Chapter 11 - Teaching and Learning with Technology in Mathematics and Science Instruction (5th grade)

Over the years there has been a “war” between people in regard to how Math and Science classes are conducted. There are those that think that instruction should be mostly teacher-directed, and then those who support a more hands-on and student directed approach.

Advantages of Integrating Technology

There are many technology integration strategies that can be used by teachers for the subjects of Math and Science. Teachers can implement virtual manipulatives in Math to bridge the gap between abstract and concrete thinking and problems. Technology integration strategies for Math also include support for mathematical problem solving, and motivating skill building and practice. In Science, teachers can further support instruction by involving students in scientific inquiry through authentic online projects. Other technology integration strategies that offer support for Science instruction include engaging students in engineering topics through robotics and accessing Science information and tools. Two resources I discovered that proved to be valuable for integrating technology into Math and Science was Math Forum at Drexel-Ask Dr. Math and the Digital Library for Earth System Education.

*www.mathforum.org/dr/math

*www.dlese.org/library

Disadvantages of Integrating Technology

Many people feel that there are disadvantages of integrating technology in the classroom for instruction in Math and Science. These people who do not support integrating technology in Math argue that students will neglect to learn their basic multiplication facts because they will heavily rely on technology to provide the answers for them. People who are not in favor of integrating technology in Science lessons are against virtual lab experiments and feel that teacher should just stick to the standards and textbooks while teaching Science. A resource I found that clearly states the advantages and disadvantages of integrating technology in the classroom is called Technology as a Communication Tool Within the Education System.

*http://technoedu.weebly.com/advantages-and-disadvantages.html

Specific Activities, Programs, Etc.

The activities and programs I found useful from Chapter 11 include:

*Teaching students to use graphing calculators (improves students’ understanding of functions)

*Using interactive geometry software (students can create and manipulate geometric constructions)

*”Hands-on /Minds-on Science” (students learn by doing various experiments)

*Webcasts (students have the opportunity to interact and ask a scientist questions)