Math 371 Technology for STEM Educators

Over the course of my life, I have had my fair share of struggles when it comes to mathematics. It could be so frustrating when I would spend hours upon hours on a single question, with little progress towards understanding the material. However, there would be days I found enjoyment in math, solving problems that required a higher level of understanding with ease. As this cycle of attitudes towards mathematics continues in my life, I find myself believing this is the groundwork for having a passion, and in this case, being passionate about math. To offer this idea in a different context, I sometimes compare my relationship with mathematics to my favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings. They can have a great season with high chances of winning in the playoffs, but can also leave me frustrated, when they lose in a way only the Vikings can. The same goes for math. One moment I am ‘winning’ and the next I am ‘losing’, but, in the end, it still draws me in and I continue to be a...

Living in the Digital Era, we see many uses of technology in the classroom. For many students, technology is used during every class period. Whether this be writing on a Smart Board or looking something up on their phone. Educators cannot shy away from the fact that technology is becoming a big part of the classroom and it is benefiting our students as well.   Some teachers are reluctant to use technology because they are afraid that they will not be able to use it or that something will go wrong with the technology during their lesson plan. There is some very useful technology that is easy to use but that can also greatly impact our students. If you feel uncomfortable using technology talk to your school’s digital coordinator. They can show you in a matter of minutes how to run certain technology. You will also find that your students often know more about technology then you might. Ask the students if they know a simple solution to the problem. My sixth grade teacher desig...

Five years ago today I started this course blog for Math 371: Technology for Math (STEM) Educators.  I am happy that I did it and am looking forward to another great semester of this class.  I am also glad that my students in that class wanted me to continue using the same blog each year so that we could look back on the changes in technology over the years. Each spring when I teach this course, I do it differently, partly based on what the students want to learn and partly due to changes in technology.  So I find it fitting to use this quote from Robert John Meehan on course management system page, " Life as a teacher begins the day you realize that you are always a learner ." On the first day of class, I told the students that I am not always going to be the technology expert on certain technologies and that we are all learners in the course.  Each semester I learn new things and hopefully they learn new things.  Ultimately my goal is to make our mat...

When I was a student I probably asked the question why? too many times in a day. Sometimes, in math especially, the teacher could give me the answer to that question and I would still not understand (I’m looking at you, π, who decided what you were?) But there is an important tool teachers have at their fingertips to answer some of these questions. Why is a circle 360 degrees?   Because the Babylonians and other ancient cultures used a number system based on 60, and degrees is left over from that mathematical tradition. Why does the Pythagorean Theorem work, and…who was Pythagoras?   Well, Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician, and his proof using geometry proves this algebraic equation in a different way than showing them the equation does . Why do we need math?   There’s so many historical answers to this question. Point to the computer scientists and mathematicians that made it possible to go to the moon and have the computers we have today. Point to any of the ...

     Thinking back to the days of elementary, middle and high school, I remember many of my teachers. All of them I would be able to recognize, some I would be able to recall their names, and still others I remember the class they taught and some important things I learned. The last teachers I mentioned have clear memories that define them as my favorite teachers, but hold the phone, why do I remember these teachers? What features or experiences did I have with them to hold this memory? After some thought, I discovered that every teacher I remember either guided me to a new way of thinking or motivated me through the way they taught.       One of the most noteworthy teachers I had was in elementary school. She was my first-grade teacher that also taught second grade, and she was the teacher that recognized my skills in math. I still remember the day that she asked me to join the second-grade lesson and all the other second graders ...

Stop Boring Students As a big sister, a tutor, and a nanny I am no stranger to helping with homework. I have helped in all types of classes. One thing I have noticed is that the person I am helping always seems uninterested. It is not that they do not really understand, but instead they just do not want to do it. Another thing I have noticed is that I always was a nd am helping with worksheets or problems out of the book,  and have never been asked to assist someone on a project, study for an exam or help with a paper . After a discussion in class I have begun to realize that the students understand what they are doing, they are simply just bored and tired of repetition. Handing out worksheets and book problems are boring, never seem fun and by default students can become uninterested . Believe me, even some of the best students will become bored and unintrigued, and instead of changing it up, teachers continue to assign the same generic things. Once a student is bo...

Ed Camp 2017             Just this past weekend I had the privilege of attending my first ever Ed Camp here in Brookings, SD. I had many people tell me that you won’t regret going and they were correct. For those of you that don’t know what Ed Camp is, Ed Camp is a day of self-driven, high-interest professional development. It is a day to collaborate with teachers and future teachers of all grade levels. The best part is that you as participators get to choose the topics that are discussed that day. After a short introduction, you are asked to write down on a piece of paper what topics and ideas you want to discuss with other teachers. All of the ideas are then collaborated and you as a teacher participate to facilitate the discussion within the room. There are no presenters or power points, it is simply just teachers wanting to learn more from other fellow teachers.          ...