One Best Thing iBooks Reflection
Digital Discourse in Mathematics: Strategies for the Young Learner
Digital Discourse in Mathematics: Strategies for the Young Learner is an iBook offered free through iTunes. According to iTunes, "One of the Common Core Mathematical Practices is to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Promoting mathematical discourse can be a daunting task for teachers of young students. In this One Best Thing, an early elementary teachers shares strategies for increasing math discourse for young learners via digital drawings, written conversation and video capture." To find this iBook, click here.
Digital Discourse in Mathematics: Strategies for the Young Learner was written by Kristin Ziemke. According to Kristin Ziemke's bio, she has been teaching and learning from children in both urban and suburban schools for the past 13 years. "She engages her first grade students in authentic learning experiences where reading, thinking, collaboration, and inquiry are at the heart of the curriculum. An Apple Distinguished Educator, National Board Certified Teacher, and Chicago’s Tech Innovator of the Year, Kristin holds a Master’s Degree in Instructional Leadership. She constantly seeks opportunities to transform education through technology innovation, pairing best practice instruction with digital tools to capture thinking, foster creativity, differentiate instruction, and increase collaboration in the classroom and beyond." Kristen Ziemke's blog is called, "Amplify Teaching." To access Ziemke's blog, click here. Through Digital Discourse in Mathematics: Strategies for the Young Learner, I learned several tips and skills to use in my classroom. According to Ziemke, " Young learners are concrete by nature and need ongoing opportunities to construct meaning. When we provide students time to write, draw, converse, view, and think mathematically, they can make sense of the world around them. Educators must give students multiple attempts to test, struggle, fail, and work through their mathematical representations. As we provide appropriate scaffolding and support along the way, students personalize the learning experience, develop critical thinking skills, and build background knowledge to think deeply about math." The products used in the strategies discussed are iPads and computers. One will discover when reading Digital Discourse in Mathematics: Strategies for the Young Learner, new tools equals better learning and that iPads enhance math. Using a drawing tool on the iPad, like Drawing Pad or Doodle Buddy, invites students to draw and write their thinking. The iPad enables students to modify or make multiple attempts at problems, and allows them to save and share their work easily. When students are finished with their work, they add it on Apple TV to share their representation with the class. When students are provided the opportunity to view how each child approaches a problem differently, they develop new ideas and strategies for solving problems. Furthermore, with repeated opportunities to represent their thinking digitally, students develop a foundational understanding of groups, patterns, and repetition. Digital Discourse in Mathematics: Strategies for the Young Learner also discussing the use of video capture through iMovie. Viewing student work with the addition of audio or video narration provides students with much more depth than merely a digital representation alone. With the build-in camera on iPads and the number of quality screen casting apps, student thinking and learning have been transformed by video capture. Whether by simply recording a student with a camera using physical math manipulates to show their understanding or by creating a video with iMovie that synthesizes a lesson sequence, teachers now have the ability to know more than ever about our students. I would implement Kristin Ziemke's suggestions into my own classroom by having students do several math equations through the use of iPads. In todays society, more classes are becoming a 1:1 ratio of students to iPads. In my classroom, if given the opportunity to have a 1:1 ratio, my students will integrate using the iPads during each math lesson. It will allow them to solve problems using several different strategies. Moreover, it will allow my students to share their work with one another and explain what processes they used to solve their equation or problem. Lastly, I would also integrate the use of iMovie into my classroom for math and several other subjects. The app is very simple to use and allows students to create, which is the highest tier on Bloom's Taxonomy. |