Mathematics with Technology

I listened to both Mathematics with Technology podcasts by Judy Chandler of Maine Learning Technology Initiative. As I mentioned before, I am a visual learner and teamed with a rather (I'm being brutally honest, here) boring host of a math and technology talk, it was difficult to trudge through the nearly nine minutes (total) of podcasting.

Judy Chandler, however, did make some good points! Using computer generated visual aids for math students is a great idea for those non-auditory learners. (Maybe it would have helped if her podcast was a videocast... just saying!) Her strong points of integrating math and technology were: (and yes, I did have to write this down, luckily, she spoke at snail speed and I only had to 'go back and listen' once.) Some students "are unable to connect with the content" others simply succeed by memorization. Technology engages the student in a "multi-sensory, authentic, and collaborative learning environment."

As a teacher, I could use math programs to help re-teach to students who would like extra help or who appear to be struggling during 'down time' (if there really ever is such a thing.) I thought it was helpful that Judy Chandler offered access to her site in Maine that provided more ideas for teachers to implement technology specifically in math in their classrooms! I don't know of anyone who just never had to study math, never had to work the problems in the homework to do well.

I would also like to play devil's advocate here for a minute. I had a WONDERFUL math teacher in high school, Coach Campbell (yes, a baseball coach actually taught MATH.) He was such a great math teacher I took him for every math class he taught at Gulfport High School. He was able to relate the material (Algebra I, Algebra II, and College Algebra) in real terms that students could understand, and ENGAGED us in discussion about a problem. Almost everyone made A's in his class, and not because they memorized equations but because they KNEW the equations and executed math problems successfully. He just had this simple approach to algebraic problems and our class was successful without the help of technology. It is also important to note that sometimes technology can be used as a crutch for not teaching. Sitting a student down at a computer and telling them to learn is not teaching. But you already knew that ;)