Math and Technology

Well, I have made it through my second week this quarter and am finding myself already completely overloaded. I am not simply overwhelmed with the amount of work I am having to do for class, but also with the huge amount of critical information I am being taught and having to put into practice in my main placement classroom. This week in math we talked about technologies role in the math world and we also practiced using manipulatives. A short conversation about technology in the classroom made me realize how much math and technology coexist. Technology has changed not only how people are learning math, but also what math people need to know. Technology has taken over our lives and with this it has impacted every aspect of teaching. There are many positive things that are now possible because of technology but there are also many new lessons that come with the inclusion of technology. This is one area where it is obvious that teachers must stay current and continue their education. Working with the manipulatives was also very educational. Although I have worked with the algebra tiles and beans before, I found new uses for both. Just within our class, using both of these manipulatives proved to be very helpful tools. All of us were able to see the math being done versus just using the rules.

One question that I thought about during math class this week was about being creative in math. I began thinking about how I can put a twist on math at my main placement, to make it more interesting and engaging. This got me thinking about if it is possible to be too creative while designing a lesson plan. I feel like the obvious answer is no, the more creativity the better. However, I would assume that for some students this could get in the way of the math at hand. One example I am thinking about is a project my class did. The students were learning about multiplication towers and rather than making a simple multiplication roll on one long strip of paper, the students were asked to cut out a piece of paper for each multiplication problem and tape them together to make one strip. Although this activity was a success, I was thinking about how for some students, the simple task of cutting out pieces could have overwhelmed the activity. My question can be asked across all subjects as well. Is there ever a point when being creative in a lesson plan can take away from the actual learning that is intended to take place?

When I get a classroom of my own, and even when I began teaching more in my main placement, I hope to bring in a number of elements that I am being taught in this quarters math class. It seems like technology can be a very powerful tool. I am eager to get students excited about math and hopefully but getting to their level (the technology level) they will realize that the language of math is not different but a part of their language of technology. Manipulatives are an obvious tool to use while teaching math and I am hoping I will get a chance to show the students the new, helpful ways to use them.