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Use of Technology in Mathematics
Classroom
Recently the use of technology has been increased in the classroom. This
study has tried to focus the importance of using the technology especially in
Mathematics education from teacher’s point of view. The data collected from
different middle school and high school Mathematics
teachers indicates that use of technology is important in today’s education. I
strongly believe technology is essential in learning mathematics. Especially in
today’s world with so much advanced technology, the students should not be
left behind. The use of technology has created more interest for the students.
It has also helped them to understand the difficult concepts easily. However,
the various constraints of using the technology has affected the use of
technology in classes. There is no doubt that calculators can be useful tool
in learning the mathematics. The real question which grade is appropriate to
introduce the calculator functionality. Also how much of the exposure should be
given to the students about the Functionality. Teacher should be a good judge to
decide if the use of calculator for certain concepts will benefit the student or
not. Teacher should make good judgment base upon various factor and not ignoring
the basic fact of memorization to decide the best use of calculators.
This my beliefs forced me to do the research study for the different
opinions from different teachers about the use of technology in Mathematics
classroom. Review of related literature Technology Principle in Principle and Standards for
School Mathematics (NCTM 2000) states that “Technology is essential in
teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught
and enhances students’ learning”. Middle school students who use handheld
graphing technology are able to learn math and science concepts more
successfully (Media & Methods 2001). They are better at analyzing
information and can more easily focus on process and theory. Math teachers are
making big claims about graphing technology after completing two pilot programs
in Virginia and Arizona. The math teacher at Brimhall junior high school in
Arizona administered a matching math test and there were interesting results.
While 75 percent of students who used the calculator in class earned As and Bs
on the test, only 35 percent of the students who did not use the calculators
earned As and Bs . In Becker and
Ravitz’s (2001) study, the results show that computer use among teachers is
related to more constructivist views and practices and to changes in practice in
a more constructivist- compatible direction. Technology has the potential to
reshape instruction and support active learning (Olson, L. “Technology in
Schools“). Graphing calculators are being used more than ever to
enrich math and science education. They allow students to visualize mathematics
and make connections that might otherwise be missed. Probes such as
thermometers, Ph probes, microphones, and motion detectors, allow teachers and
students to integrate mathematics and science content in unique ways. Graphing
calculators are being used in math classes as well as in many other subject
areas. This is opening up more chances to motivate and entice students to
explore and learn further (Parker, Marilyn- 2004). Jim Pukys is accustomed to posing a fundamental
question to students at the end of each algebra lesson: Did you understand?
Unlike most teachers, though, he believes he has a reliable way of knowing
whether his students are telling him the truth. It begins when he writes out a
function and asks students to find its value. He then collects their answers,
which they send electronically from calculators at their desks. Within seconds,
an image appears on a screen at the front of the class, showing how many
students picked the right answer: about two-thirds of them on one recent
occasion. Not good enough, he decides. He goes over the problem again, in
greater detail. That interplay has become routine in the Canton city school
district, and it is becoming increasingly common in mathematics classrooms
across the country, as teachers turn to interactive technology that provides
them with instant information about student progress. Technologies like TI-Navigator, sometimes called
"personal response" systems, enable teachers to gauge whether students
— not just as a group, but also individually — have grasped a math concept.
Teachers then can adjust their lessons in midstream when problems persist (Cavanagh,
Sean, Education Week Nov 2006). Educators have long debated the proper role of
calculators and technology in math classes. A federal advisory panel
commissioned by President Bush this year is discussing calculator use as part of
a broader review of effective strategies for improving teaching and learning in
the subject. (Education Week, Feb. 15, 2006.) The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
encourages the use of calculators in the middle grades. The goal of an activity
is not to determine a computational solution, but some computation is necessary
to achieve the goal. This may be true when a teacher wishes to have a student
develop problem-solving skills or when exploring mathematical patterns. A
student should not be allowed to use a calculator when the goal of the activity
is to determine a computational solution, and the student is able to do the
necessary computation in a reasonable length of time. One very important
principle of learning and applying mathematics is being able to identify
patterns. When the teacher’s goal is primarily to give the student experience
in finding patterns, allowing the student to use a calculator may be necessary. Most mathematics programs include problems designed
to show how some mathematical computations or concepts can be used to solve
real-world problems. The goal of the exercise is to make use of the mathematics
previously learned (Dr. Louise Johnson). Even the technology can help during education it’s
access needs to be limited. In 2001 and 2002, the Human Computer Interaction
Laboratory at Cornell University gave students in a communications class laptops
and encouraged them to supplement the lecture by finding material relevant to
the course online. Even though participants knew their behavior was being
monitored, most still E-mailed friends and browsed the Web for other pursuits,
too. "Definitely, boundaries have to be set,"
(Helene Hembrooke, Hallett, Vicky 2005). Critics say calculators are
overused in US middle and high schools. They warn that wave of “ new new
Math” programs that employ calculators much more than traditional approaches
are entering the grade schools, threatening basic maths skills (Calulators in
Class: Freedom from scratch paper or crutch). A 2005 report by the
Washington-based Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, for instance, concluded that
students' ability to graph linear functions by hand are "easily camouflaged
by the obsessive use of graphing technology." Technological innovation does not come cheap.
Ti-Navigator costs about $9,500 per class in Canton, when the price of all
equipment is included, said Pam Bernabei-Rorrer, the district's math coach. The
district launched the technology with a combination of about $360,000 in federal
funding. Most people agree that using technology helps students learn better and
faster and leads to qualified work force. School systems aren’t rushing to
high tech computer systems because they cannot afford to (Pamela Baker Nov 95). References Middle School Math and the Calculator by Dr. Louise Johnson Dr. Louise Johnson is a retired
mathematics educator and former university dean. April 2001 issue of Parents Teaching
Overseas. Brueningsen, Chris, Elisa Bruningsen,
and Bill Bower. Math and Science in motion: activities for Middle School.
Dallas, Tex.: Texas Instruments, 1997. National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM). Principle and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, Va:
NCTM, 2000 Title: Handheld Graphing Technology
Facilitates Learning., Media & Methods, 00256897, Mar/Apr2001, Vol.
37, Issue 5Database: Academic Search Premier Calulators in Class: Freedom from
scratch paper or crutch Graphing
Calculators: Handheld Technology in Non- Traditional Classes.,
By: Parker, Marilyn, Mills, Brandy,
Media & Methods, 00256897, Sep/Oct2004, Vol. 41, Issue 2 Pamela Baker- Teaching Technology
for 21st century Nov 95 Vol-117 issue 11 |
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Copyright 2006-2007 Namita Jagtap, Kennesaw State University.
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