Online Algebraic Equations Model

This is my first year in the middle school, and I think that when I was in the high school I took for granted the simple things.  Solving equations was a skill that the students came to me with, and now that I am responsible for teaching the subject it was really eye opening for me.  I thought that this was an easy topic for the students when really this is a completely new topic, and is abstract for them.

I had to find a way to make solving one and two step equations hands on.  My students this year learn best with the use of technology and hands on activities.  I have used the game and simulation model for solving equations.
http://www.mathplayground.com/AlgebraEquations.html

This tool allows for you to pick solving one or two step equations.  Then you use algebra tiles and balance the scale.  Once balancing you can use the scale to actually solve the equation.  My first day of solving one-step equations this is what I used with the students.  I then took the website away and had the students solve one-step equations for about 2 days.
Then when I moved into two-step equations I again allowed for them to use the scale for the first day then took the tool away.

I found that not all students wanted to use the scale balance.  Some were able to solve without using this, but I did find it was helpful for my RTI, AIS, and ESL students.  It was a chance to "play" with the math in a way that they dont always get to.
I just graded my equations assessment, and my lower level students actually scored higher on this assessment than they typically do.  I am not sure if it is related to this tool and the students having a deeper understanding, but I do plan on looking for games/simulations for other topics that I am going to be covering throughout the year!

Technology and Social Media Usage at the Adolescent Age

Initially when reading the assignment I was not sure what I was going to ask the student, lets call her for the sake of privacy, "Mary."  I asked Mary if she would mind answering a few questions for me about social media and technology. She immediately asked if she could use her phone and show me her pages.  Mary is a 7th grade girl, who has a cellphone with unlimited text messaging and data.  I had a list of questions that I wanted to ask Mary and she led the conversation which was really interesting:
1. What types of social media do you use on a daily basis?
-Mary immediately responded: snapchat, twitter, facebook, instagram.
2. Which app is your favorite to use?
-Snapchat, cause I get to send my friends pictures and a glimpse of what I am doing.
3. Why does it matter to your friends what you are doing?
-Well, I think that it matters for social rankings.  The use and ability to send eachother pictures just shows that we are doing something cool, or who we are hanging out with, there is no phone call, people use it to brag to eachother about what they have and who they are with.
4. Do you parents and your friends parents take away or limit your use on your cellphone?
-My parents make me give my phone up at 9pm, some of my friends get to keep their phones all night and its just their responsibility, they have no restrictions.
5.  Do you feel that having a particular type of phone or brand of phone makes you stand out?
-Mary said that when group chats are going and if you dont have an iphone people get mad, because then your response comes as a different text message, its kinda annoying, and girls get really frustrated with this.
6.  I asked Mary to put aside social media and describe herself to me.  Who did she feel she was, and what did she think that she stood for?
-When asked this Mary made me repeat the question 3 times before she would respond.  Her response was will Ms. Gallagher, I really dont know who I am.  How am I suppose to know in 7th grade who I am or what I stand for.
7.  Mary had offered to show me her pages, so I asked to look at them.  She immediately showed me and was really excited that I was interested.
-When I was scrolling through her instagram, facebook, and twitter I began to ask Mary about herself.  I said well Mary it appears that you really like dogs.  The majority of your likes are on dog pictures.  Mary said well Ms. Gallagher that is just a, "basic white girl for you."  We all pretend that we love starbucks, wear uggs, love animals, and shop at victoria secret.

At this point in the interview, I knew there was something wrong with our society.  I was just baffled by Mary's response but yet it made sense to me.  I immediately thought of the connection with the readings this week.  "When I asked students how they thought their pages represented their identities, most of them deflected the question by saying they did not think about such issues when composing their pages" (Lankshear, 2013, p.299).  When really society is telling these students what they should like, what they should not like.  This is just CRAZY, how can we expect our students to be individuals when they have no sense of identity because they are just the "basic white girl."
I know social media was an issue however, I was unaware that it would be such an issue in the lives of our young children.

Journal Post #4

For my final project I am interested in researching iPad use in the classroom.  My students, grades 7 and 8 all have iPads.  I am interested in looking at this through multiple lenses.  First, being student engagement.  I want to look at the research showing how to grasp and maintain students in the lesson.  Secondly, I want to look at how to use the iPads to encourage and promote literacy in the mathematics classroom.  Today, I am not only a math teacher, I am also an English teacher.  The gap in the students reading level and the curriculum I am expected to teach is a struggle everyday.  Third, I feel that there is a disconnect from the administration to the students.  I want to look at research that could connect administration to the students.  There are many apps such as google classroom, that would allow for the administration to communicate directly with students and teachers.  

With that being said, I feel I have a lot of material to cover for my final project, but I think that with this research I will learn about ways to apply technology directly to my math classroom.  This research would not only be able to benefit me but also the students.  

Beschorner, B., & Hutchison, A. (2013). iPads as a Literacy Teaching Tool in Early Childhood. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 1(1), 16–24. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1055301

       In this research article it examined iPads as a took to for teaching literacy.  Implementing and using iPads in an appropriate manner is essential for the students development in literacy.  This particular study was in two preschool classrooms.  The preschoolers were given the time during centers to use the iPads.  They used pre-selected apps by the researchers and the teachers created lessons around and using the apps.  The iPads were used for individual classroom time and for whole class instruction.  The results showed that in the preschool classroom the use of iPads can allow for students to navigate and work independently.  This is a difficult skill for preschoolers and I think teaching them these skills at a young age is essential to their success in the future.  

       This poetical research article could apply to my classroom because it reminds be that I can instruct the students and allow for them to navigate and work independently.  While developing literacy skills not only at the preschool age but at the middle school level as well.  The apps listed are ones I could use to help my students listen, use, and draw the mathematical vocabulary.  

Dogan, B., & Almus, K. (2014). School Administrators’ Use of iPads: Impact of Training and Attitudes Toward School Use. Computers in the Schools, 31(3), 233–250. http://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2014.932660    
        Implementing and using iPads in the classroom can be very difficult.  Teachers are afraid to use them and they often are intimidated by technology.  This research article looks at how implementing iPads in the classroom needs to start with the administration.  This particular research looks at 51 elementary teachers and administrators.  It surveyed these participants.  Results showed that iPads were used to promote scheduling and use in the classroom.  The research also showed that proper training on the iPads is essential to their success.  This research applies to my final project and everyday in the classroom.  In order to get the teachers and students to agree to use the iPads we need to have the administrators sell them.  Our administrators are working to use google classroom to send out the announcements everyday.  They want to be able to send weekly email/updates to the students so they can stay connected.  

       

Liu, N. (2013). iPad Infuse Creativity in Solid Geometry Teaching. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 12(2), 177–192. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1015420

       This research was very interesting to me.  It was conducted in Taiwan, where they looked into the use of iPads with the geometry curriculum.  Taiwan was looking to enhance and supplement the geometry curriculum.  They wanted to used the iPad for the teachers to become aware of their students’ cognitive skills, attitudes, and misconceptions.  Upper-level Geometry can be a very difficult topic for students because it is very abstract and is not like other math classes students have took before.  The use of geometry apps allows for the students to visualize and see the geometry they are working with.  The research showed that the iPads provided flexibility in the classroom, faster more dynamic way of engaging the students, and the iPads allowed for students to share activities as well as group work. 

       This relates to my classroom because it allows for me to find apps that would let my students visualize the abstract math concepts.

Mango, O. (2015). iPad Use and Student Engagement in the Classroom. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 14(1), 53–57. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1057341

      In this research it applies to iPad use in the foreign language classroom.  It discusses student engagement and active learning in the classroom.  This particular study looks at 35 students who are enrolled in semester 1 and 2 of Arabic.  The students are given an activity and they are required to use the iPads which are owned by the department.  The iPads are used for mini projects and they allowed for visual and oral practice with the Arabic language.  

       With the results it showed that the students found the iPads to be beneficial to their learning and really enjoyed using them.  The results from the study also showed that students felt the iPads allowed for them to collaborate amongst peers and classroom engagement.  

       This article will be extremely beneficial to my final project because it will allow for me to look into and use the same apps mentioned in the research and potentially create similar projects. 

Moyer-Packenham, P. S., Shumway, J. F., Bullock, E., Tucker, S. I., Anderson-Pence, K. L., Westenskow, A., … Jordan, K. (2015). Young Children’s Learning Performance and Efficiency When Using Virtual Manipulative Mathematics iPad Apps. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 34(1), 41–69.

      This research looks at children’s learning performance and efficiency during clinical interviews where the child interacted with a variety of apps on the iPads.  There were 100 students interviewed ages 3 to 8.  The students were asked to use pre-assessment, learning, and post-assessment apps.  There was observation, video, and pre-and post surveys done with the students.  The results of the study showed the impact of iPad use on student learning was positive. 

       This applies to my classroom on a daily basis because I do not do lessons on the iPad.  I use the iPad in my room as an enrichment opportunity.  Often times it is the extra credit.  But this research shows that if you incorporate the iPad at various parts of the lesson the students learn and retain the information. 

After the research I have found, I am very excited to hear and see the research that exists.  I think this is solid groundwork for my final project.  I am excited to finish and complete my final project to collect and connect ways to use the iPads in my classroom.