Technology and Math

Teaching with Technology in Elementary Mathematics

"Some mathematics becomes more important because technology requires it. Some mathematics becomes less important because technology replaces it. And some mathematics becomes possible because technology allows it." In this three page excerpt of a Ball State graduate's honors thesis paper, I learned about the importance of using technology to teach and learn math. The possibilities are endless due to the availability of computers and calculators to each student. The student writes, "Technology is able to enhance lessons and develop children's mind if used correctly." I agree completely! There is potential for technology to be abused in the classroom, yes, but there is much more potential for great learning to take place.

I want to incorporate this knowledge into my own classroom. I want students to see how technology can help them, not just by letting them get the answers really quickly on the calculator. I plan to try to incorporate some type of technology into the majority of my lessons, whether that be using calculators, the ipad, the elmo, or some type of video. I think in this technology filled world, it's important for students to see how to use technology for the benefit of their education. 

The Magic of Math

This video encompasses a lot of information in a short ten minutes. I really enjoyed what it had to say about integrating mathematics into every subject that is taught during a normal school day. I knew that it could be done with certain subjects like music, computer lab, and science, but was unsure how I would go about integrating math into art and social studies. I thought the video provided me with some good starting blocks for those two subjects. The video also addresses that students think in different ways and that it is important for teachers to allow those different ways to be expressed. It stresses how it is important for students to be able to explain how and why they arrived at the answer they arrived at. It's not enough for the students to simply arrive at the correct answer. I think that this is huge when it comes to teaching!! I will most definitely use this approach to teaching in my classroom. I want my students to love math as much as the students in the video did, because math is so important to every day life outside the classroom. My students will have to explain to me how they figured out each answer so that we can address any misconceptions or errors in their math. I am going to try my best to integrate some form of math in each subject that the students are taught every day so that there are multiple opportunities to practice math skills throughout the day.

Math Chimp

Math Chimp


Mathchimp.com has to be one of the coolest websites out there for math education. First, you select the grade level that you teach. It then takes you to another page where it describes what that grade should be learning according to the common core standards. If you have a specific standard that you want to teach, you can click on that and it will take you directly to activities that deal with that specific standard. Otherwise, just scroll down to see games, videos, and worksheets that all relate to the topics children in that grade should learn. I think that this is an invaluable resource for teachers, since it can be related directly to specific standards. I also like how it provides both games and videos, as well as worksheets for students to practice that skill.

I plan to use this in my own classroom as a part of math centers. I think it would be a great idea to have this website pulled up on several computers in the back of the classroom. I would already click the standard that I want the students to be working on, and they could choose whether to play a game or watch a video to practice the skill that that standard addresses. It would also be beneficial to show good videos from this website to my entire class as an engage activity.

Teacher Resources

Problem of the Week
        - Requires a membership. Each week, there is a different problem for students to solve. They must explain exactly how they arrived at their answer so you can see how their brains think about math. You can grade it yourself, or submit it to this website and let college math students provide responses back to your students with suggestions for how to improve their answer.

PBS
        - This link takes you to over 800 clips from PBS shows that teach students about math. This is a great tool to use to find a good, engaging, educational video to start off your lesson

Math Jingles
        - A great way to help different learners in the classroom is to use songs to convey information. This website has jingles for grades K-6 about a variety of math topics. Each link on the website takes you to a math jingle with a mp3 and lyrics.

Internet 4 Classrooms
        - This link takes you to a page with 22 other links for math resources for teachers. You'll find teaching aides, games, tests, worksheets, glossaries, activities linked  with textbooks and more.

Math Play
        - A website filled with games for the whole class to play, like jeopardy and basketball.

Gifted Learners
        - This link, again, takes you to a page with more links to math resources for both students and teachers. Links include lessons that meet NCTM standards, interactive projects, math forums for teachers, flashcard creators, teaching materials, story problems, and much, much more.

Student Resources

Math Is Fun
        - This website teaches you a math lesson, then provides games for you to practice your newly acquired skills! Give it a try!

Math Practice- All Grades
        - These math skills are organized by grade level and category. Choose one to begin practicing! The website will automatically keep track of what you know and what you need to practice so you don't spend time on problems that are too easy for you!

A+ Math
        - This website has games, flashcards, worksheets, and word searches to help you practice addition, multiplication, subtraction, division, geometry and more!

Math Playground
        - Logic games, math games, number games, word problems, flashcards, real world math, manipulatives and games connected to the common core: this website has it all!

Math Play
       - The games are organized by grade level and topic, so you can find exactly what you need to help your math skills! Practice by answering a question, and be rewarded with a game!

Place Value House (For Students)

Place Value (For Teachers)