Key Takeaways
- Technology is revolutionizing math instruction through AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, gamification, and innovations in hardware and software
- Collaborative learning and teamwork can be enhanced through the use of graphing calculators and vertical whiteboard surfaces
- Effective strategies for using technology in math classes include pairing students up, letting students present their work, and embedding time for students to learn how to use the technology
- Careful planning and task analysis are necessary to ensure that students have the technical skills they need to effectively use technology for math exploration and visualization
- Collaboration and teamwork are essential for mobilizing learning, generating deeper understanding of content, and teaching success skills that will serve students for life
Introduction to Technology in Math Instruction
Technology is shaking up math instruction on many levels. AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, and gamification, as well as innovations in hardware and software, are all enabling new ways of teaching. As a high-school math teacher in Arizona, I have seen firsthand the impact that technology can have on student learning. In my College Algebra and AP Calculus BC classes, we often use graphing calculators to enhance our lessons and make them more collaborative. By projecting the image from the calculator onto the whiteboard, we can create incredible opportunities for collaboration and teamwork, and create learning that goes far beyond a math lesson.
The Power of Vertical Whiteboard Surfaces
I love when my students are working at the vertical whiteboard surfaces around the perimeter of my classroom. This setup allows me to see their problem-solving processes, and I can tell by their body language if they are frustrated or are getting it. Students are collaborating and cooperating, and there is strength in the collective knowledge in the room. There is that magic moment when the teacher no longer needs to be there to deliver information, but rather, the teacher is the facilitator of learning. There is still a lot of work to be done, decisions to be made, and discussions to facilitate. Using technology for math exploration, visualization, and understanding can be tricky when students are working at the vertical surfaces, but with the right strategies, it can be highly effective.
Strategies for Success
To effectively use technology in my math classes, I have implemented several strategies. First, I arrange students in random pair groups to encourage collaboration. They need to share the space, share the calculator screen, and share the marker. It’s essential to think about how to group students, and I have found that pairing them up works best. Otherwise, if they are in groups of three, students will often turn to cooperative behaviors, with one student becoming the technology expert, one student becoming the scribe, and the last student keeping everyone on track. While this can be effective for some activities, I have found that collaboration between pairs of students is more effective in encouraging thinking and problem-solving.
Letting Students Present Their Work
Another strategy I use is to let students present their work. I wirelessly connect students’ graphing calculators to my computer using the TI-Nspire Navigator system, which allows me to project the calculator screens onto the large vertical projection board. This lets me see how students are using their calculators and allows the collective knowledge of the room to be displayed. Student pairs will check the presentation board for verification or a hint with the calculators, and most of the time, it is to see how to do something compared to what the answer should be. Being able to capture and project the calculator screens of my students helps to mobilize the knowledge in the classroom, which is an essential component of "Building Thinking Classrooms."
Embedding Time for Students to Learn Technology
For all of this to work, there must be individual time for students to master the use of the graphing technology. This is true of every technology – no one learns how to use a tool by watching a demonstration only, and no one learns from having someone else do the steps for them. Recently, in my math classes, that skill might have been graphing piecewise functions and then transforming them on the graphing calculator. It is critical to allow students time to learn how to use the calculator to do this. I create a plan to identify the technical skills students will need and teach them purposefully before they need to access the skill for visualization or exploration. Careful planning of situations to use and practice technology skills must be built into the class culture.
The Future of Math Instruction
Technology will continue to evolve, and with it, so will the way we teach math. However, there will always be a need for tools and technologies that support collaboration. Collaboration is what mobilizes learning, generates deeper understanding of the content, and teaches success skills that will serve students for life. As educators, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and strategies for using them effectively in the classroom. By doing so, we can create a more engaging, collaborative, and effective learning environment for our students.
