Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Chapter 6 and 11 Reading Responses
Response to Chapter 6
While I can see how many digital technologies can be effectively used in some classrooms, I think I am going to prefer a classroom with less technology. As an AYA Math major, I think many of the devices discussed in the chapter would be more of a distraction than a learning aid. Items such as scanners, digital cameras, microphones, handhelds, and e-books would have little to no use in a high school math course. While I prefer to us less technology in the classroom there were a couple devices that I think will prove helpful. The electronic whiteboard would prove extremely helpful in a math classroom. With the whiteboard I could save critical points from lectures, examples, and solutions to difficult homework problems and make them available to reference later for review or for students who have missed class. Another item that was discussed that I think could be useful would be a graphic tablet. I think the tablets could be a very helpful aid in several areas of math where students are focusing on graphing and shifting graphs such as trigonometry, geometry, and calculus. Using the tablets could allow for me to see the steps students are taking to do their work and will allow the students to go back a couple of steps in the problem without having to start over from scratch.
Response to Chapter 11
I think that a useful traditional audio device is the oral journals. After a class students can record their thoughts on the days class. They can comment on problems that they had a hard time understanding, mention hints that the teacher gave them to solving problems, and mention any important theorems or definitions that they need to remember. This will help the students learn and digest information because they aren't just absorbing information being lectured by me, but they are explaining it to themselves in a manner they understand. When it comes time to do their homework or study for an exam, they can refer back to the recording they made after class when the information was still fresh. A newer audio device that I think would be interesting to use in the classroom would be internet radio. A radio show that talks about the applications of math in the real world could be an excellent learning aid. Students will see how they can and will use the material they are learning in the future. If a student doesn't want to focus on learning material, hearing a voice other than his/her teachers could provide the spark that makes him/her want to learn.
A traditional visual aid that never fails is the overhead projector. Using transparencies is an effective way to have the entire class be involved in the presentation. The teacher can provide questions/problems to the class on the transparency and they can work together one the same sheet. Everyone gets to see all the steps their classmates are doing and can ask a question if he/she doesn't understand how something is being done. Transparencies are more effective than a whiteboard because once one sheet is filled up, it can be replaced with another without having to erase the entire board. Once class is complete the teacher can erase them and reuse the same transparencies in the next class. An emerging visual aid that will help in the math classroom is the digital projection, specifically one linked up to a graphing calculator. With the calculator hooked up to the projector the teacher show students how to do things and everyone in the class can see the teachers screen while working along on their own calculators. It also for the entire class to easily see on screen and make sure they are getting the correct answer.
While I can see how many digital technologies can be effectively used in some classrooms, I think I am going to prefer a classroom with less technology. As an AYA Math major, I think many of the devices discussed in the chapter would be more of a distraction than a learning aid. Items such as scanners, digital cameras, microphones, handhelds, and e-books would have little to no use in a high school math course. While I prefer to us less technology in the classroom there were a couple devices that I think will prove helpful. The electronic whiteboard would prove extremely helpful in a math classroom. With the whiteboard I could save critical points from lectures, examples, and solutions to difficult homework problems and make them available to reference later for review or for students who have missed class. Another item that was discussed that I think could be useful would be a graphic tablet. I think the tablets could be a very helpful aid in several areas of math where students are focusing on graphing and shifting graphs such as trigonometry, geometry, and calculus. Using the tablets could allow for me to see the steps students are taking to do their work and will allow the students to go back a couple of steps in the problem without having to start over from scratch.
Response to Chapter 11
I think that a useful traditional audio device is the oral journals. After a class students can record their thoughts on the days class. They can comment on problems that they had a hard time understanding, mention hints that the teacher gave them to solving problems, and mention any important theorems or definitions that they need to remember. This will help the students learn and digest information because they aren't just absorbing information being lectured by me, but they are explaining it to themselves in a manner they understand. When it comes time to do their homework or study for an exam, they can refer back to the recording they made after class when the information was still fresh. A newer audio device that I think would be interesting to use in the classroom would be internet radio. A radio show that talks about the applications of math in the real world could be an excellent learning aid. Students will see how they can and will use the material they are learning in the future. If a student doesn't want to focus on learning material, hearing a voice other than his/her teachers could provide the spark that makes him/her want to learn.
A traditional visual aid that never fails is the overhead projector. Using transparencies is an effective way to have the entire class be involved in the presentation. The teacher can provide questions/problems to the class on the transparency and they can work together one the same sheet. Everyone gets to see all the steps their classmates are doing and can ask a question if he/she doesn't understand how something is being done. Transparencies are more effective than a whiteboard because once one sheet is filled up, it can be replaced with another without having to erase the entire board. Once class is complete the teacher can erase them and reuse the same transparencies in the next class. An emerging visual aid that will help in the math classroom is the digital projection, specifically one linked up to a graphing calculator. With the calculator hooked up to the projector the teacher show students how to do things and everyone in the class can see the teachers screen while working along on their own calculators. It also for the entire class to easily see on screen and make sure they are getting the correct answer.
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