Monday, April 6, 2009

Maine Podcasts

For this assignment I was asked to listen to two podcasts. Both podcasts were made by the Maine Department of Education and the woman talking in them is Judy Chandler. The first podcast is titled Mathematics with Technology. Some teachers erase technology from their math classrooms for many reasons such as not enough time, need to get to the end of the book, or they just do not believe in it. However, technology is essential in students learning math. Technology was actually included as one of the six critical principals in having a quality math education. Their are many tools in technology that engage students.

The second podcast is titled Thinking Mathematically. In most math settings they learn example by example in the text book. Some students are unable to learn by this. They can memorize formulas but they still may not know how to use them. Mathematics takes thinking. I believe technology can be an outstanding way for kids to connect with math. I was always horrible in math. I hated going to class, doing the work that I did not understand, and no matter how many times the teacher showed me how to do the equation I still never fully understood it. I wish my teachers would have used some sort of technology in my math classes. Maybe I could have made a better connection than I did using the examples in the book.

2 comments:

  1. Good job Sam. I too which more technology was available "way back then" when I too was taking math. I learn best by hands on examples. Most of my teachers just sat on a stool and worked examples on the overhead projector or chalk board; prior to marker boards ;) Just copying examples did not help me at all.

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