Made4Math Technology Baby Steps

Our school was chosen for a laptop initiative.  Laptops were distributed last week to 9th graders who returned permission slips and had their student IDs. In our first class day with laptops about 50 - 75% of the students had picked theirs up.

Knowing that we have limited amount of math time, but wanting to integrate the new tool right away, I planned just a few short activities with the laptops.  For the next several lessons, the computer activities will not be heavy duty; instead they will be a way for me to observe my students use of the tool, gauge what might work, and give me a foundation for future planning.

The first tool I implemented was Google forms.  I love Google forms ... they are quick, simple, and easy to manage ... awesome for collecting data.  Tomorrow students will check their homework and check the problems they missed on the Google form.  That way I will know which problems were the most difficult for the class.  I can work those problems into our warm-ups and homework.

Great for Ticket Out of the Door

A second tool I am using is Today's Meet.  Today's Meet requires no set up.  I simple go to the site, enter a name for our meeting, and post the link for students to access.  Then at the end of class I can collect qualitative data about the lesson. I ask a question aloud in class, and students respond on the Today's Meet site.  I can keep that record of responses if I need them for future planning.  Last week I asked which step was difficult in solving systems of equations by substitution.

Another tool I'll use tomorrow is Super Teacher Tools: Speed Match.  I plan for students to match words to equations as a warm-up since our lesson is on solving systems in context.  If students don't have their computers, I have a paper copy.  If they do have their computers, they will play the "game" online.

Our school has adopted "Evernote" as its online note-taking system.  A few students have asked if they can take their class notes online ... and so far I've said yes.  Typing math notes is much more difficult than typing notes for other classes but I want students to try it if they think they can take good notes that way.  I do hope to help students build an Evernote notebook ... possibly on vocabulary.  I think it would be a great way to keep track of the math vocabulary they learn in high school ... since Evernote will be an ongoing tool.

The IT folks just pushed out the virtual graphing calculator over the weekend.  We use TI 83+ in class ... now everyone will have one on their laptops as well.  This is a bonus in working problems at home!  Before I couldn't count on students having access to a graphing calculator at home.  Yes, there are online ones, but not everyone has Internet access.  Now the virtual calculator is installed on their laptops ... no Internet required to access it.

If you use an online tool to support formative assessment in particular, or to present math lessons, please share!

laptop initiative - need your help!

Our laptop initiative gets underway this coming week.  Our 9th graders are being issued laptops on Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Our students will have gmail accounts
• Because they have gmail accounts, we will use the Google Drive
• I believe Chrome will be the browser we will use ... 
• Our school has chosen Evernote as one of its common software applications

My evaluation observation will be one week later ... our lesson that day is solving systems in context (word problems) using substitution.

I have a lesson outline in mind ... but now I realize it would be helpful if we use our laptops that day.  We will have had them only a week ... 

If you have ideas, suggestions, I'd love to hear from those of you that use laptops in the classroom daily.