Week Five

Blended Learning and Technological Integration in Mathematics

"Eight Awesome Features Mojang Should Add to Minecraft"
by BagoGames, taken on June 17 2012

This week we learned about blended learning and technology in mathematics. In the article, Making Math Children Will Love: Building Positive Mathitudes to ImproveStudent Achievement in Mathematics it is discussed how utilizing resources to improve students’ relationships with mathematics can increase student engagement emotionally, motivationally, and create an overall increased level of interest. The article goes on to outline how learning begins with play. When students are positive and engaged in mathematics they will be more motivated to learn. “Fun” is an important concept to remember when planning math lessons. Playing with math can be more crucial to student learning than simply lecturing math theories or strategies “at” students. Allowing students to “play” and have “fun” will encourage them to develop their own strategies, take risks, and challenge themselves, within mathematics. It can also foster a collaborative learning experience with their peers.

These concepts of “fun” and “play” can greatly integrated with the use of blended learning. This teaching and learning strategy means integrating technology and face-to-face learning in the classroom. For example, interactive whiteboards can enhance teacher-directed lessons but also involve the students in their own learning as they utilize the technology as well. Teachers will be more efficient and be able to use a variety of multimedia resources almost simultaneously. Students will likely be more engaged during the lessons. In turn, the students can get up out of their desks and interact with the white board themselves, also increasing engagement. You can read more about this concept in Technology in the Mathematics Classroom.

Furthermore, a great video to watch to further understand the concept of blended learning is Grades 4 to 8 Mathematics: Blended Learning Units. It describes how digital tools and face-to-face online learning are great avenues to differentiate learning for all types of learners. You can use the same structure as a solely in-class/face-to-face lesson (i.e. minds on, action, consolidation; assessment for/as/of learning; learning goals; success criteria; etc.). This type of learning can appeal to visual, technological, auditory, and creative learners. It also allows students to be leaders in their own learning as they develop strategies and “figure it out for themselves.” Additionally, the teacher is still present to assist with understanding, give prompts, and lead students in the right direction. Another great reason to use blended learning is the real-world connection it provides. Students in the 21^st century are growing up within a technological world. They are surrounded by technology, digital tools, and grow alongside technological development. This will help them in the long-run as future careers will likely be dependent on technology.

After reading Tyler’s Blog Post for week five, I instantly reflected on this past week’s in-class activities. Tyler mentioned how our time spent using Minecraft gave us a hands on experience and allowed for creativity development. This incorporation of technology in the mathematics classroom was exciting and definitely an opportunity I would like to provide for my students. Tyler mentioned how 21^st century learners can be developed with this kind of learning. This is the same concept I was outlining in regards to today’s technological world. As a class we discussed the use of Kahoot and Plickers. Tyler mentioned how he used Kahoot in his math classroom during his placement to review math units. He used it for fractions which allowed students to work on quick mental math, have access to visuals, and created a great level of excitement in the classroom. Tyler goes on to write that, “This allows for student creativity and giving students hand on experience in exploring various concepts. I think this a great tool to use in the classroom to assist students in a new way of learning and making it related to the idea of the “21^st Century learner”, using video games as a form of learning. This is appealing to many students today.” I definitely agree with his mindset, and will take what he has said into consideration for my future classroom.

To end off this blog post, I would like to highlight an additional blog post that I stumbled across. Who Are Great Blended-Learning Teachers highlights what it takes to be a great teacher in a blended program. It discusses the importance of having a growth mindset, creative mindset, being collaborative, and being open-minded. What I find interesting is that these are mindset qualities we hope to instill in our students, especially through the integration of technology in the learning. The article also discusses the importance of allowing students to be independent and self-directed learners. This means individualizing the learning and coaching the students to be able to reach that level of independent learner. Students can learn how to hold themselves accountable, set their own goals, and track their progress. I touched on this concept above where I outlined the need to allow students to develop their own strategies, take risks, and challenge themselves. Finally, the last concept the article highlights is getting away from traditional teaching. I believe blended learning encourages teachers to become facilitator and coach rather than lecturer. Check out the article for a great read on blended learning and how you as a teacher can be the best tool in student blended learning. J