Most of today's students either own or use iPods, iPod Touches, MP3 Players, and computers everyday. These digital tools provide a natural strategy to support student learning - Podcasts!
A 10 part series by Professor Marcus du Satuoy, University of Oxford, "argues that mathematics is the driving force behind modern science. Ten fifteen minute podcasts that reveal the personalities behind the calculations from Newton to the present day. How do these masters of abstraction find a role in the real world?"
How big a role does randomness play in our lives? Do we live in a world of magic and meaning or … is it all just chance and happenstance? To tackle this question, we look at the role chance and randomness play in sports, lottery tickets, and even the cells in our own body. Along the way, we talk to a woman suddenly consumed by a frenzied gambling addiction, two friends whose meeting seems purely providential, and some very noisy bacteria.
"Integration of technology is an integral part of project based learning, because technology is an integral part of life outside the classroom as revealed in this part of the definition - "types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.""
Stimulating critical thinking using technology has the potential to create more in depth understanding of science and math content by students when engaged in learning activities which integrate in-class and on-line technology resources.
Technology tools support stimulation of both inquiry-based and critical thinking skills by engaging students in exploring, thinking, reading, writing, researching, inventing, problem-solving, and experiencing the world outside their classroom. This is accomplished through learning content through the lens of video to multimedia to the internet (Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement, NCREL, 2005).
The following is a common question heard around teacher workrooms, teacher lunchrooms, faculty meetings, and science or math conferences.
"Why use web 2.0 tools when teaching science or math?"
The answer is both simple and complex at the same time.
Wikis are the most popular Web 2.0 tool being used in science and math classrooms. Based on a survey of readers - 43 percent use them to support their teaching and student learning.
A Wiki is appealing, encourages participation, supports collaboration, and promotes interaction by students who love to use technology.
By the way - this includes most students today!
The Middle School Portal 2: Math and Science Pathways project (MSP2) is a component of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) that supports middle school educators and youth by offering contextualized, high-quality resources and promotes interactivity, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing among its users. Educators can access MSP2 to increase content knowledge in the areas of science, mathematics, and technology, and to build knowledge on developmentally appropriate pedagogy for youth aged 10 to 15. MSP2 also connects middle school youth to fun and engaging information on math, science, and technology, as well as health, safety, and career exploration. Web tools such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds, and social networking services are being used in the continued development of MSP2 to transform passive, text-based information into a dynamic, collaborative experience that promotes the creation, modification, and sharing of resources, and facilitates professional development. MSP2 is a project of The Ohio State University, National Middle School Association, and Education Development Center, Inc., and is funded by the National Science Foundation.
GeoGebra: Do the Math is a series of screencast tutorials for teachers and/or students. The tutorials were initiated as a project to support Maine math teachers in the integration of technology in the classroom. What is GeoGebra provides an overview of the program and its capabilities. Several tutorials present the program's menu options and tools in step-by-step format. Another group of tutorials provides examples of GeoGebra learning activities in major math content areas. These tutorials are intended as a visual supplement to printed guides and documentation. GeoGebra users can find a wealth of guidance and examples at www.geogebra.org. A web search such as "GeoGebra Pythagorean Theorem" will yield hundreds of additional articles, examples, and applets.