Math, technology, education, and beyond

…buy into the whole idea of using technology in the classroom.  I came back from Christmas vacation, and I haven’t had a moment to catch up on old work.  I have a desk and cabinet-top (and part of the floor) full of work that I have no idea when I’ll get it done, and that’s ok.  If it’s not already been completed, it can’t possibly be THAT important, right?  It is so great to see these teachers taking these risks to use this new technology and new ideas in their classroom.

…buy into the whole idea of using technology as an educational tool, and not just as a way to socialize and be entertained.  Today’s high school students know a lot about technology, but mainly when used to socialize (Facebook, MySpace, IM, etc.) and for entertainment (games, music, movies, etc.).  That’s all well and good that they’re using the technology for a purpose.  What has me worried is what I saw when I visited my sister and saw how my 7 year old neighbor was surfing the internet.  He wasn’t playing games.  He wasn’t talking with his friends.  He was learning.  He was using this tool to expand his knowledge of the universe, and he was doing it unsupervised.  In other words, he is expanding his knowledge on his own.

This should scare today’s high school students.  My nephew is 10 years younger than them, but he’s using technology in a way that my high school students do not.   What’s going to happen when my nephew’s peer group enters the work force?  They will be more focused on using the technology in a productive way, and business leaders will see this.  And they will replace their workers who have been there for ten years whose productivity isn’t what it should be.  And these younger people will have no problem with forcing those others out.

That puts this current high school group in a precarious position.  They NEED to learn how to use the technology in a productive manner.  They NEED to learn how to work with others and to try new things and to take risks.  They NEED to be challenged in and out of the classroom.  They NEED to demand that technology become part of their education, because if they don’t do these things, they will be left behind.

It’s kind of scary to think that for the most part, this current crop of high school students is not ready to use this technology.  Many of us view them as “digital natives,” where they have had this technology in front of them their whole lives, and they have.  However, the digital culture and digital climate have changed, so they are no longer in their native world.  It’s now time for them to evolve and adapt, and we as educators NEED to make sure we are helping them to realize and accomplish this.

Below is an email that I have sent to my teachers and a few colleagues that I find very helpful when trying to help others understand their role with integrating technology.

I ran into this quote today in my research reading.  For those of you who don’t know, Karl Fisch is a leading expert in technology integration.  He interacts with educators around the world on how to include technology into education and what it actually means to today’s world.  His blog is widely read, and he has created videos and posts to help others understand the role of technology in today’s world.  I offer you this quote from him to help you release any pressure you may feel about technology and education.  We’re not trying to force technology into a lesson.  We want to do what’s best to make sure we get a lesson to be the best it can for our students.

“It [isn't] about the laptops. You should use them when you think they are appropriate and can enhance and extend your students’ learning. And you should leave them shut away in their comfy carts when they don’t….Please, release the pressure – we are certainly not intending to place it upon you. Do what’s best for your students – every day.” – Karl Fisch

I still find it so amazing that there are students of mine that worry more about how to do something than why it is they are doing it. Case in point: I have recently introduced a lesson on variance and standard deviation. The students did well and following the process to find the standard deviation. They were even able to remember the formula for it. However, when it came to questions that asked which set of data had the most variation or what a range of scores were when we knew the mean and standard deviation, not many knew what to do. All it took for me to get the idea through to them was to ask what standard deviation is.

Unfortunately, most gave the answer, “The square root of the variance!”

I responded, “That’s how you find it, but what is it?” Blank stares. “Okay, look at your notes.”

Ten seconds later, 15 hands shot up. “It’s tells how far scores deviate from the mean.”

Now, they had an understanding of what was being asked in these questions. This brings me to the fact that it is still so difficult to get students to think about why something is, not just how to do it. One way I try to get students to think about math is to ask them how to get to Harrisburg. Some say to take 422. Others send you out to Interstate 81. Others will choose back roads. I ask them why they chose that way, and whether one way is more correct. The students say that they’re all correct, as we end up in Harrisburg each time. However, one will usually point out that depending on how quickly you want to get there and what time of day it is, you might want to choose one way over another. If it is in the height of rush hour, traffic moves more slowly on 422, and when it merges into 322 and then I-83, it gets even more backed up. But if you go to I-81, traffic tends to move better.

Now we have an understanding about how to get to Harrisburg, not just directions. I can now relate to my students that math is the same. If you only know a process, you don’t get any of the understanding for it. We now take a look at the formula for finding standard deviation and take it apart. Using the order of operations, you can go through the process step-by-step to see how it works. Understanding of the individual parts leads to an understanding of the whole. Those that take the time to look at all the pieces will have a much better understanding of mathematics as a whole.