Brain Pop

Brain Pop is a website that has resources for all subject areas ranging from art to science. The website is extremely colorful and has a lot of animation so it is very appealing. As a future math teacher, I found the math portion of the website particularly useful. Brain Pop has links to various units such as algebra, probability, and geometry. Students can access these links to view instructional videos as well as games. For instance, for the probability unit, there was a game titled “Game Theory” that students could play to reinforce their understanding of concepts pertaining to probability.

One major initiative in many districts is incorporating lessons across various disciplines. This website seamlessly connects information from different subject areas and allows students to make connections between the material they learn in math class and other areas such as science or history. Additionally, all content is specifically designed to reflect the Common Core and thus it aligns well with all lesson objectives. If the site is being used by educators in a state such as Texas that has not adopted the Common Core, teachers are still able to search the site and locate information that aligns with their state’s standards.

The site also has a “mixer” tool that can be used to tailor assignments to students’ needs. This is useful in many subject areas such as math because there are often many different ability levels in any given classroom. With this tool, teachers can ensure that each student is being challenged at an appropriate level by varying assessments to each student’s needs. As a future educator, I would use this website because I feel that it has numerous beneficial resources that would further student learning.

Thoughts on NETS-T

This class first introduced me to the National Education Technology Standards for students and teachers. I knew that most districts were trying to implement technology into the curriculum, but not that there were actual standards for them. Reviewing the teaching standards, there are several teachers that I have had that did not follow these standards. Some of the older teachers did not use technology at all in the classroom. They were more comfortable using a chalkboard and lecturing than using PowerPoint, Smartboards, or asking us to use the internet for research. 

I know that this can also be said in other districts. My mom is currently a high school teacher and she has told me that many of her colleagues rarely implement technology.  Recently, the district switched to an online grade book which many teachers were unfamiliar with. They did not have any information sessions on how to use it. This caused confusion and many teachers never made the transition and remain using a written grade book. The only way teachers can help teach their students about technology is if they are familiar with it first. I believe as teachers we need to be one step ahead of our students, which, in today’s age, is going to be difficult to do. However, if we become lackluster in technology, it will become increasingly difficult to complete the technology standards for students.

Final Project

This lesson plan was designed for an Algebra 2 class and adapted for an English Language Learner. The goal of this lesson is to increase student understanding on how to factor various equations algebraically while visually viewing these equations using graphs and spreadsheets. The original lesson plan contained a large amount of teacher instruction which could make the lesson difficult for the ELL student. Therefore, for my CURR-312 class, the lesson was adapted to contain more visuals and language neutral information.

The first part of the lesson includes some direct instruction. Since the goal is for the students to be able to factor equations, terms need to be introduced. To introduce these terms and map out the lesson, a graphic organizer will be used previously created using a template. In addition, the instruction will be supported by using a Smartboard. This way, additional instructional notes can be saved and accessed by students after the class and it will provide an interactive alternative to the lesson. While introducing this topic, the students are accessing. The math content standard is for the students to be able to interpret an expression and identify various elements of it. Furthermore, using a graphic organizer and Smartboard will help students found a strong understanding of these two technologies.

After being introduced to the topic and the students understand the basic terms and how to identify the expression, the students are to analyze the expression. Here, the goal for the instructor is to have the students think about how expressions can be written differently. Therefore, the math content standard is just that—identify ways to rewrite an expression, in this case, by factoring. To accomplish this, the strategies are to use a video presentation on Brainpop.com. Afterwards, the students will brainstorm their ideas, work individually, and then discuss their ideas within a group. The video will be able to provide visuals to accommodate for the ELL student if direct instruction is not as effective. Additionally, students will be using a calculator to see if their findings match graphically. That is, the first expression’s graph matches the factored expression’s graph. With this said, it is the goal for the students to demonstrate their understanding of the calculator to gather information and evaluate if their conclusion is correct.

To evaluate the students, formal feedback will be given while the teacher is observing their individual work. This can be done by using an exit card at the end of one day. The exit card will not be graded but it will provide the teacher with clues to whether or not the class understands the lesson. In addition, a group assignment will be given in hopes for students to produce original work while using technology. Furthermore, at the end of the unit, an assessment will be given, such as a test, to make sure students understand the topic.

Throughout this unit, it is important to have the students continuously communicating. One way of doing this is by creating a blog for students to share their findings, question others, and try to relate the topic outside of the classroom. Therefore, the math standard is to reveal and explain parts of an expression. Further, the blog allows students to critique their fellow classmates’ work providing formal feedback. The teacher needs to closely monitor the blog to make sure students remain on task and on topic while providing his or her own insight to promote further critical thinking. By using this blog, students will not only have further development into the topic, but it will also enhance their use of technology by communicating ideas effectively to others.

Finally, an ongoing project is for the students to produce their own findings and equations. The goal of this project is to create a spreadsheet of various expressions and show their graphs. Some of these expressions will be factored while others will be expanded to compare the graphs. Then the students will present their findings in a formal presentation by using a Smartboard. Therefore, the math standard of creating equations to show relationships and being able to graph them is met. Additionally, the students are able to contribute to a group using technology to create a project. The strategies for the teacher is to allow individual work by separating portions of the project, but having the group collaborate to meet all of the goals of the assignment.

By using these technologies, teaching strategies, and by following the core curriculum standards and national technology standards, this matrix provides a useful tool to teach an effective lesson.

Thoughts on the calculator

In mathematics, I believe there is a constant debate over technology in the classroom. One major reason has been the inclusion of the calculator. Before the calculator was invented and used in classrooms, math was done by hand. Although it was sometimes a tedious process, this gave the student opportunity to learn how to reach a conclusion step by step. Now, a student can simply plug an equation into a calculator and receive the solution instantaneously, sometimes without even knowing how to reach the solution.

This technology gives teachers a choice to make. Should they teach the process without a calculator or teach which formulas and equations to use in the calculator? Perhaps the answer is both. Both have its positives and negatives. By teaching without the calculator, students may struggle and time may become an issue. A teacher may spend days teaching a unit that can be taught in a shorter time by using a calculator. However, by this method, do the students fully understand what they are learning?

Personally, I believe the answer is both. Students need to be able to understand why they are learning something. I have witnessed a fellow classmate ask a teacher or professor why they need to learn something. By teaching how the process works and by relating it outside the classroom, students should be able to see the purpose of learning the subject. Additionally, by teaching students how to use a calculator will help simplify certain problems and introduce them to the world of technology. In years to come more technological advances will be made and each student needs to be able to successfully use a calculator.

As times are changing, it is important to introduce new technology to students, as long as it does not affect their understanding of the topic. The technology should help enhance not overtake.

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is an excellent resource for high school and college level math students. This website is a specially designed search engine for mathematic problems and theorems. The home page allows students to enter a problem and the engine will search for the solution. The site will then provide students a detailed explanation of the answer as well as additional information and resources about the problem. For instance, if a student typed in 15mod7, Wolfram Alpha would reveal that the solution is 1. The site also provides a visual component as well as congruent integers. 

I found the background of the home page to be particularly interesting because it provides links to various theorems and ideas in mathematics. As I scrolled my mouse, I was able to find links to items such as the Sierpinski Triangle, Pascal’s triangle, and mathematic formulas. Wolfram Alpha also has a portion of the site designed specifically for mathematics titled “Mathematica.” This portion offers widgets and toolbars that are specially tailored for math students.

In addition to their website, Wolfram Alpha has a mobile application that students can download on their smartphones. Many middle school and high school students are constantly using their handheld devices. By having an application such as this on their phone, students can easily access resources to help them understand a homework problem. Furthermore, students can use this application to see visual examples of various math problems which can greatly aid individuals that are visual learners. Overall, I think that Wolfram Alpha is a great resource for students enrolled in higher level mathematics courses.

Google Drive

During the course of this class, I was introduced to Google Drive. Google Drive consists of a variety of applications such as Google Docs. I feel that this technology would be helpful in the classroom because it encourages student collaboration. Students can use these applications to access and share documents so group work can be completed more easily. Students can also use the chat feature to discuss and assign tasks to their group members.

Teachers can also use this to monitor student learning. For instance, teachers can view students’ revision history and observe their progress on an assignment. Furthermore, teachers can use this feature to see how much each student has contributed for a group project. Through this application, teachers are also able to give students feedback on their work and post comments and suggestions. Clearly, this application has benefits for both teachers and students.

As I enter my fieldwork experience next semester, I will look for opportunities to use this technology. For example, I could assign students a project on researching a mathematician. Students could complete their research in groups and collaborate to present their findings. In this process, I will be able to monitor any revisions being made, the distribution of work, and be able to provide comments to help guide the students in the right direction. Moreover, their final product could be shared publicly so other students could learn about other selected mathematicians.