Technology, an aid...not a distraction

These days, it seems like when you walk into a store to buy a new computer (does anyone still do this?), by the time the sales associate is finished talking to you and has rung up your "new" computer, it's out of date.  How often do you purchase a new piece of technology, receive it, and automatically have to update the software for the device because a new version was released between assembly and the time it arrived at your front door?  As a society, we are currently experiencing a time where technology is changing faster than standard shipping; if you as an educator are not on the cutting edge you're already behind.

As an educator the challenge arises choosing which technology has the greatest potential to improve the classroom experience for students while minimizing the risk of a technology distraction. The challenge of incorporating technology with learning, and not learning about technology is summarized in the article Research on Technology Tools and Application in Mathematics Learning and Teaching (Olive, 2010).  A topic highlighted in the article is the current generation of students learning through new media. Examples of these new media include web-based gaming environments and face-to-face learning.  No longer is the teacher centered classroom structure appropriate, nor the antiquated technology that once defined these classrooms (i.e. overheads and chalkboards). A staggering statistic is presented:

Perhaps one powerful reason for why almost a third of the students entering the high schools in this country "drop out" before completing their high school diploma (Gonzalez, 2010) is that education in many schools is presented in the same way it was in the 19th and 20th centuries. The educational process in school bares little resemblance to how people learn outside of school.  (Olive, 2010, p. 3)

Conrad Wolfram spoke to this issue in his TED presentation, noting that before computers students were required to learn the processes computers now perform for them. This change in class structure is driven by new technology that can aid students to learn mathematics, by allowing them to focus on the what, where, and why's rather than mindless process/procedure calculations.

An excellent example of integrating technology into the classroom is the utilization of The Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP 5) in the Dynamic Number Project, which allowed a Georgia teacher to work with her fourth grade students to explore equivalent fractions. The teacher was able to divide a number line so that her students could struggle through the example together, creating a connection between how the number line was divided and the equivalent fraction they were trying to match. The technology seamlessly integrated into the lesson without hindering the activity or flow of the class.

It is evident that technology will be the most influential resource a mathematics teacher has in their toolbox, however a teacher has to determine when to utilize available technology and when to simply put it away.

References:

Gonzalez, J. (2010). High-school dropout rate is cited as a key barrier to Obama's college- completion goal. The Chronicle, May 25, 2010. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/High-School-Dropout-Rate-Is/65669/ August 26, 2010. 

Olive, J. (2010, September) Research on technology tools and applications in mathematics learning and teaching. WISDOM planning conference, Laramie, Wyoming. Retrieved from https://scholar.vt.edu/portal/site/6a5f90e1-3890-433f-96d3-a328653961a6/page/7417837e-a31d-4862-8538-dd66223dcd79

Wolfram, C. (Performer) (2010). Conrad wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/conrad_wolfram_teaching_kids_real_math_with_computers.html