Hold The Phone: Is This Math Class?

As educators, we have the responsibility of constantly adapting our teaching styles to best meet the needs of our ever-changing groups of students. As technology evolves, we need to modify the technology we bring into the classroom. If we are still only using pencils and paper in our classrooms, we are missing some very important tools that are available to our students. John Dewey said, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”

In an answer to Joann’s call for more resources, I have done some research on the topic of using cell phones as mathematics instructional tools. Using cell phones in class is kind of a sticky subject, since many schools discourage the use of cell phones altogether. A lot of students own them, though, and an increasing number of educators are realizing the value of embracing this technology rather than banning it completely from the school environment. I am still undecided about how I feel about using cell phones in my own classroom, but I thought these articles were great discussion-starters on the topic. Please leave a comment about how you feel about this technology.

The following article paints a picture of how cell phones can be beneficial tools for a variety of subjects. Click here to read “Teachers Begin Using Cell Phones for Class Lessons,” an Associated Press article from November 2009. (http://www.physorg.com/news178565351.html)  Many teens from all different socioeconomic backgrounds own cell phones. For those who don’t, there are probably enough kids in the class who have phones to be able to use them in group activities. In this article, they discuss using cell phones in scavenger hunts, and using them to text answers to a polling website. Technology-savvy teachers can get the quick feedback we used to get by using slates, and the kids get to (gasp!) text during class.

Math4Mobile, a project of The University of Haifa, created some free graphing applications for cell phones that might be a really nice addition for teaching math concepts that are sometimes hard for students to visualize. Information about the project can be found here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070711001517.htm. We are in the process of adding this resource to The Gateway, so you will be able to access it that way as well.

Project K’Nect, an initiative funded by Qualcomm, provided smart phones to students in low-income schools. They developed math curricula around the use of mobile phones. You can read about the project here. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/140/cellphonometry.html?page=0%2C0  This project was successful at using the phones as tools in well-planned activities and units.

Throughout all of these articles, a common theme of using cell phones as learning tools built on the fact that the students actually use the communication capabilities of the phones to aid their learning. They are not just using them as calculators. They can collaborate through text messages, even combining data to form graphs together. When one student is stuck, another could guide them through the problems through texting, talking, or even creating short instructional videos. It’s what many of them do after school. It’s fun for them to text with friends and create YouTube videos. What if our students can use these skills to teach each other?

This topic might be controversial in many districts, especially those with cell phone bans in place. As one of the most widespread forms of technology used by our students today, using cell phones to aid in instruction may be helpful for creating lessons that “stick.” On the other hand, it might not work in your school. What do you think? Have you tried using cell phones as a tool in your classroom? Have you tried another tool for math instruction that really engaged your students? We would love to hear about your thoughts and experiences.

~Peggy's Corner~

A Call to (Math) Arms

We recently heard from teacher MCN who asked for math lessons using iPods or cell phones. This turned out to be a tall order: while there are companies popping up all over offering fee-based math games for cells and iPods, there aren’t currently a lot of good freely available resources. So, hear ye, hear ye, I’m issuing an official call – I’d like to know about free math lessons/apps you’ve created for iPods or cells; links appreciated. In the meantime, some offerings:



The Tangent Function
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-01-24.4953102213
Subjects: Math, Trigonometry
Grade: 10-12

The tangent of an angle is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the adjacent side. Well, alrighty, then. While this concept may click immediately with some students, others (like me) might need some extra support. This 2 minute, 55-second math animation can be downloaded to an iPod with video capabilities and used to coach students through the tangent function. This animation is offered by mathtutor, which is comprised of a group of UK teachers, mathematicians and new media producers from the Universities of Leeds, Loughborough and Coventry and the EBS Trust.


Math Snacks: Bad Date
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-01-15.0412763670
Subjects: Math, Proportions, Ratios
Grade: 5-8

This is one bad date that you’ll actually want to stick around for. This “math snack” is a brief (less than 10 minutes) animation that humorously visualizes the ratio of words spoken on a series of dates. It can be viewed online, or downloaded to an iPod or iPhone. Besides the humor and the engaging graphics, I like that this resource also has learner and teacher guides available with extension activities, discussion points, and more. If downloaded to an iPod, it can be viewed repeatedly at a student’s discretion. Math Snacks are the brainchildren of the New Mexico State University Media Productions department, which offer dynamic educational media developed by its award-winning team of faculty, animators, game and web designers, videographers, programmers, and artists.


Linear & Exponential Growth Poetry
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-01-24.7918361798
Subjects: Math, Algebra, Writing
Grade: 6-12

Remember “My Hero, Zero”? If you grew up in the 1970s, you’ve hit pay dirt with this lesson. Using Schoolhouse Rock videos and footage from a classic Coke commercial, this lesson teaches students about the differences between linear and exponential growth. I like that this is a cross-curricular activity combining those two unlikely bedfellows, math and language arts. Students fill in the numbers they hear in the songs, with the idea that they see how fast exponential growth (geometric, multiplying) grows as opposed to linear (arithmetic, adding). The videos can be downloaded to iPods and used outside the classroom. This lesson is provided by NumberFix, part of the Northern Nevada Writing Project's Writing Across the Curriculum workshops for teachers that is designed to inspire writing about math in the classroom.