In my opinion, effective use of digital technology in math and science classrooms is where technology is enhancing the students’ learning experience, rather than just replacing something that was previously available in another format. It is also where teachers have balanced knowledge about content, pedagogy and technology to ensure that students are engaged, hands on and more self-reliant learners. Good practice isn’t including technology for the sake of it and it should be thought of in a long-term mind frame: it is helping students to learn skills that will enable them to be part of a global community whilst simultaneously encouraging them to engage with the subject.
There are many methods through which learning experiences with technology can address a conceptual challenge and I’m looking forward to reading the post of others; it is always exciting to learn new ideas! Different apps can be very useful in this sense. I mentioned the app Explain Everything in my previous post. This allows the creator of the video to express their knowledge on a topic to the audience. This can be a helpful way of becoming aware of misconceptions before starting a unit. Further, allowing children access to the internet gives them a wealth of information and resources. It is no longer a case of the teacher being the bearer of all knowledge; rather, it is more a case of ‘what can we learn together?’
I have found that digital technology enables more effective facilitation of differentiation. For example, this year I have been setting math homework using the website www.mymaths.co.uk, for which, fortunately, my school pays the membership fee. I am able to set online homework – either tasks on the same concept for different ability levels or tasks on different concepts if reinforcement or extension on certain topics is appropriate. Students log in and complete the work at home. Additionally, the children often find it fun to complete their homework on a computer and, as an added bonus, the program also marks the work! This instant feedback is another huge benefit of using digital technology in the classroom. Of course, this wouldn’t be appropriate in an area where children don’t have access to a computer or the internet at home.
Digital technology use in the classroom can often be difficult to implement for a variety of reasons, including the following: insufficient or inadequate technology; lack of professional development for teachers; inconsistency in implementation within a school. When other teachers in my school are using a certain application or website, I find myself more likely to have a go with it and because of this, I think collaboration amongst teachers when using digital technology is particularly important. There are excellent examples available of teachers using digital technology in meaningful ways and I believe that this is truly just the beginning.
Hi Kathryn,
You bring up a great point about technology being able to differentiate learning for students. I also shared similar views in my post:) Every student is on a different level and by implementing a good use of technology, our students are able to learn according to their ability. This not only promotes confidence but also gives the learner the opportunity to go at their own pace which is essential to thorough learning. I have too many memories of my high school math classes where the teacher assumed we had prior knowledge about certain topics and would jump into the next concept which would be extremely frustrating for all of us. What we ended up doing was forming a group and we would meet after school to learn the concepts that we did not know. One of the students older sister ended up tutoring us and it is only because of her that we passed the course. I know that this situation probably still occurs in schools today but with the integration of technology, students can have the opportunity to learn and have fun at the same time.
Hi Sabrina,
Your experiences about high school math class resonate with my own. It was very good of you to form a group where you met to learn the material but I have to say, I think this is not the norm! Many times students who feel that the pace and teaching style don’t match their own learning needs simply switch off. I’m hoping that technology will be able to help create individualized learning paths where students are able to learn at their own pace and in ways that best meet their needs.
Thanks
Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
I couldn’t agree more when you say “enhancing the students learning experience”. Over the years I’ve been in many schools that have spent money on some high priced technology that either extremely underused simply not purposefully used in such a way as to add a valuable dimension to the lesson or activity that wasn’t already there.
In fact, I think the first question anyone should ask when using a new technology is how does this enhance my ability to achieve the desired outcome out students?
Your point about a lack of professional development is an important one also. Since I work in a private international school certain ed tech is mandated. We find this best not because we see there as being only one system above all, but rather the consistency in programming for the students and ability to train all of our teachers effectively.
Hi Ryan,
Your question regarding desired outcomes fits exactly in line with my thinking. Unfortunately, I find that sometimes the newest trends don’t always take this into account.
Mandated educational technology is an interesting idea. Do you find that all teachers have the desire, skills and motivation to do this? Sometimes I find that it is the support after the training that is missing. Is there every any complaining from staff? Consistency for students is so important and is something I notice as a grade 6 teacher. Depending on who their previous teachers were, some students are much more confident in the tech that I am using in my classroom which makes for a smoother start to the year.
Thanks for your interesting post!
Hi Kathryn.
Your points about tech needing to extend the learning rather than simply converting it to digital and the opportunities for differentiated instruction are good ones. I think though, that perhaps the greatest benefit is the ability to connect as a community of learning. You mentioned the ability for immediate feedback which would be part of this. I think students having access to others’ ideas and collaborating to construct knowledge together (for example a collaborative Google Slides presentation or a knowledge forum) demonstrate to students that they are valued and valuable to the learning process.
Dave
Hi David,
I agree – having access to the ideas of others is so beneficial for students. I’ve never used a collaborative Google Slides presentation but is something that I’m now going to look into!
Thanks
Kathryn