I was nervous about working on a group project for an online class, but in the end it turned out to be a great and successful experience. One of my group members, Justyna, took initiative and created the spreadsheet early on, so that we could all input our technologies by Monday night. This way, we had enough time to look over them and write our blog. We also decided to color code the different categories so the spreadsheet is nicely organized. We communicated through email, which worked out fine for us. When inputting our technologies, we had to look over the ones that other members put in so we would not repeat them.
This interactivity has made me aware of how many technologies there are to use in a math class. Of course there are the obvious ones like calculators and computers, but we found some great ones that I never heard of before. For example, dream box learning, is a fun easy way to learn math through animations and examples. SchoolTube and TeacherTube are also great websites where students and teachers can share educational videos. Even a digital camera can be used in math as as a visual representation for finding the measures of shapes, their sides, angles, etc.
The spreadsheet can be a great reference tool for me, to use for my classes now and later in my teaching career. Since there are so many technologies, I do not always have to depend on one. Often student may get bored, but by trying different technologies, I can make each lesson unique and by using some of the websites I can give them additional resources to use at home.
I agree with you, Anita that this interactivity allowed us to explore technologies that will be useful for us when we enter the classroom. I was also able to find many lesson plans that were simple and fun and will definitely aid in our teaching career. Also, it was difficult to think outside the box and get away from the obvious software websites and calculators. It was a challenge finding physical and simple tools that were "cutting edge."
ReplyDeleteAnita, I also think this interactivity was a great tool to not only show us how collaborative an online assignment can be, but also the many different pieces of technology we can use as future math teachers that we've never heard of. The spreadsheet and Google docs in general can also be a great tool to manage group assignments for me in the future, during my own schooling, as well as my students'.
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