many teachers prefer structure. This can be a real struggle for some teachers as they have to relinquish some of the control over to the students (in my opinion this is when some of the best learning takes place). Role playing gets the students actively involved in their learning.

I believe that role playing activities fit well in the science classroom and should be encouraged, but I struggle to come up with ideas for the math classroom. Does anyone have any great math examples?

In my grade two class when learning about “matter,” I would have the students move around the gym as either a solid, liquid or gas (we would change the state of matter frequently and the students loved calling out the next state) to show the speed and proximity to the other particles. This is a very basic example of role play, but it did get the students up and moving!

If you’re still not convinced about the benefits of role-playing in math and science classrooms, check out this video about a grade 6 role playing activity about how the body works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bySCaKZssc

Anchored Instruction Commentary and finding a balance

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I believe that anchored instruction can be beneficial in a classroom setting. Not only do these programs use technology, but they also have the students working together to solve problems. The problems require the students to use 21st century skills and there are multiple ways to solve many of the problems presented. These programs would get students solving higher level thinking problems in math and science classrooms. As I mentioned in my post about anchored instruction, there a many benefits. However, this should not be the only type of instructional tool that is used in the classroom. I believe that finding a balance and using a variety of teaching tools is the best approach. Not all students would feel successful, and therefore, the teacher must attempt to meet the needs of all the students. I think that a balanced classroom would include individual working time, as well as collaborative group activities. Working together is an important skill in today’s society, but so is the ability to solve problems independently. Students need to learn how to persevere and not quit when a task gets difficult. I think sometimes, when group work is relied on too heavily, students who are struggling hide behind the work of stronger group members. When this happens, it can be difficult for teachers to identify those students who need extra support.

Another consideration is for teachers to allow students to come up with their own problems that need to be solved. Teachers often feel that they need to provide these questions, but it is an important skill that students must learn how to do. Research shows that students become skilled at solving problems, but then do poorly when they have to design and create these problems on their own (Cognition and Technology Group of Vanderbilt, 1992). Once students leave school, they will need to know how to identify problems and solve these either independently or with others. Modelling how to do this type should be made a priority in our daily teaching and classrooms.

References:

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992a). The Jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning and instructional design. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 40(1), 65-80.

Lfu to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

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First, I have to say that the resources that we were introduced to and explored further were a bit overwhelming (MyWorld GIS, WorldWatcher, ArcGis, and Google Earth). I say “introduced to” because many of them were new to me and I was shocked that I had not heard of most of these as some of them are great for getting students excited and motivated about what they are learning in the classroom. The only program that I had any knowledge or experience with was Google Earth. I however, have only explored it at a very basic level with my students. One of my goals this year, is to try and find ways to connect what my students are learning to real life situations or experiences. Far too often, our students are learning different concepts and they don’t understand how it was important to their life or when they would ever use it again. I definitely will need more time to explore these applications and programs, but this week was a great start to get me thinking about how I can integrate them into my grade 7 class.

“The Learning-for-Use [Lfu] model is a description of the learning process that can be used to support the design of content-intensive, inquiry-based science learning activities” (Edelson, 2001, p. 355). The new BC curriculum encourages teachers to move away from the focus being on reciting and memorizing, but rather focus on a deeper conceptual understanding. This can be done by providing students with opportunities to communicate, collaborate, critical think, question, ponder, infer and make predictions. Lfu is based on a three-step process that includes motivation, knowledge construction, and knowledge refinement. Students are motivated when they find the concepts/activities relevant and interesting. As they are “constructing knowledge,” students are guided by the questions that interest them or that they wonder about. These questions/wonders can be discovered by having them complete a KWL chart or allowing them to brainstorm in small groups or partners. I often do a “pair-share” activity to get students thinking and collaborating on a new topic. Finally during the “knowledge refinement” stage students should be provided with lots of time to reflect upon their learning and apply their understanding to real life situations or scenarios (Edelson, 2001).

Since, I am teaching grade 7 this year, I wanted to explore a topic in the science curriculum. The topics include evolution, chemistry, electromagnetic forces and climate change. One area that I was interested in exploring a little further (as it is a unit that I am currently developing) is climate change. We will be starting an earth challenge in April and May, and the four main topics we will be covering are water-wise, waste-wise, invasive species and air quality. At the end of the month, we will be having a “challenge” game with the other grade 7 classes. Each team of students will be asked questions on these different topics in a Jeopardy style game setting.

As an introductory activity (and to get students motivated), I would have the students brainstorm what they already know about Climate Change (if anything). I have a range of students in my class, so I would most likely have students work in random groupings of 3-4 students and have one student record all of the ideas. This way students would all be able to participate, regardless of whether or not they can write down the ideas (I have a few students with written-output issues). This activity would guide my future lessons. If students have very little knowledge of what climate change is, we would participate in some introductory activities. Nasa has some great activities, including fun facts, videos and interactive activities to get students’ excited and to give students a basic understand of what climate change is (https://climate.nasa.gov/). There are quick one minute videos on a variety of topics to pique students’ interest (Greenland Ice, Sea-Level Rise, etc.), as well as some quizzes and 3D virtual videos. Once students were given some time to explore this site, I would let them break into groups to discuss what they found interesting, what they still had questions about or didn’t understand. and what they wanted to explore more about.

The next activity (I found on the ArcGIS website) is about climate change and how it has affected temperature. It is a geoinquiry map investigating regional patterns to changes in temperatures. Students are able to explore different parts of the world to see how temperatures have changed from year to year. This would lead into an activity that has the students choose a city (could be any place in the world) and month of the year. They would create a graph (math connection) of how the temperature or precipitation has varied from year to year. Another map that I found on ArcGIS is called “Climate Change Stress Index” and it focuses on the degree of change in temperature, precipitation, vegetation and habitat between history and the (projected) future. Depending on time (and student interest), I might have students explore only one or two of these topics.

Once my students have a basic understanding and are excited (that’s my goal!) about climate change, they will choose a topic (water or waste-wise, air quality or invasive species) that interests them and form small groups. The students will be allowed to present the information that they discover in anyway they choose (poster, PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.). This allows students to be as creative as they want. To help students refine their knowledge, they will be given opportunities to think about what changes in their life they can make in order for them to reduce their carbon footprint. Another possibility is for the students to implement a program at the school to help with the climate change issue (school community garden, composting, etc.). Much of this last part will be determined with student input.

Edelson, D.C. (2001). Learning-for-use: A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,38(3), 355-385.

Online Programs and Anchored Instruction

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What evidence exists regarding anchored instruction? What are some important nuances (differences) of the research that are pertinent to your practice? What further inquiries or questions does the research reported in the articles raise for you (e.g. regarding evaluation, professional development, disabilities and/or the content area you teach or would like to promote etc)? Finally, in what ways might a current technology for math (Eg. Mathletics, CTC Math, IXL, Dragonbox, or others) address in part this question?

Anchored instruction uses technology to construct situational problems that students can work together to collaboratively solve. These problems have multiple solutions and can be examined from multiple perspectives. The goal of the Jasper Series and Encore’s Vacation videos are to create independent thinkers and to create a community of inquiry (Cognition & Technology Group of Vanderbilt, 1999, p. 79). Both of these video programs are “used as an ‘anchor’ or situation for creating a realistic context to make learning motivating, meaningful and useful (Shyu, 2000, p. 58).

According to the articles that I read, there are many benefits for the integration of anchored instruction into classrooms. Both the videos studied, Jasper series and Encore’s Vacation, showed an increase in generative and cooperative learning that traditional problem-solving materials do not (Cognition & Technology Group of Vanderbilt, 1999, p. 65). According to the results of one study, the group that participated in the Jasper series outperformed the group that did not participate in these activities, and the Jasper group displayed less anxiety towards math and improved attitudes (Shyu, 2000, p. 67). Students who view these videos are able to work collaboratively with their peers to solve the real-life problems presented. Instead of students having to sit and listen passively to their teacher explain to the class how to solve problems, they are able to discover ways that make sense to them.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2003, only 32% of fourth graders and 29% of eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level in math (as cited in Hasselbring, Lott & Zydney, 2005). That is well below 50% of students in these grades. I know that this is an American statistic and it is from 2003, so I wonder where our students are at for mathematical proficiency. They go even further to say that “there has been little evidence to suggest that mathematics achievement has improved significantly, especially for students with disabilities” (Hasselbring et. al, 2005). Each year students with learning differences in mathematics (or any subject) continue to fall further behind their peers. Our goal as teachers is to find ways to lessen the gap and create opportunities for these students to feel successful, thus improving their confidence. If the researchers are correct in that “[m]ost students with math difficulty, along with those lacking consistent math fact instruction, show a serious problem with respect to the retrieval of elementary number facts” (Hasselbring et. al, 2005), how do teachers help these students overcome these challenges? What programs are readily available to help remediate this problem?

In 2005, Hasselbring and Goin developed an intervention program called FASTT (Fluency and automaticity through systematic Teaching with Technology) that was created to assist students having difficulty mastering their basic facts. The program requires students to spent 10 minutes a day for approximately 100 days. I looked up this program and it is available through Houghton and Mufflin Harcourt. According to their website, “FASTT Math is proven effective both as an intervention for Title I, Special Education, or at-risk students, and as a core program for students learning math facts for the first time” (Research Overview). Does anyone have any experience using this program? I had never heard of it before, but it would be interesting to explore it a bit more.
What I find most interesting is that there are two sides to the debate of learning mathematics. According to some, a deep understanding of math is needed and teachers should not worry about memorization or drills as this causes anxiety for students. Hence, the creation of the anchored instruction tools and videos. On the flip side, some argue that memorization of basic facts is essential for students to be successful in more complex math problems. According to Hasselbring et. al., [m]ore emphasis needs to be placed on developing rapid, effortless, and errorless recall of basic math facts… In contrast, most students with math difficulty, along with those lacking consistent math fact instruction, show a serious problem with respect to the retrieval of elementary number facts (2005). What I take away from all of this is that both areas of math instruction are important and that we need to find a balance in our classrooms, and find ways that work for the students we are currently teaching. A one size fits all math class definitely does not work for everyone.

The current program that I use with my students is Mathletics. It provides students with videos, questions and games on each of the topics that you are covering in class. The games are motivational for the students and allow them to play “live” with their classmates. There is also an option to print off e-books for all of the different topics. Although, this is quite different from the Jasper series, it is highly motivating for the students that I am currently teaching. It allows students to work in their zone of proximal development and it keeps them there, until they have mastered the concepts. They can also see how they are doing on the different topics. However, this program does not offer the topics to be integrated, rather they are isolated topics that they learn one at a time. Does anyone know of a better program that they have had success using with their students? I have not tried Dragonbox or any of the others listed in the question.

References:

Hasselbring, T. S., Lott, A. C., & Zydney, J. M. (2005). Technology-Supported Math Instruction for Students with Disabilities: Two Decades of Research and Development. Retrieved February 04, 2018, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6291/

Research Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2018, from http://www.hmhco.com/products/fastt-math/research-results.htm

Shyu, H. Y. C. (2000). Using video‐based anchored instruction to enhance learning: Taiwan’s experience. British Journal of Educational Technology, 31(1), 57-69.

Simulations and Area and Perimeter

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When implemented properly into lessons, simulations can help support student learning. It can help those students who are struggling with a given concept or who need an extra challenge. In the article, Reality versus Simulation, the authors stated that choosing activities within the student’s zone of proximal development is important. “When this type of task is presented, students will perceive themselves as competent enough to be successful and enticed enough by the learning task to sustain their attention” (Srinivasan, Perez, Palmer, Brooks, Wilson, & Fowler, 2006, p. 139). Tasks that are too challenging or too easy should be avoided. Teachers are able to identify the “just right level” of activity through proper assessments, as well as by using activities that have a range of levels. The Phet game simulations have six levels for the students to choose from that increase in difficulty. Simulations also allow students to work at their own pace and continue practicing concepts that they find difficult. In the study done by Finkelstein, Perkins, Adams, Kohl, and Podolefsky, they found that the limiting nature of simulations can actually help support the learner. This is because it prevents the students from getting distracted and therefore, they are much more likely to be productive (2005).

This week I chose to review T-Gem and apply it to a lesson on area and perimeter. When I was teaching grade three, many of my students struggled with this concept. This is usually the year that these concepts are first introduced. My goal with this lesson is for students to generate the rules of area and perimeter so that they understand it better. Far too often, students memorize formulas, without understanding them first. This doesn’t just apply to perimeter and area. For this lesson, I’ve used Phet, but I think Khan Academy or Illuminations (Scale Factor or Side Length and Area of Similar Figures) could also be used or these could be used after this lesson for students to practice.

Generate:

Students explore the area and perimeter Phet application, but focus only on perimeter. See if they can figure out how perimeter is calculated.
Next, students explore area using the Phet application. They are trying to figure out how the area is calculated.
- Each group will try and come up with “rules” to calculate the area and perimeter of different objects. They will record these on large post-it notes around the room.
Students generate questions? Some examples could include
- When do we need to measure perimeter?
- When do we need to measure area?

Evaluate:

Students share their thinking with the other groups. Each group will get an opportunity to “test” the rules that each of the groups came up with.
Students will work on different “problems” to see if the rules work. They can use Phet for this, as well as problems that the teacher puts up for them. These can be solved on large sheets of paper.
- Examples could include, build a rectangle with a perimeter of 15. What is the area of this shape?
- Build a rectangle that has an area of 18 units (squared) and a perimeter of 18 units.

Modify:

As a class, they will discuss these different rules and come up with a rule that works (maybe more than one rule will work). They will show how they solved a problem to “prove” that a given rule works (e.g. diagram on Phet or their problem that they solved on the sheet of paper)
This will be done for both area and perimeter.

References:

Finkelstein, N.D., Perkins, K.K., Adams, W., Kohl, P., & Podolefsky, N. (2005). When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment. Physics Education Research,1(1), 1-8. Retrieved April 02, 2012, from:http://phet.colorado.edu/web-pages/research.html

PhET Interactive Simulations. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/math

Srinivasan, S., Perez, L. C., Palmer, R., Brooks, D., Wilson, K., & Fowler. D. (2006). Reality versus simulation. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 15(2), 137-141.

Virtual Reality vs Field Trips

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In the article, Mathematics in the Streets and in Schools, the researchers argue that students are not able to take the skills that they learn in school and apply them to real life situations or vice versa. Although this study was based on five children with varying levels of education, these children did much better solving informal test questions (problems that are related to their daily life) than informal test questions (paper and pencil). Even though I have a few issues with this study (it’s from 1985, only looks at 5 children, some of the children don’t attend school anymore, etc.), I wonder how we can continue to improve the way that we teach our students so that they are able to easily apply these skills to daily life? Even though this study was just looking at math, I would argue that this applies to all subject areas in school.

BC’s new curriculum has shifted away from focusing on memorization of content and more towards learning the skills of the 21st century. So maybe it’s experiences that are more important than reading about facts from a textbook. Students always seems to remember the experiences that have them “doing” and “seeing.” Some of my most vivid memories are of field trips that I took with my class. One in particular was to a local river during the salmon run. I remember seeing thousands of red fish trying to make the journey upstream. I remember the horrific smell of the fish that didn’t survive and lined the river beds. At the end, we did a tour through the fish hatchery! The problem arises when there is very little funding to get our students out of the classroom. Even though I firmly believe that a field trip OUT of the classroom is the most rewarding and educational experience that we can provide our students, this is not always possible for a variety of reasons. For example, some schools are very rural and it would be time consuming and expensive, and some topics make it impossible (Ancient Civilizations in the grade 7 curriculum is one of these). Thankfully for technology, virtual field trips are a new exciting option. We do need to be careful though not to start replacing our existing field trips with virtual ones just because it is simpler and requires less planning. “Students perceive that using VFT (or at the very least this particular hypermedia approach) is a good and enjoyable way to learn. Many of them were genuinely excited and engaged by the possibilities opened up by the new technology” (Spicer and Stratford, 2001, p. 350). Despite this, according to Spicer and Stratford (2001), although students really enjoy virtual field trips, they do not think they should be a substitute for field trips (keep in mind that this study looked at a field trip course and not just regular classrooms or courses).

In my grade 7 classroom, at the beginning of the year, we studied a few different ancient civilizations. As a class, we learned about Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Israel. Together we created an interactive notebook about some of the landmarks, important dates, vocabulary and lifestyle of each of these civilizations. This got my students excited about creating their own presentation on a civilization of their choice (they could choose between India, Rome, Greece, or China). They were also allowed to display the information in any way they chose (some chose a PowerPoint, poster, research paper). Once this was completed, small groups of students created STEM projects for each of the civilizations (pyramids, chariots, ziggurats, etc.). At around this time, we received a class set of google cardboard viewers, so we decided to try and find some ways for us to explore these civilizations virtually. Since we were running out of time (the holidays were approaching), all we found were some VR videos on YouTube that the students could view (Roman Colosseum, Egyptian pyramids). Now that I have completed this unit for the first time, I would make quite a few changes to it. First, the Nova PBS website has some amazing resources and articles, including “Who Built the Pyramids?” and a 360 degree walk around the pyramids. I have also found an Ancient Egypt app and a Civilization app developed by the BBC. These apps are much better than using YouTube videos as they allow students to guide their own tour and focus on what they think is interesting.

References:

BBC Media Applications Technologies Limited. (2018, February 28). Civilisations AR on the App Store. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/civilisations-ar/id1350792208?mt=8

Carraher, T. N., Carraher, D. W., & Schliemann, A. D. (1985). Mathematics in the streets and in schools. British journal of developmental psychology, 3(1), 21-29.

Inspyro Ltd. (2016, September 20). Ancient Egypt VR on the App Store. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ancient-egypt-vr/id1154044814?mt=8

K. (2011, August 09). Virtual Tour of the Great Pyramid. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmxWHjfoTqU

Spicer, J., & Stratford, J. (2001). Student perceptions of a virtual field trip to replace a real field trip. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 17, 345-354.

Tyson, L. C. (2011, June 23). Explore Ancient Egypt. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/explore-ancient-egypt.html

Math and Science Apps

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My school recently received Google Cardboard viewers for each student in our school. We have been testing out different ways to integrated these into our classrooms. I have been testing out ways to use these in our math classrooms to help get some of our reluctant learners more excited. Our science teachers are excitedly looking for videos and apps that make science more “understandable” for those visual learners (less abstract). I know there are lots of videos on the solar system and human body, but I have not explore these ones yet.

VR Math app – https://vrmath.co/

This app helps students see and learn about 3D shapes. It is free for students, but teachers need a subscription to access all the features (some are free though!). Students can work at their own pace. Watch the video in the website above for a quick intro. This brings 3D shapes to life, rather than trying to teach students using drawings (some struggle to visualize 3D shapes on flat paper).

Times Tables VR app – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.KhoraVR.MathGame&hl=en

This is a free app that gets students practicing their multiplication tables to 12. Most of my students absolutely love it. We use it as a quick 5-10 minute warm-up at the beginning of class and the students can work on it when they are finished their in-class activity. I find it helps with those students who continue to struggle with their recall of facts.

VR Human Digestive System app – https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/vr-human-digestive-system/id1049691297?mt=8

This app is free (it does have a couple of in-app purchase options, but these are not necessary) and has tons of different options for teachers and students, including

1) Users can Zoom and Rotate the 3d model.

2) Students and teachers can Take apart each of the parts.

3) Each Part of the virtual reality model can be made Glassy.

4) Teachers can Label or Title every part of the vr model in application.

5) Analyse feature allows teachers discuss any one part of the VR Human Digestive System.

6) The snap feature allows you to save the image of the 3D or augmented reality model. This image can be used for your next project or learning. Share or upload or print the images to showcase it to your friends.

7) Pen tool allows teachers to draw or pin specific parts of the VR Human Digestive System.

8) The AR button allows you to bring the model from virtual world to real life situation by placing the camera on a marker.

9) Quiz feature allows you to play a fun vr game of naming parts of the model.

Has anyone else used Google Cardboard viewers? If so, what apps/videos did your kids love?

How can we better assess our students?

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In the Winn article, it is explained that embodied learning happens when the learner is able to use all of their body to interact with the environment. “Learning is no longer confined to what goes on in the brain… sometimes the coupling between a person and the environment is so tight that it more convenient to think of person and environment as one evolving system rather than two interacting ones” (Winn, 2003, p. 22). Kinesthetic learning allows the learner to move around, rather than passively listen to lectures or read from textbooks. This creates an environment where student learning is constantly changing and evolving. Students should be provided with opportunities to help them actively participate in projects and problems, while collaborating and communicating with their peers. Knowledge is not constructed in isolation or in a vacuum, but rather through critical thinking with groups of people (Winn, 2003, p. 4). These 21st century skills are what students will need as they enter the workforce and these skills allow them to become lifelong learners. Since technology is evolving at a rapid pace, it is even more important for research to keep up and stay current (Winn, 2003, p. 22).

According to the Winn (2003) article, “[l]earning is best explained in terms of the student’s evolving, contextualized understanding and is valued on that criterion, rather than on the basis of traditional objective assessments” (p. 3). Assessment is a topic that I have spent a lot of time thinking about lately and I’ve decided to include some of that in this week’s post. It has been years since I’ve taught grade 7 and I had completely forgotten about the standardized assessment (FSA) that BC teachers are required to administer to their grade 4 and 7 students. I disagree with this assessment for many, many reasons (I won’t get into all of them).

How can an assessment that is administered to all these students (regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, etc) give us a clear understanding of what our students are able to achieve? According to Cowley and Easton (2017), “[t]he act of publicly rating and ranking schools attracts attention and can provide motivation. Schools that perform well or show consistent improvement are applauded. Poorly performing schools generate concern, as do those whose performance is deteriorating. This inevitable attention provides one more incentive for all those connected with a school to focus on student results” (p. 3). Are we not publicly shaming schools that score poorly on this assessment? It is believed that research needs to focus on student socioeconomic status, ethnicity, family support (or lack of) and quality/preparedness of teachers. Focusing on these areas, will give us a more complete picture as to what happens to students as “they go through the education system” (Winn, 2003, p. 4). None of these areas are accounted for when administering a standardized test. The test does not allow students to collaborate with others, use technology to look topics up or even to type the written components (there are 4 components: one math and one English is done digitally and one math and one English is written in the book provided; most of the questions are multiple choice). When in life, would we have students sitting in isolation without access to technology for support?

In the chapter, “Enhancing math learning for all students,” it is believed that graphing calculators help support higher-level thinking because students are able to solve multi-step problems that otherwise would not be able to be solved in the classroom. The use of these calculators prevents students from being bogged down in the calculations and allows them to focus on the process (p. 951). These tools are relatively inexpensive, which makes them accessible to all classrooms (unlike expensive computers or tablets). Students should have access to these calculators all of the time. Studies show that students who use graphing calculators daily learned more than those students who used them infrequently (Voogt & Knezek, 2001, p. 956). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 11% of high school math classrooms use computers, whereas 40% use graphing calculators (as cited in Voogt & Knezek, 2001, p. 952). “Cutting edge research is exploring the latest new advance – graphing calculators that are connected via a wireless network. In simple uses, the wireless network can enable teachers to engage in formative assessment. For example, a teacher can take a quick poll of students’ responses to a conceptual question and display the results instantly. Teachers can use this capability to give students feedback and to adjust instruction” (Voogt & Knezek, 2001, p. 952). It is important to note that calculators should not be used for learning basic math skills (mental math, estimation, etc.) as these are still very important skills that are required in our daily lives (Voogt & Knezek, 2001, p. 953). Going back to my assessment piece, if we are allowing our students to use calculators, computers and tablets in our classrooms to enhance their learning, how can we possibly expect them to succeed on a standardized test that does not allow them to use these types of technology?

Questions:

How can we possibly expect our students to be successful on a standardized test when it’s delivery looks nothing like how we teach our students on a daily basis (little or no technology, no discussion, no embodied learning, no collaboration, etc.)? What does this do to their self-esteem when they get the results back (we have to send home the graded booklets)?
How can we integrate STEM projects into standardized assessments? Why are math and English the only two subjects represented on these assessments? Doesn’t this make students think that other subject areas are not as important?

Cowley, P., & Easton, S. (2017, February). Report Card on British Columbia’s Elementary Schools 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2018, from Report Card on British Columbia’s Elementary Schools 2017

Enhancing math learning for all students. In J. Voogt & G. Knezek (Eds.) International Handbook of information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education, Springer, 951-959. Retrieved on March 11, 2018, from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/k044345111t8v102/

Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114. Full-text document retrieved on January 17, 2004, from: http://www.hitl.washington.edu/people/tfurness/courses/inde543/READINGS-03/WINN/winnpaper2.pdf

Synthesis

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Throughout this module, we explored different technology-enhanced learning environments, including the Jasper series, WISE (Web-Based Inquiry Science Program), My World and Chemland. All of these programs have both benefits and drawbacks, and the individual teacher would need to figure out if these programs would meet the needs of their students. I’ve included the benefits and limitations (in my personal opinion) of each program in the table below. I think the main limitation is that these programs only apply to middle school grade levels and above. I need to spend some time researching and finding programs that would work well with our younger learners as I think technology-enhanced learning environments have the potential of getting these students interested and excited about learning math and science. Does anyone know any that they have already used with a younger group of students (K-5)?

When choosing which (if any) of these programs will work with a specific group of students, the teacher needs to look at whether or not the program will enhance the learning. This is true for any type of technology that is integrated into a classroom. Teachers and students should not be using technology just because it is easily accessible, but rather, the benefits needs to be evaluated. All of these programs fit into a constructivist classroom, where the teacher takes on a facilitator role (instead of being the expert). It allows students opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers while they develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills. Through this process students are able to expand their understanding of specific topics that they find interesting and it allows them to take ownership of their learning.

Program	Benefits	Limitations
Jasper Series (used Anchored Instruction)	-Inquiry based -helps students critically think about complex problems -fits in a constructivism classroom -makes connections to other subject areas (science, socials, English) -short enough to hold student attention (approx. 17 mins.) -encourages collaboration -students actively engage with the questions	-A little dated (1990s) -for grades 5+ only
WISE (Web-Based Inquiry Science Program) (used SKI design)	-Inquiry based -can use existing units or can edit own -can create own unit -contains a “teacher community” to help support teachers -has students using technology -fits in a constructivism classroom -encourages collaboration -students actively engage with different activities (answer questions after viewing videos)	-for grades 6+ only -very lengthy units, might need to be chunked by the teacher
My World (used Lfu approach)	-for K-12 classrooms -helps students create and analyze data (visual) -teachers are able to see existing projects -students are able to collaborate -has students using technology -opportunities for teachers to collaborate -supports inquiry skills -fits in constructivism classroom	-many of the existing projects are quite complex, might be more suitable for middle school and up
Chemland (used T-Gem)	-encourages collaboration -teacher is facilitator -fits in constructivism classroom -has students using technology -inquiry based -interactive -students able to explore topics of interest	-complex science topics, therefore, suitable for high school/university students