I want to revisit an issue that I and several others have addressed in earlier threads, and that is the validity of taking the time to enrich understanding by applying recently acquired skills to a scenario (project based learning, anyone?).
A specific example I have in mind was when I was teaching lines of best fit with a plot of x and y data. I was not happy with spending only a few minutes on it, so I developed an extension activity: One student armed with a clock, stopwatch (or Smartphone timer etc…) counts off intervals of 15 seconds, while a second student records the data generated by a third student who is tying and untying his/her shoe as fast as possible. The data which looked something like [(0,0) (15, 4) (30,9) (45,13) (60,18)] etc… could be plotted with pencil and paper, or better yet on the computer, or on a graphing calculator. The overall task of turning self-generated raw data into a linear system – that is a piece of synthesis and consolidation that I think is worth the time. If I ask students to calculate the number of blades of grass on the school field, then I am looking at measurement, area, scale factors, scientific notation, teamwork, estimation etc…. the opportunities for technology are pretty rich in these “Technology Breaks”
Q.1 What makes this a good use of technology?
Students can choose their own technology for something like this. Most of them have a phone in their pocket. Some of them have even found apps that will do these jobs. Clocks, calculators, and Cartesian planes – who could ask for anything more from a smartphone? I think we tend to get stuck on “technology=computers”.
Q.2 Is this a vision or is it possible in real classrooms?
I would argue that these “Technology Breaks” are possible in small doses. If we made a habit of stopping to briefly reinforce content by enrichment opportunities then we can only produce a student better able to take math off of the page and into real life. Embedding technology into the tasks satisfies that component of the curriculum, but also adds interest for the students and reality as well – students want to use technology, and with minimal instruction quickly grasp the necessary skills. We cannot know what the future holds for our students, but it is likely that handheld technology will be a part of their lives, and the more they can do with it, the better.
Q.3 What makes this vision a challenge to implement and what might be needed to actualize it?
The reality of most classrooms is that there is not a 1:1 ratio of computers to students. I have been pleasantly surprised to see some of our classmates report on class sets of iPads, but for now this isn’t the norm. These brief pauses to problem solve are possible with pencil and paper, but easier with any form of technology, even if it is just a calculator. This is a surmountable problem; however, the more challenging issue here is time. Time spent on enrichment projects is time NOT spent on the next unit, or in preparation for unit tests or exams. That’s the tricky bit.
One solution to the “not enough time” is to simply assign more time to the course. In my school and many others, math at the grade 8 or 9 level is often given 3 terms, or even a full year in a semestered school. This requires decision making for school administrators, and it does mean one less course for students, but more time allows for better understanding.