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.

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The economy is slumping and so is your department budget. Luckily for you, lots of programs can be used for free! Use the resources in this presentation to tackle the technology problems that haunt you – online office hours, course design, avatars, surveys, image-sharing, video-capture, mind maps, website-building, and much more.

Best of the Ed Tech Freebies AMATYC 2009

You can access all the links for all the programs in a Zumlink here.

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The Sputnik Observatory, is dedicated to providing a venue for viewing and sharing ideas and philosophies of contemporary culture.  Jonathan Harris, who worked on the mindblowing sociological website We Feel Fine, is the site director and blog creator for Sputnik Observatory.  Sputnik also has a host of codirectors with diverse backgrounds in journalism, architecture, and ballet.  Members of Sputnik have spent the last ten years interviewing scientists, philosophers, academics, and the like.  They have over 200 videos of conversations on themes such as coherence, interspecies communication, and urban metabolism.

“Sputnik Observatory is a New York not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to the study of contemporary culture. We fulfill this mission by documenting, archiving, and disseminating ideas that are shaping modern thought by interviewing leading thinkers in the arts, sciences and technology from around the world. Our philosophy is that ideas are NOT selfish, ideas are NOT viruses. Ideas survive because they fit in with the rest of life. Our position is that ideas are energy, and should interconnect and re-connect continuously because by linking ideas together we learn, and new ideas emerge.”

Here are some of the short interviews that involve mathematics (and all really COOL mathematics).  All of these can be embedded into course shells.

Will Wright – Possibility Space

Ian Stewart – Alien Mathematics

Ian Stewart – Pattern-Seeking Minds

Lord Martin Rees – Simple Recipe

Trevor Paglen – Geologic Agents

Jacques Vallee – Information Universe

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My talk today at the 2009 International Mathematica User Conference:

For at least a decade, we have had the ability to let CAS software perform computational mathematics, yet computational skills are still a large portion of the mathematics curriculum. Enter Wolfram|Alpha. Unlike traditional CAS systems, Wolfram|Alpha has trialability: Anyone with Internet access can try it and there is no cost. It has high observability: Share anything you find with your peers using a hyperlink.  It has low complexity: You can use natural language input and, in general, the less you ask for in the search, the more information Wolfram|Alpha tends to give you. Diffusion of innovation theories predict that these features of Wolfram|Alpha make it likely that there will be wide-spread adoption by students. What does this mean for math instructors?

This could be the time for us to reach out and embrace a tool that might allow us to jettison some of the computational knowledge from the curriculum, and give math instructors greater flexibility in supplemental topics in the classroom. Wolfram|Alpha could help our students to make connections between a variety of mathematical concepts. The curated data sets can be easily incorporated into classroom examples to bring in real-world data. On the other hand, instructors have valid concerns about appropriate use of Wolfram|Alpha. Higher-level mathematics is laid on a foundation of symbology, logic, and algebraic manipulation. How much of this “foundation” is necessary to retain quantitative savvy at the higher levels? Answering this question will require us to recalculate how we teach and learn mathematics.

There are two videos embedded in the slideshow. You should be able to click on the slide to open the videos in a anew web browser. However, if you’d just like to watch the video demos, here are direct links:

• Complexity and Relative Advantage:  Comparing the use of Mathematica to Wolfram|Alpha (for educational purposes, 2 minutes)
• Trialability and Observability: Demonstration of how the use of W|A is likely to spread via direct online contact (sounds like a virus, doesn’t it? 5 minutes)

Note that I’ve turned ON commenting for these two video demonstrations and I will try to load them into YouTube later this weekend.

There are several other posts about Wolfram|Alpha that you may want to check out:

• What we’re doing with Wolfram|Alpha
• Don’t get Wolfram|Alpha? Try these examples
• Shaking Up Math Education
• Impact of Wolfram|Alpha on Math Ed
• Chemistry Takes a Hit Too
• Implications for Math Instructors

If you were at the live version of this talk, and you would like to rate the presentation, you can do so here at SpeakerRate.

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Originally, I started this post with the title “What I’m doing with Wolfram|Alpha” and then I revised it, because it’s not just me using Wolfram|Alpha.  My students are using it too.  Here are some of the things we’re doing:

Discussion Boards: Wolfram|Alpha + Jing = Awesome

Before Wolfram|Alpha, it could take several steps to get a graph or the solution to solving an equation to the discussion board in an online class.  You had to use some program to generate the graph or the equations, then make a screenshot of the work, then get that hyperlink, image, or embed code to the discussion board.

With Wolfram|Alpha, sometimes a simple link suffices.  Suppose, for example, I needed to explain the last step in a calculus problem where the students have to find where there is a horizontal tangent line.  After finding the derivative, they have to set it equal to zero and solve the equation (and calculus students notoriously struggle with their algebra skills).  Rather than writing out all the steps to help a student on the discussion board, I could just provide the link to the solution and tell them to click on “Show Steps.”

Sometimes, a bit more explanation may be required, and in these circumstances, Jing + Wolfram|Alpha really comes in handy.  For instance, I needed to show how to reflect a function over the line y=1.

Here’s what the reflection over y=1 looks like.  If you graph y=sqrt(x) and y=-sqrt(x)+1 you will see that they are not reflected over y=1.

Here’s another example of Wolfram|Alpha + Jing:

Classroom Demonstrations

We’re also finding that Wolfram|Alpha can be a good program to use for exploratory learning.  One of the subjects we cover in Math for Elementary Teachers (MathET) is ancient numeration systems.  Rather than just tell students how the Babylonian number system worked, students can use Wolfram|Alpha to explore the number systems until they’ve worked out the pattern.

1. Start by exploring numbers under 50 (42, 37, 15, 29).
2. Now ask students to figure out where the pattern changes (hint: it’s between 50 and 100).
3. Explore numbers in the next tier and see if they can figure out at what number the next place digit gets added.
4. Discuss how a zero is written (and why this is problematic).

Supplement to Online Course Shell

Another topic in Math for Elementary Teachers is learning to perform operations in alternate-base systems (like Base 5 and Base 12).  You can easily supplement your online course shell by providing additional practice problems and then linking to the answers with Wolfram|Alpha.

1. Find the sum of 234 and 313 in base 5.  (answer)
2. Subtract 234 from 412 in base 5. (answer)
3. Multiply 234 by 3 in base 5. (answer)

Student Projects

Wolfram|Alpha has also started making its way into student projects because of the ease of just linking to the mathematics instead of writing out or drawing the math.  Here are a few examples.

For one of the calculus learning projects, the group built a mindmap that demonstrates the graphs and translations of exponential and logarithmic functions.

Another group recorded some help tutorials on using Wolfram|Alpha for evaluating limits.  Here are two of their videos (one with sound and one without).

Several of the MathET students have used Wolfram|Alpha and Wolfram Demonstration links as they mapped out the concepts in our units.

Checking Solutions and Writing Tests

Personally, I’m finding that I use Wolfram|Alpha from a simple calculator to a CAS for checking answers as I write a test.  I’ve also been snagging images of graphs from Wolfram|Alpha to use on tests (use Jing for simple screenshots). Here’s a short 1-minute tutorial on how to change the plot windows to get the image you desire.

Homework Day

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you.  I’ll be down in Champaign, IL for the rest of the week at Wolfram Research.  Tomorrow I’ll be one of the “experts” participating in Wolfram|Alpha Homework Day (a live, interactive web event).  The events begin at noon (CST) and end around 2am.  I’ll be interviewed somewhere around 3 pm and participate in a panel discussion about technology and math education at 8pm.

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After several months alone to think about why education has become so transactional, I decided that I’d have to “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk” and so I set about revamping my own classes.  For several weeks, my brain processors whirled while I tried to figure out how to make courses that have a highly structured and full curricula into courses that are transformational and revolve around learning.  Eventually, I hit upon the solution: Learning Projects.  Each student in Math for Elementary Teachers (MathET, as I like to call it) has to do five learning projects during the semester:

1. Writing a Learning Blog
2. Building a Mindmap
3. Giving an Inquiry-Based Learning Presentation in class
4. Creating a Video for the Internet
5. Creating a Digital Portfolio to house their projects (this will be done by everyone last)

We cover four “units” in MathET, and each student completes the first four learning projects in a random pre-assigned order (I made a chart of all project assignments at the beginning of the semester).  This means that at any time, 25% of the students are blogging, 25% are building mindmaps, 25% are working on a 10-minute presentation for class, and 25% are building a video on a specific topic.  Projects are due two days before the unit exam so that everyone can learn from reading and clicking through each others’ projects.

No lies.  This required a large amount of time to get a new syllabus in place, verbage about privacy and appropriate computer use, tutorials on the LMS, and grading rubrics (and I already knew how to use all the technology).  I had to move one hour of class (4 hours each week) into a computer lab (and lab time is as precious as gold on our campus).   I set up an RSS feed (via a class netvibes page) to put news about math and teaching at the fingertips of the students.   I have to create a page to hold all the RSS feeds from student blogs, videos, and mindmaps (see the Unit 1 Tab of the class netvibes page).  This project also required a pep talk on the first day of class to explain why I was requiring that students use technology as they learned (because it will help them find jobs and provide them with valuable ways to teach and learn).  It was a bit of a shock, especially to those students who had barely touched a computer before.

However, the work was 100% worth it (maybe even 200% worth it).  We have never (and I mean never) had so much fun with a class before.  Every day of class I automatically get fresh learning assessments from the students who are blogging or mapping out the concepts we’ve learned.  The students really enjoy participating in each others’ active presentations and gain lots of fresh ideas about how to incorporate different teaching strategies into their own classes.  It’s also fun to watch the students get more brave (technology-wise) as the semester progresses – I really can’t wait to see what these projects look like by the end of the semester!  As I walk through the lab or peek at laptop screens before class,  I see students getting sucked in to reading blog posts and news articles that they might not otherwise even see (e.g. Math in the News).  I see them playing with interactive manipulatives from NLVM, and getting hooked on logic puzzles.

Because every single project is organized around learning, they all enhance the students’ understanding of the material.   How do I know?   There were no failing grades on the first test.  Students write and talk about how learning Venn Diagrams is “awesome” and how learning base-5 arithmetic is “tricky but cool” … it’s like math has gotten turned upside-down. What was once scary and difficult is now fun and interesting (maybe still difficult, but more tolerable now).  I think it may even be possible that students are now more likely to study for the exams because they actually enjoy learning the material (this is just conjecture on my part).

There are lots more details to share about how, exactly, I’ve pulled this off (release forms, privacy issues, etc), but for now I’d like to share a few of the best projects from Round 1 of the Student Learning Projects.  I hope that by the end of the semester, every one of my students will have found a project where they had a chance to shine the best and brightest!

Best Student Web-based Projects: Round 1

• Blog: Hez B’s Math Adventures
• Blog: RoseMath
• Mindmap: Ashley’s Map
• Video: Deductive Reasoning

Honestly, I wish I had recorded more of the student IBL presentations, because many of them have been clever and well-designed.

In addition to the projects, we’ve found ourselves doing some other fun things:

• Venn Diagram Contest (Indexed-style)
• A short clip from Scott’s IBL Battleship Presentation (on coordinate systems)
• Video recordings of hands-on demonstrations during class (here is one on Base-5 Subtraction and another on the Closure Property)
• Using Wolfram|Alpha to look up numbers written in Egyptian and Babylonian or to complete number patterns

One more thing I’ve changed in all my classes this semester, I try to begin every class by asking students what they’ve learned in their other classes (an acknowledgment that these things are important too).  The only way to refocus education on learning is to make sure it actually is the focus.

Learning Projects Round 2 are already well underway!  Students can see each others’ blogs and mindmaps in progress from day one of the unit.  This (hopefully) encourages them to explore and read more about each topic as they follow links to resources and read about how math has been applied.  Stay tuned for more in our little learning experiment.

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For anyone who has ever had trouble convincing your administration to give you the proper tools to teach online, I give you this little gift: eLearning Tools for STEM, published today in eLearning Magazine.

The tools for STEM eLearning

1. Tablets
2. Recording & editing software
3. Jing
4. Equation software and training
5. Synchronous communication system
6. Online homework system

Other head-turning resources for STEM

• Wolfram Demonstrations
• Digital libraries (a lengthy list)
• Video collections (another list)
• TI-SmartView

Other tips (about accessibility, computer labs, etc) can be found at the end of the article.

You can read about all the tools, and why I recommend them, by going to the article, eLearning Tools for STEM.

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Very rarely do learning management systems (Blackboard, Angel, D2L, etc.) do math well.  However this is definitely the exception.

Personally, I use Moodle as an LMS on TeachingCollegeMath to host discussion groups and workshop materials.  It’s free, it’s relatively painless to get it up and running, and frankly, it tends to get features that incorporate new technologies faster than the other guys.

One thing that Moodle does particularly well is math.  Just turn on the LaTeX editor and you’re good to go.  When I was getting started, I asked Bob to make us a tutorial on how to get your math editing up and running in Moodle.  Kindly, he obliged (click here) and I was surprised how easy it is.   I swear, this one is painless.  First, you turn on TeX notation in Moodle:

Then you can use TeX or use MathType to paste the TeX into Moodle!  Since I am notoriously bad at using TeX, Bob was nice enough to make me a second video showing us exactly how to go from MathType to Moodle.  The surprising part?  You can go in reverse too!  Just drag the equations from Moodle back to MathType!  Watch the video to see how.

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Just in case you’re getting back into the swing of things this fall and finding yourself as forgetful as me, I thought I’d give a little Jing refresher here and remind you of some resources.

First, a little reminder of how Jing works!

Myth #1: I use Camtasia so I don’t need Jing

What about your students? Teach them to Jing and they can share screen captures and short videos with you!  Not enough motivation?  It’s much faster to whip out Jing and record a response to a student’s question than it is to create, edit, and produce a Camtasia video.

Myth #2: The 5-minute time limit is a problem.

No, the 5-minute time limit is a blessing.  Who really wants to watch more than 5 minutes of Internet video.  There’s great value in learning to get your message across in a concise little package.  When you ask students to submit videos to you for grading, you’ll quickly appreciate the 5-minute limit.  Plus, there’s nothing to stop you from recording a 3-part series if you really must get 15 minutes of information out there.

Myth #3: The EMBED button is gone!

The embed button is gone from the standard Jing installation, but you can get it back with about 2 minutes of time invested.   Use one minute to watch how to do it.  Use the second minute to do it yourself.

Myth #4: I’ve tried to use Jing, but I never get the image or video when it says my upload is complete.

The link (or embed code) for your captures is stored on the clipboard.  What’s the clipboard?  It’s that invisible place where content goes to wait between Copy and Paste.  What Jing does is create the copy of the URL or embed code on the clipboard.  All you need to do is paste (use Ctrl-V on a PC or Command-V on a Mac) and your code will appear!

Myth #5: Video EMBED doesn’t seem to work.

Many programs restrict the functionality of video embedding.  If your video takes up a large amount of screen real estate, or if video-sharing is disabled in the web-application you’re using, then you won’t be able to embed video.  You can, however, share the video with a live link.  It’s always good practice to include a live link even when you get the embed code for a video to work.  Many blog readers will cut out the embedded videos, and without a link, your reader will not be able to access the video.

Myth #6: Students will never figure it out.

Give them the links to videos on how to use Jing, a place to PRACTICE their newfound skills, and an incentive (2 points per skill seems to do it), and they will learn how to use Jing just fine.  One of my first assignments of the semester is a “Learning Project” that involves, among other things, practicing a bunch of different ways to use Jing (get handwriting to the discussion board, record a video and get it to the discussion board, get an image of some math equations you’ve written to the discussion board).

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Lately I’ve been getting some emails expressing bafflement at understanding the plethora of social networks and why on earth they are being used (many of these questions come from academics).  So, here’s a short introduction to social networking for academics (specifically geared towards the mathematics variety).  Watch the 8-minute video here or below.

In the meantime, I can assure you that the only way to “get” social networking is to dive in and try something.  There’s a reason our students enjoy it so!  I resisted for years (and only dove into Facebook in December).  I have made the choice not to “friend” students until they graduate, but that is a personal decision and can be made only by you.

If you are just getting started, I’d recommend FB.  I have not regretted the decision to join at all. If you let FB look at your email addresses (not stored, no worries) you will be able to see who you already know that is on FB (if a picture shows up for them, they are on FB already).

Very important if you decide on FB to try: Go immediately to Settings and turn off all email notifications (or it will swamp your email inbox).

If you decide to try twitter, look me up @busynessgirl.

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