Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Changes in resourcing math classrooms

Over the last five years there has been a change in resourcing mathematics.  Once the domain of the textbook and worksheet, increasingly mathematics is becoming a dynamic and thought provoking class engaging students in a range of activities that go beyond the chalk and talk lesson.

iPads

iPads are becoming a go to tool for mathematics classes.  The symbolic data entry problem can be overcome (unlike with laptops) enabling a range of activities.  Tools like Socrative allow formative testing to occur and can help drive students through the learning process.  Organisational issues such as lugging texts, diaries, bringing pens can be reduced to "have you charged your iPad today".  Active lessons requiring spreadsheets and graphs can now be done at the desk, rather than at the computing lab.  Social learning, such as generating texts based on mutual learning of students or sharing of video tutorials between students,  is now possible with increasingly ubiquitous internet access.

iBooks

iBooks are exciting.  Now with access to math tools, it is easy to generate an iBook/ebook.  Hop into iBooks Author, type up your material for a lesson, issue it to kids. ... but now the process continues ... learn what works in your social context, edit the iBook and re-issue it next year.  Get the kids to comment on how good it is and make relevant changes.  Share the iBook so that others can use your starting point.

Social Learning Networks

Social learning networks take teaching to a new level.  By extending the reach of teachers beyond the classroom, teachers are able to broaden their subject base beyond four hours per week.  Students are able to see what problems other students are having and help out, or get help on a "just in time" basis.

IWB's

Interactive whiteboards are an easy to implement supplement to teaching.  Remember the days of rubbing off notes three minutes are writing them.  Not being able to go back and revisit notes and remind students that you had already covered a topic.  Not being able to save notes and store them for students to later look at solutions for problems they have not completed.  Being able to display video easily without having to set up projectors or TV's.

Screencasting

Before screencasting I would get frustrated re-teaching the same idea as students became ready for it, based around a need for differentiation in the classroom and being able to present ideas as students were ready for them - scafffolding at the right time.  Now I can generate a series of screencasts and link them together with apps like edmodo (for embedding it within a series of lessons) or prezi (to show how a subject links together).  They also force me to think how I reached an idea and how to better present it.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Mathematics Texts

There are many mathematics texts currently available and many undergoing change subject to new courses being introduced next year. We have had a good look at those available for year 10 and can say the following:

Mathszone3: Great support materials to create tests and quiz's. Great worked examples at the start of each chapter, Pretests are ok and most chapters need some form of supplemental activities and can be a little narrow. It covers most areas but notably absent is a detailed coverage of quadratics. It's our primary text and aimed at intermediate students. Homework books require coursework to be completed in the order of the text. Good identification of terms required for each chapter.

Maths for WA3: Generally much more comprehensive in the level of its activities than Mathszone3. Homework book more useable when changing order from text. Generally worked examples not as clear as Mathszone. Has been the preferred text of many of the advanced students as the learning curve is steeper than Mathszone3.

Mathquest3: One of the earlier texts aimed at the curriculum framework. Very bright and user friendly but has a tendency to dump the teacher in it if they are not careful and review every block of questions. On more than a few occassions I had to stop the class and teach a bit that was not obviously needed from a quick skim of the chapter and reading the examples. Homework book is ok, but would not be first preference.

Nelson Maths3: It's hard to put the finger on what is wrong with Nelson maths, but we did not use it much when delving through material for this year's course. It was used a bit in the lower school but to some degree they have now moved to MathsforWA1 and my understanding is that they use Nelson as a supplementary text.

Understanding Mathematics (2,3,4): Well written and logical in sequence with outcomes clearly marked on each page - although not up to the publishing standards of the other three texts (the colour glossy pictures and other frippery are missing). We've used Understanding Mathematics effectively when we're looking for activities for students to show understanding, especially with lower ability groups.

And a special mention to the Excel Algebra series. (I can hear the critics now)... I know the space available in the workbook isn't enough to complete working properly, it lacks depth in places and is a commercially driven product but simple algebra issues can be resolved by sending a copy of the book home and letting parents work through the book with their kids (there's worked examples for each question). Anything that empowers parents to my mind is great.