Integrating Technology

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Integrating Technology
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Curriculum drives technology, not the other way
around!

• Identify an area of need
• difficult concepts
• lacks student interest
• dry content
• Identify resources
• online tools and resources
• available software
• Write your lesson plan
• Connect to other subject areas
• Identify pre-requisite skills
• Identify objectives

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A message from the author This technology
enhanced learning unit, Tell Me a Story A Story
Problem, That is! was created in order to help
the 3rd Grade teacher motivate their students to
learn how to solve math story problems. It was
indicated to me through various interviews that
this is one of the most difficult concepts for
students to understand due to reading and
comprehension skills. In order to facilitate the
instruction in this area, I have looked at and
suggested some technology enhancements which will
motivate the students interest in solving
problems. I also felt that a very valuable
aspect of story problem solving was to allow the
students to create their own problems. I have
suggested some primary graphics programs which
also have word processing capabilities. With
these programs, a student may illustrate almost
any aspect of a math story problem. Time, money,
fractions, place value, and more can be
graphically shown with literally hundreds of
beautiful color icons and clip art in a way that
students will enjoy and remember. This is a good
way to incorporate the multiple intelligences and
different learning styles of students. The hands
on nature creates a connection between the hand
and eye for the tactile learner. The colorful
artwork is a visual treat for the student who
learns more optically. Sounds can be added in
some programs for the auditory learner. The
simplicity of cute tools and easy to recognize
icons makes it possible for those with special
needs to be productive. yet the creative nature
of the work challenges even the gifted. This puts
the work in the upper level of Blooms Digital
Scale creating. Students may work alone, or in
small groups in order to learn how to cooperate,
collaborate, and generate ideas.
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Tell Me a Story!
a Story Problem, that is!
Integrating Technology 3rd Grade Math by Noreen
Strehlow
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• Resources
• online tools and resources
• available district software

I have included far more resources than are
needed but wanted to make this document
functional as a total online math resource.
CYBERCHASE teaches kids that math is everywhere,
everyone can be good at it, and it's
fun! Activities support numbers operations,
angles geometry, budgeting, estimation,
fractions, algebra, bar graphs, using models,
patterns, time keeping, logic, perimeter area,
place value, functions, and line graphs. This is
graphic intensive and might take a while to load
so be patient. Activities are rooted in NCTM
standards.
http//www.mathstories.com/
http//pbskids.org/cyberchase/index.html
http//www.asset.asu.edu/new/mathactive/gradesk_2.
html
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http//www.teachrkids.com/
http//www.homeschoolmath.net/math_resources_2.php
http//www.funbrain.com/math/index.html
http//www.aplusmath.com/
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http//www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/g_5.html
http//www.figurethis.org/challenges/math_index.ht
m
Interactive Area Volume
http//www.321know.com/
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SMART Board Lesson Search
http//www.mathplayground.com/
Create a Graph
Interactive Tools
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http//www.coolmath.com/
http//www.moneyinstructor.com/skills.asp
http//www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org/aunty/
http//www.multiplication.com/index.htm
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Virtual Geoboard
Scholastic Math Online
http//www.k4.dion.ne.jp/mnaka/animation.html
http//www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/11_16/site/m
aths.shtml
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• Resources
• online tools and resources
• available district software

Tux Paint Math
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(No Transcript)
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Great Math Manipulatives!
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Great Math Manipulatives!
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Create your own Manipulatives!
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Create Your Own Teaching Materials!
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Create Your Own Teaching Materials!
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Build 3D Math Models in Second Life
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What do kids need to know 1st?

• Students need some basic skills such as
• Good mouse skills double clicking, pointing,
  selection
• Being able to navigate around a document page
• Keyboarding at grade level
• 3rd graders should be able to touch type the
  entire alphabet
• How to use some basic paint and drawing tools
• How to save files to a folder on a flash drive
  or specific server space
• How to be an adventurous and curious
  learner!
• How to work with a partner or small group

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Connections!
You can integrate story problems into any content
area. For example If nine colonies became
states after Georgia did, how many states were
there in all?
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Classroom Management
So youve got some 3rd grade kids to teach. Ok,
you can handle that. Youre bigger than they are
and you can probably talk louder. So you have to
teach them how to do math story problems. Ok,
still a manageable situation. Youve taken your
methods courses and you know how to teach them.
So, its just not going the way you thought it
would. The kids are just not getting it. Ok,
now what? You want this to work, but everything
you try falls just a little flat. You decide to
try using the computer. You heard that there is
supposed to be some sort of math software,
somewhere in the building. You sort of know how
to use the computer. Youre an intelligent human
being so you should be able to make this all come
together, right? If you want to make good use of
technology in your classroom, you need to be a
bit more aggressive about it. Do not passively
follow someone elses plans. You really need to
find out what works and what doesnt, just like
your other lesson plans. When I teach a new
program, I never give them much information
about it. I ask a lot of what do you think and
what might happen if style questions, and offer
students very little unless they get hopelessly
stuck. This rarely happens if you provide an
environment where problem solving is built into
the process.
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Classroom Management Continued
Never let a child just sit there looking puzzled.
Get them to try something. Do it with humor. Ask
if they think the computer would explode if they
tried whatever, and they usually just laugh and
try it. Working in a classroom with little
equipment provides some challenges. No duh!
Beware of the most insidious syndrome in the use
of your few computers, which is using it only for
the students who have their work properly
completed. First, kids who have no trouble
getting their work done are the type of student
who can be enriched in dozens of ways and do not
need extra time on the computer to fill that
need. Second, little Eric, who barely manages to
get his work done simply because he may need more
time, will never get to touch the computer. He is
the one who would get immeasurable help from
sitting with a tutorial or simulation program
that would patiently work with him until that
naggingly difficult concept finally gets through
his little head. No drill and kill stuff please!
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Lesson Plan

• Grade 3rd (May be adapted upward)
• Time Several class sessions
• Goals Students will be able to
• read and comprehend math story problems
• use a variety of problem solving strategies
• create their own math story problems
• create story problems in other content areas
• Objectives Students will learn
• how to use various computer programs to solve
  story problems
• how to combine graphics and text to create
  original story problems
• how to decide which problem solving strategy to
  use
• Materials
• 1 computer for every 2 to 3 students
• 1 display device that will work with your
  computer for class presentations
• Internet access when necessary

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Lesson Plan Continued
Class 1 Talk about story problems and with the
entire class watching, create an illustrated
problem that depicts a situation based on student
suggestions. In the process of creating the
graphic depiction of the problem, you will be
able to get the children to see what the
problem is really saying, and what needs to be
done in order to solve it. Solve the problem
collaboratively. Class 2 Familiarize the
students with the piece of software they will use
to create their own original story problems. Give
them a chance to explore the features, and review
what they learned about the program by watching
you work with it. Class 3 Have the students
write a draft version of their story problem,
brainstorming with their partner. This draft
should include a colored picture of how the
problem will look. They will have more of an idea
about this since they have now seen the program
on two occasions. Look over the work and help the
team revise anything that doesnt seem to make
sense after peer editing. Class 4 - 6 Students
will work with their partner to recreate their
revised draft with the software. Files should be
saved carefully to a flash drive if you do not
have access to a student folder on the server.
Finished screens can be put into a multimedia
presentation for viewing.
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Assessing Story Problems
Story problems can be assessed by making them a
part of a math portfolio. The portfolios can
provide a picture of student performance in
mathematics, including story problems, over time.
Teachers fill out an assessment sheet for each
activity that the students can keep with their
work or can be accessed online. (Google Docs may
be a good choice for this) The assessment sheet
shows what the student needs to improve on or
what the student has successfully accomplished.
Besides the teacher, the students should also
have a chance to self-evaluate with a similar
assessment tool or rubric.
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Student Group Work Assessment Sheet
Name_____________________________________________
____________________ Put a ? next to the phrases
that apply to your group work My group ? Had a
plan ? Worked well together ? Tried different
ideas ? Found an answer ? Verified the answer
Complete the following 1. My group
learned___________________________________________
___________ ______________________________________
_________________________________ 2. When I made
a suggestion______________________________________
________ _________________________________________
______________________________ 3. My group solved
the problem by____________________________________
_____ ____________________________________________
___________________________ 4. The materials we
used were_________________________________________
____ _____________________________________________
__________________________ Comments/Concerns_____
________________________________________________ _
__________________________________________________
____________________
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Story Problem Assessment Sheet for
Teachers/Students
Student_____________________________________ Date
________________________________________ Activity
______________________________________
Comments_________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_________________________
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Portfolio Criteria Rating Form
Additional Comments/Concerns_____________________
________________________ _________________________
_______________________________________________
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Extending the Skills Developed
To solve story problems, students need to collect
and organize the data, develop a plan, try
alternative approaches if a method fails, and
verify the results. The tools and skills
developed in this unit can be further used in
developing more complex knowledge. Students can
use these basic skills to figure out problems
with time, money, measurement, and geometry. They
can move on to analyze data, create graphs,
predict outcomes of probability, and solve logic
problems. Eventually, the students will be able
to use these strategies in finding missing
variables in algebra. When solving problems in
real life, people call upon all the resources
they have developed in other situationsprior
knowledge, life experience, and intuition.
People need to analyze, predict, make decisions,
and evaluate in order to come up with solutions.
In order to function in our complex and changing
society, our students need to be able to solve a
wide variety of problems. The elementary math
curriculum must prepare children to become
effective problem solvers.