Over the course of the semester we’ve explored how technology works in conjunction with mathematics education. We’ve looked at how technology changes the manner in which students learn as well as what technologies can be used for various high school mathematics courses. It turns out that the capacity to use technology in a mathematics classroom extends far beyond graphing calculators and smart boards. Using technology in the classroom is a precise process of finding appropriate technological tools, verifying their fidelity to the intended content area, and seamlessly integrating it into the classroom. While this process of finding and implementing technology can be difficult, being able to follow through means presenting mathematical content in potentially new ways to students that deepen their understanding of the material.
The most important thing to consider when talking about implementing technology in mathematics classrooms is how it opens new pathways for student learning. Technology is often viewed as a computational aid, or task servant. By using technology to do computations, construct models, and data collection, teachers are now able to pose previously impossible types of problems to students (Dick & Hollebrands, 2011). These new types of problems allow for the rise of new types of questioning that seeks to promote mathematical reasoning and sense making. Having students engage in mathematical reasoning and sense making is the ultimate goal that we as mathematics teachers should be continually striving for. This quote from Focus in High School Mathematics: Technology to support reasoning and sense making accurately reflects this goal, “For students to learn mathematics with understanding, they must have opportunities to engage on a regular basis with tasks that focus on reasoning and problem solving and make possible multiple entry points and varied solution strategies” (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014, p. 23). This sentiment is echoed across various research backed literature about mathematics education as well as in the SMPs, MTPs and essential concepts.
Perhaps the biggest boon for having technology integrated into the classroom is in the ability to have students create mathematical models. Programs such as Desmos, Geogebra, CODAP, Excel, and TI-Nspire allow students to model real world situations, a growing focus for all secondary mathematics courses. Having these interactive visual modeling programs enables teachers to create high-demand tasks that let students explore different content areas in mathematics through the creation of models. Having this initial exploration for different content areas is vital to students as they develop a relational understanding of the material. In addition, having students create mathematical models of different situations builds their procedural fluency. Building a procedural fluency for a topic can lead to students have better retention of the material as well as enable them to apply their understanding to new situations in a flexible way (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014, p.42). Without having this initial exploration, students are rushed to build up their fluency in mathematics. This leads to major consequences for students in that it drops a student’s confidence in their abilities and is considered a cause of mathematics anxiety (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014, p.43). As a result, having technology is a must for all secondary mathematics courses.
In conclusion, integrating technology into the mathematics classroom adds a whole new dimension to teaching mathematics. For teachers, it unlocks previously impossible high-demand tasks for students, allowing for more opportunities to have students develop their mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills. As a result, students will have a much stronger relational understanding of the content than ever before. This leads to students growing more confident in their skills as mathematicians as their mathematical identities grow. Therefore, mathematics teachers should strive to seek out meaningful technological tools to augment the way students approach mathematical content.
References
- Dick, T. P., & Hollebrands, K. F. (2011). Focus in high school mathematics: Technology to Support Reasoning and Sense Making. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring mathematical success for all. Reston, VA: Author.
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