Category Archives: A. Unpacking assumptions

A good use of digital technology in the math and science classroom is one that allows students to engage in ideas and learning in ways that would not be possible without the technology.  Technology should open possibilities by removing or reducing limitations.  One form this can take is in the way of addressing learning challenges.  Technology can be used to help students engage in math and science learning despite challenges such as dyscalculia or dyslexia.  I had a student in grade 6 math last year who had been diagnosed with dyslexia and struggled immensely with both writing and reading, but his numeracy was adequate.  His printing was illegible.  Through technology tools such as Kurzweil to turn text into audio, an iPad to allow him to explain his understanding digitally, and simulation apps that helped him see the math visually, he was extremely successful in math.  Without those tools, his success would have been much more limited by his challenges.  The concepts weren’t the real issue at the beginning of the year, the communication was.

A second good use of technology is to provide experiences for students that otherwise would not be accessible due to money or resources– designing physics experiments in a simulator to test new ideas, creating computer models to explore scientific theories, having access to academic databases around the world, etc.  Technology should not be used simply to occupy students, but rather to provide them with an option for exploration beyond the brick and mortar classroom.  A student who has never seen a pulley, for example, may have misconceptions about how weight would affect movement in such a setup, forming ideas based on other experiences.  A digital simulator where they can experiment with different sizes, lengths, and weights, could help them develop a better understanding of the dynamics.  The more experiences a student has, virtual or real-world, the broader and deeper his/her worldview will become.

The greatest obstacle I see to implementation of the best digital technology for the best situations to meet individual student engagement and learning needs is funding.  While many school divisions seem to be either technology-driven or at least technology-aware, technology costs money, both initially and for maintenance.  With budget cuts and shifting enrollment, divisions need to prioritize their spending and sometimes this means that while tools may be available in the marketplace, they may not fit in the business planning for a particular year or school.  As a result, appropriate tools either aren’t purchased at all or get exchanged for cheaper alternatives.  The result is insufficient availability of digital technology either in terms of quantity or in terms of quality.  While I do not have an immediate solution for this barrier without the ability to give the school divisions more money, something that we can do as educators is to employ our own creativity to maximize the potential of the technologies we do have available, including ongoing professional development in the area.  Our students will depend on us to create the opportunities for them to learn and explore in the classroom, regardless of if we have the technology we want or not.

Digital technology can be used in a variety of ways to support and enhance student learning, especially if it is utilized in a meaningful way and not just as an add on to a regular lesson. Having said that, there are many teachers who have difficulty figuring out how to use technology to enhance learning and not use it just for the sake of using it because it is there, or is the most recent initiative from our Board. There is still quite a notion that using computers in the classroom is only for playing games.  Although it can be viewed and used as a time filler, most digital technology is much more than that.

In order for digital technology to be effective it must focus on the concepts that are being taught in the classroom to build accurate understanding and reinforce learning outcomes. Depending on the purpose of the technology, it can be used as a way to activate prior knowledge with a quick minds on activity, or it could be used more fully as an introduction to a new topic. This could be accomplished with a variety of games sites, but it could also include a video clip, a song, a 3D model of something which could be manipulated to show different perspectives and aspects of the model, it could provide an interactive task such as dissecting a frog, or exploring an animal cell to engage and intrigue students.

Digital technology is a great way to differentiate instruction levels and abilities for different students. Many programs offer the ability to tailor questions or tasks to specific students. One math program that does this is Prodigy, which allows you to choose the grade, the strand of math, the specific concept, and the students to whom you are assigning the tasks. You could do the whole class on the same level, or you could assign different grade levels of the same concept for students with an IEP or who may be struggling and need more practice at a lower level. Technology also allows students to present their learning and understanding in different ways. Those who may not be comfortable presenting in front of the class could create a video presentation and have the class view that instead.

Good digital technology is user friendly, easy to navigate, and accessible in more than one place or format. I know my students appreciate Google classroom and Edmodo where they can find their assignments on any device and can access them without having to be in the classroom. No more lugging heavy text books, or papers that are easily lost in the black hole of their backpacks.

I think that our biggest hurdle as educators in this digital age is to teach our students how to use the technology responsibly and effectively. This is difficult as students still see technology as something special in the classroom because of the availability constraints. It would be much easier to integrate digital technology seamlessly and effectively in the classroom if each student was equipped with their own device in a 1:1 classroom.

Anne

The utilization of technology in the math and science classroom should look like an enhancement and support for learning the concepts in these subject areas. Technology does not replace a standard way of teaching, but rather should be used to transform the learning that is able to occur. Technology can also not be used as a stand alone lesson or be regarded as providing a lesson in and of itself.

Last year I decided to subscribe to a free trial of “Mathletics”. Does anyone use this program at their school? A colleague and I received training one day after school as to all of the resources available on the site and then a date to discuss purchasing a full subscription after a month. My grade 3 students were very enthusiastic to use the site, which was full of math games, videos, practice, lessons, and more on every concept they needed to learn. My students were able to login to this site once maybe twice a week for a block to access these materials. During the month they were very engaged at exploring all of the different avenues available. As a teacher I could assign particular topics to students, track each student’s progress, and differentiate their learning. Mathletics is an amazing site and valuable resource. When we met with the company representative a month later, we were astounded at the price of subscription. Given that this was a resource we were not able to use with our students daily because of equipment and schedule restraints, it was not feasible for our school to purchase any kind of license. Although there are many creative ideas to fundraise and someone support this purchase price, I found myself questioning why. Why would I fundraise to teach math? This would be an expense I would need to find a way to pay for every year. How would I get enough use out of this program if I could only be supporting my students with this program once a week?

I came across the math game, Prodigy, through conversations in one of my MET courses. This is a free game that takes students into an adventure world where they can go on a quest while completing math questions. The program is designed to tailor math questions to student abilities and has been very engaging for my students. It also tracks student progress for a teacher and provides many different useful statistics.

Through my experience with both of these programs I have come to realize that they are both helpful and meaningful supports to my teaching when used appropriately. To solely rely on these programs would be detrimental to not only my students’ learning but also eventually to their motivation to learn. We talk about how numbers and words on a worksheet can be too abstract for many of our learners and that they need more hands on and experiential learning opportunities, and I think we need to realize that jumping to the opposite pole of full learning on technology could also end up looking quite similar to the “learning” that occurs with worksheets. When used appropriately and purposely, the opportunities to enhance our students’ learning in the math and science classroom by utilizing technology are endless and quite exciting.

Personally, digital technology in the classroom encompasses many different learning devices and tools that can help promote or facilitate learning in the classroom. This can include a variety of different sources such as the Internet, computer programs, tablet apps, or other forms of physical devices and/or equipment to promote learning. A more digitally immersed classroom could also incorporate other forms of technology to organize lessons and units such as a digital calendar (like Planbook), class website or blog (like Edmodo), or other forms of social media tools (e.g. classroom discussion boards). A classroom can also be simply utilizing technology to convey information through the use of digital projectors or PowerPoint presentations. Regardless of the amount of the digital technology present in any classroom, the purpose behind their usage is of the utmost importance.

As a secondary school teacher in B.C., the effective use of digital technology in the classroom is primarily to support and reinforce concepts currently being learned in the classroom. I utilize the technology available from digital projectors, certain lab equipment, the Internet, and various other means to assist and strengthen classroom material. I also sometimes utilize digital technology to introduce concepts and allow students to explore specific concepts before it has been officially taught. Students have also, on occasion, used websites and other online tools to learn a very specific concept in the class. Through these carefully planned ‘study guides’, students self teach the material without any formal teacher instruction. I feel that I use the technology available effectively to support student learning in my classroom but am largely restricted by what resources are available.

In regards to conceptual challenges in the classroom, digital technology is able to provide an alternate avenue for students to learn from (aside from teacher instruction). These methods allow students to fully interact or better visualize concepts and material that might not otherwise be as well represented. In short, digital technology can be infused into any classroom to any level of degree but in order to be effectively utilized, there needs to be a balance in the intensity of digital technology used with traditional teaching pedagogy. Choosing which advanced technology to use in a classroom environment should be dependant on how it benefits as well as how much it improves students’ learning. In terms of my vision for the imminent future, I would like to see digital technology to be more fully integrated where users understand the costs and benefits of using it as well as the financial challenges to implement it in classrooms.

In my brief notes, I came up with three ideas for what constitutes as “good use” of digital technology in the math and science classroom. First, it should build accurate understanding of concepts. Second, it shows students different ways of acquiring knowledge and demonstrating understanding, Third, it should accommodate for diversity among learners.

In the classroom, these three characteristics can look very differently. The digital technology should not overshadow the learning that takes place. For instance, a student who uses technology should still be able to acquire accurate knowledge about a topic. Certainly, with technology, accuracy can also be an issue because the Internet is not always right. Students can use different ways to showcase their learning such as making a video, giving a digital presentation, creating a digital information book, among others. This also refers to the characteristic that digital technology accommodates for diverse learners. Students can choose how to demonstrate their learning but also the best way for them to learn. For example, students can choose to watch informative videos or conduct inquiry-based research to obtain knowledge.

Digital technology can address conceptual challenges in many ways. For instance, students can cross-check information among multiple sites to ensure accuracy. Also for Heather from the last activity, she can be challenged to show her learning in different ways using technology about astronomy facts as a class activity. She can collaborate with her peers to create a digital model of the Earth’s rotation and the moon.
It is definitely not a simple task to implement digital technology in these ways because it requires teachers’ background knowledge on technology and student awareness of digital literacy. The teacher would be expected to have some knowledge of the digital technology incorporated and be willing to invest time in teaching these skills to students, but also have the ability to manage multiple diverse projects going on at the same time. Furthermore, students will need to be taught digital literacy that goes beyond how to use the technology, but researching skills, word processing, copyright policies, among others. Resources will definitely be another factor as there needs to be adequate funding for technology usage to be successful.

“Good Technology” (GT) in my view, teaches or reinforces learning outcomes.  GT is engaging, and is not merely screen time for the sake of screen time. GT allows opportunities for student to reflect (privately or publicly) on their process and the process of others. GT is simple and or simplifies processes (sometimes, a whiteboard or a piece of paper is still the best technology for a situation!). GT sometimes provides students with opportunities to construct their own knowledge, yet in other times allows educators to be that guiding light. Slowly but surely, I have been using digital technology as a pedagogical tool that enhances the learning experience for both myself and my students.

1. Google Classroom
   • I post copies of notes, tutorial videos, questions to the class, and assignments that utilize GAFE.
2. Google Docs
   • All my labs are done on Docs.
   • Lab partners work collaboratively on one lab.
   • I provide feedback in the comments, as the students are writing their labs.
3. Google Slideshows
   • Every project I assign, must be uploaded to a Google Slideshow, where students are required to reflect on their process.
   • One document to open for assessment, instead of 30, is a huge bonus.
4. Desmos, Phet, The Universe and More
   • Three online reinforcement programs that often gamify the learning process, but at the very least, animate the learning process.
5. Class Blogs
   • Students are responsible to scribe 2 -3 times per course
   • Class announcements, summaries/tutorials of lessons