Math Technology to Engage, Delight, and Excite
July 26th, 2010
Back in May 2010 I presented a keynote at the MAA-Michigan meeting in Ypsilanti. Even though it sounds like it’s about math, it’s really more about a philosophy of using technology to engage students. Yes, the examples are in the context of math, but if you’re involved with educational technology in any way, I think much of the talk is applicable to all subjects.
We’re in a recession and so is your department budget. Luckily for you, there are lots of great programs and web resources that you can use to teach math, and most of these are free. Use the resources in this presentation to tackle the technology problems that haunt you and capture the attention of your math classes with interactive demonstrations and relevant web content.
Here is the video, audio, and slides from my keynote talk “Math Technology to Engage, Delight, and Excite” from the MAA-Michigan meeting in May 2010. There is also an iPad/iPod-friendly version here.
In case you’re wondering, the PIP video was recorded from a Flip Video camera that was affixed to one of the seats in the auditorium with masking tape. It’s not elegant, but it works.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Navigating WolframAlpha Pro Features
- What if you don’t have enough whiteboards?
- Abandoning ship on using Wolfram Alpha with Students
- MCC TaLDA Workshop – May 2012
- What does the classroom say?
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Wonderful presentation. Your emphasis on the philosophy of using tech and on creating a framework in which to place the tools you mentioned was extremely valuable. The idea that tools like Wolfram Alpha change what we teach as well as how we teach is not something heard often enough in the math education community.
As a preservice secondary math teacher (although I’m coming into education after 25 years developing software), I continue to be amazed (appalled?) that for many math teachers, technology is a calculator and a projector. Sadly, I can count on one hand with fingers left over the number of teachers and my fellow preservice teachers who have even heard of Wolfram Alpha.
What great insight! I work for Wolfram|Alpha and am doing my best to spread the word to educators across the curriculum about how to leverage rather than run from Wolfram|Alpha. As Maria so clearly points out, students can easily find the answer, whether they use W|A or not, our challenge is how to assess their comprehension of the topic or concept. Technology requires us to redesign conventional assessment practices and leverage technology to advance learning.
Thanks for bringing this important issue to light!
I really enjoyed the presentation – I am always looking at new ways to include technology in my teaching and there were some new ideas in there that will help me evolve my teaching practices further.
I can’t wait to try the white board teaching method — I don’t have the room set up for it yet, but will make do with flipcharts/individual whiteboard tablets or something similar until I do. I know that the key for students wanting to improve in mathematics is to get them to do more maths.
The white board teaching method will:
* allow me to more easily monitor who is coping with the work and who is not,
* foster better working relationships between all students,
* be a welcome change for those students who struggle to sit still,
* no doubt surprise me in many ways with how well it works, and…
most importantly,
* ensure students work more problems in maths class, and have more mathematical conversations than they otherwise would.
Thanks again for the great presentation.