Technology+in+the+math+classroom

Top tools from the math classroom:

1. Google forms +quick and easy way to collect information +good for formative assessment/class analysis-you can Black out any cells you want hidden from student view +students do not need a google account to participate -Lengthy answers cause spreadsheet to be large

Set up a Google account, if you do not already have one www.google.com Create a new document of your own Invite another teacher or two to share with you Create a form Find hyperlink students will need to access your form Look at form results display

2. You Tube (or any other video site) +virtually everything you want to teach is already posted to You-Tube +can embed into Moodle, or other website, so students do not have to go to YouTube website +create playlists, save videos for use later +students can watch difficult concepts on their own time +absent students can be "caught up" before returning to class +students can preview material before you teach it -internet access required to access -easy to get lost searching for videos, and spend a lot of time on the website

Go to youtube, or other video site Search for a video you think you could use in your first unit Find the embed code Embed into moodle or this wiki for practice

See also Chris Renfrow's information click here

3. Diigo-Social Bookmarking site (similar to Delicious) +you can save all personal bookmarks so that a computer crash will not result in lost pages +you can join groups already formed +you can create your own group and share bookmarks with each other +you can highlight important information and add "sticky notes"

Go to www.diigo.com Create a personal account Copy personal bookmarks to group Create a department group Add highlighting/sticky notes to a website and share with the group

4. Explore learning-not free-requires an annual fee +math and science explorations +gets kids involved in virtual manipulatives/puts things into a visual context +typically self explanatory-good to use when you have a sub -students are not accustomed to "self learning"-they are content to click without learning -exploration guides can take some editing to get what you want

Look at a few gizmos available Discuss pros and cons of website

5. Wikispaces +good way to get students to communicate with each other +good way to organize group work so that everyone can contribute +you can see who did what -not "math-type" friendly -issues with pages looking right

View samples from algebra 2 Practice editing a wiki If you want to create your own, go to [|www.wikispaces.com]

6. Logger Pro/Tracker 3/TI Connect +data collection and analysis tools -Logger Pro is not free; TI connect requires silver (or black ?) link cables -Tracker 3 is free, but requires some practice...built for physics and video analysis

Look at tracker 3 sample video analysis If you want to download tracker 3, go to [|http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dbrown/tracker/] If you are interested in Logger Pro, go to []

7. Jing +create screen shots, videos of computer actions +excellent when you are teaching "tech" skills and have students who are absent or need to see it more than once

See samples of video Sample of screen shot Sample of "annotated screen shot" Download Jing and play @http://www.jingproject.com/

8. Wordle +vocabulary tool +EASY to learn

This Wordle was embeded using the code media type="custom" key="6568379"

This Wordle was saved as a .png file, uploaded to the wiki, then linked as a file. @http://www.wordle.net/

9. One Note +Great with tablet PC's +keeps your notes organized +import worksheets, images +great with TISmartview - I have no experience with student use

*Don't be overwhelmed. If you feel lost, pick ONE item or tool that you feel the most comfortable with or feel might be the most promising, and use it. You don't have to use every tool you have seen over the past 3 days. In fact, if you try to, you will go crazy. (Trust me, I've been there).
 * Not everyday (especially in mathematics) will be a laptop day. THATS OKAY!!
 * Pick the BEST tool to get the job done. Some days that will be a laptop activity, other days it will still be good ole paper folding.
 * Try to develop one activity each grading period that requires students to use their laptops...Then share activities with each other. By the end of the year you should have a pretty good library of lessons/activities to select from for the following year.
 * Give yourself permission to learn with the students. I always have at least one student that knows far more than I ever will about computers and is eager to help me and troubleshoot for me, and other students.
 * It's okay to learn with the kids, and let them know that they may have more skills than you, but always remain in charge of your classroom. Just because a student has more skills than you does not mean that you have relinquished control.
 * Make sure CONTENT is still being covered. Don't let the "fun" of technology cause you to fall behind on your content.

Box method for factoring powerpoint.