Interactivity #3

My ten technologies were organized by physical tools in class (iPad, calculator), communication (blog, clickers), interactive sites (Calculus in Motion, BrainPOP, Interactive Math, Geometer’s Sketchpad), and evaluation tools (Scantron, Webassign).

I was hesitant at first to see we had to collaborate with a group for an online class. For regular classes, it is easy to set a time to meet while in class, or distribute work evenly. Since this is an online class, beginning this assignment was especially difficult since we were not entirely in contact. Luckily, the google document was started and we were able to submit our findings.

While I was doing my research, I found some really great interactive websites that can be easily integrated into a lesson plan. Unfortunately, in my own math classes none of these were used. With more accessibility to the internet at school and at home, these sites create ways for students to learn other than by lecturing. In addition, math is extremely visual and these sites produce the visualization for the students.

Last week in READ-411, we had a lesson on technology where I was introduced to BrainPOP. It is an interactive website that contains several content areas subjects and provides videos and other visuals. With this website, it becomes easy to create interdisciplinary lessons by coordinating with a teacher of a different content. By doing this, it will help motivate students and give them more meaning and understanding of a lesson.

Interactivity #2

From the video, the most influential form of technology for mathematics was the introduction of the teaching machines in 1958. I believe these machines were the beginning of the inventions of calculators and computers that, today, are essential to a mathematics education.

Similarly, in “A Social History of Media, Technology and Schooling,” Grace explains how her grandmother was first introduced to the teaching machines. Even though Bessie wrote that she was angry and it was easy to ignore, she later realized, “that the machine was valuable” (45). The machine could be used for a student to use while the teacher focused on other students, thus making educating more effective. In addition, using this form of new technology was thought to “motivate students, thus, far exceeding any potential negative effects” (Rethinking Technology in Schools, 33). These teaching machines helped lead to the future of other essential technological inventions for math instruction such as the calculator and computer.