VISION ESSAY
Have you ever tried to teach mathematics to a class of thirty, seventh grade students? On top of that, how about teaching in a place where students are from an assortment of cultures with various learning styles and they are thrust together in a classroom with late twentieth century artifacts? Welcome to the New York City Public School system which must step into the twenty-first century. Without the investment necessary to integrate technology into the public school system, students' who are already faltering, will lag further behind any of their counterparts in this country or abroad. We must capture the imagination of young students before it is too late. I don't mean to sound like an alarmist, but many teachers are not being prepared for this sea change.
As a mathematics teacher, the two most asked questions by my students are; #1 ‘Why do we have to learn this stuff?” #2 “when will I ever use this again?” As I have pondered these two questions more and more, I have come to the realization that the gap between public school education and real-world technologies is getting increasingly wider. From my six years of teaching, there are always students who just can't seem to engage themselves in a traditional classroom setting. At times the information seems irrelevant or too abstract for some students. I'm sure applications in mathematics would be welcome if students could find some relevancy with what is being performed in the classroom. Applying technology with course work will help teach students how to use tools that are essential when they graduate and enter the workforce.
Public schools are faced with the reality of a limited budget for equipment and software. Public educators must make hard choices about how to integrate technology on a daily basis. Strategic use of information technologies has the ability to transform teaching and learning.
Geometry Sketchpad is a dynamic construction and exploration tool that enables students to explore and understand mathematics in ways that are simply not possible with traditional tools. Visualization is the heart of the program. With sketchpad, students can construct an object and then explore its mathematical properties by dragging an object with a mouse. All mathematical relationships are preserved, allowing students to examine an entire set of similar cases in a matter of seconds, leading then by natural course to generalizations. Sketchpad encourages a process of discovery in which students first visualize and analyze a problem and then make conjecture. In this type of environment my role is facilitator, designer, coach, and not the focal point of attention. In this type of environment, students become better thinkers, because it encourages students to independent thought.
My vision for technology-supported and room oriented classroom is one in which students group work on long-term multidisciplinary projects involving challenging content that is interesting and important to them with the support of technology tools for collecting, analyzing and communicating data. Students will explore and create their own questions initially, and then advance through a series of diverse questions and answers. Students will learn different aspects of a project and be able to interchange tasks. All projects would be student centered. An example of student centered work could be a Power Point presentation explaining a mathematical concept.
Each student should have access to a lap-top in school with his or her regular classes. Teachers could work with students at different levels in flexible work groups, different speeds, but still provide that the essential content is being learned. Each student should be taught appropriate technological skills and be actively involved with setting-up the equipment and trouble shooting technological difficulties.
At our school, a small group of teachers, including myself, have started making the transition, utilizing technology into our lessons. I believe with support of additional technological trainings, more teachers would get involved integrating appropriate technological skills into their lesson plans. Technology should be an ongoing process, enhancing curriculum, and updated continuously for both staff and students. I would like to be a forerunner in my school and see my vision come true.
Have you ever tried to teach mathematics to a class of thirty, seventh grade students? On top of that, how about teaching in a place where students are from an assortment of cultures with various learning styles and they are thrust together in a classroom with late twentieth century artifacts? Welcome to the New York City Public School system which must step into the twenty-first century. Without the investment necessary to integrate technology into the public school system, students' who are already faltering, will lag further behind any of their counterparts in this country or abroad. We must capture the imagination of young students before it is too late. I don't mean to sound like an alarmist, but many teachers are not being prepared for this sea change.
As a mathematics teacher, the two most asked questions by my students are; #1 ‘Why do we have to learn this stuff?” #2 “when will I ever use this again?” As I have pondered these two questions more and more, I have come to the realization that the gap between public school education and real-world technologies is getting increasingly wider. From my six years of teaching, there are always students who just can't seem to engage themselves in a traditional classroom setting. At times the information seems irrelevant or too abstract for some students. I'm sure applications in mathematics would be welcome if students could find some relevancy with what is being performed in the classroom. Applying technology with course work will help teach students how to use tools that are essential when they graduate and enter the workforce.
Public schools are faced with the reality of a limited budget for equipment and software. Public educators must make hard choices about how to integrate technology on a daily basis. Strategic use of information technologies has the ability to transform teaching and learning.
Geometry Sketchpad is a dynamic construction and exploration tool that enables students to explore and understand mathematics in ways that are simply not possible with traditional tools. Visualization is the heart of the program. With sketchpad, students can construct an object and then explore its mathematical properties by dragging an object with a mouse. All mathematical relationships are preserved, allowing students to examine an entire set of similar cases in a matter of seconds, leading then by natural course to generalizations. Sketchpad encourages a process of discovery in which students first visualize and analyze a problem and then make conjecture. In this type of environment my role is facilitator, designer, coach, and not the focal point of attention. In this type of environment, students become better thinkers, because it encourages students to independent thought.
My vision for technology-supported and room oriented classroom is one in which students group work on long-term multidisciplinary projects involving challenging content that is interesting and important to them with the support of technology tools for collecting, analyzing and communicating data. Students will explore and create their own questions initially, and then advance through a series of diverse questions and answers. Students will learn different aspects of a project and be able to interchange tasks. All projects would be student centered. An example of student centered work could be a Power Point presentation explaining a mathematical concept.
Each student should have access to a lap-top in school with his or her regular classes. Teachers could work with students at different levels in flexible work groups, different speeds, but still provide that the essential content is being learned. Each student should be taught appropriate technological skills and be actively involved with setting-up the equipment and trouble shooting technological difficulties.
At our school, a small group of teachers, including myself, have started making the transition, utilizing technology into our lessons. I believe with support of additional technological trainings, more teachers would get involved integrating appropriate technological skills into their lesson plans. Technology should be an ongoing process, enhancing curriculum, and updated continuously for both staff and students. I would like to be a forerunner in my school and see my vision come true.
posted by brett at 2:34 PM
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