I just reread my last blog post. Had forgotten all about it actually but I'm happy to report that I did accomplish one of my short-term goals. I had put together a first day presentation for the Promethean board and incorporated a Web site that emphasized the need for math in different careers. Now to tackle the rest.
Being a digital novice I need to start with the basics, finding an easy to use technology I can master fairly quickly and that will enhance my students' engagement and understanding. Therefore, for this course, I will focus on the first two NETS-T standards: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. More specifically, I will #1, try to engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources, and #2 customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
I co-teach an Algebra class for students on the slower two-year track. This will be the perfect class in which to integrate more technology. There are only 17 students, two teachers and access to the computer lab as well as a mobile laptop cart. My co-teacher and I have been discussing taking advantage of the technology available to us. To achieve my first goal of exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems, I would like to apply this to either lessons in the Statistics and Probability unit or the one on Ratios and Proportions. Both topics have many real-world applications. For the second goal I can use the Castle Learning program my district subscribes to. With this on-line program, I can customize a bank of problems for my students. For the stronger students, I can choose more challenging problems so they won't become bored and for the struggling students I can choose more basic problems to avoid frustration while improving their skills. The program allows me to use this as an assessment tool as it keeps track of students progress or it can be used as a learning tool as there is a mode in which students can immediately check to see if their answer is right and receive hints on how to solve the problem if they need it.
I will monitor my progress by the feedback I get from my students in the form of their levels of engagement as well as their performance on traditional assessments. Having a co-teacher brings in a whole other perspective and will be a great asset when it comes to evaluating and extending my learning.
Brenda,
ReplyDeleteI think working with your co-teacher is a good idea. He/she may be knowledgable about technology tools you may not be aware of, or nervous to try using on your own and could offer ideas on how those tools could be used to enhance your lessons.
Your post also brings to my mind a concept from a previous Walden course: Using technology to do new things verses do old things differently. Using the Castle program you described seems like a way to do old things differently and more effeciently as it would still be providing problems for students to solve and guide them in solving them much the way a teacher or text book would do with the exception of it being a more one on one type focus and electronic correction.
What you may want to explore a little more is how to apply technology to do new things. This could really help you in pursuing your real world application goal. Technology can be really helpful when it comes to gathering and analyzing and applying statistics.
Good Luck,
Laura Ricker