Tannenbaum Tech - 11/17/2021: Tech Up Your Math Lessons

After the success of the 3 Cs of Creation blog series, I have decided to do another blog series with you. Over the course of the past few weeks, integrating technology into math lessons has been a huge focus on mine. Integrating technology into math is more than just having students do drill and kill exercises or use an adaptive program for practice. Rather using technology in our math classrooms offers so many amazing possibilities.

#TechUptheMath

This blog series, #TechUptheMath, will focus on six applications over the course of the next few weeks that I believe create transformative learning experiences in math. They take the learning targets and infuse technology in such a way that it does one or more of the following:

Visualize: Allows students to visualize the math concept in a way not possible without the technology
Multimodal Learning: Many of these applications offer students more than one way to share their thinking
Interaction: Many of these programs empower our students to interact with their classmates' or teacher's math thinking.

Consider what technology tools you use for math. Do they encourage active learning between students? Do they give you increased interaction both with and between students? During this series, I will be highlighting the amazing work of the classrooms in my school, providing you a window into how the tech tool can be used in transformative ways. Even though all of my examples will be in the elementary setting, that does not mean they can only be used with our younger students. These tools can be used in any mathematical classroom setting.

Taking Risks is Hard, But Necessary to Level Up

In each of the vignettes I will share over this blog series, I went in and cotaught a lesson using the specified tech tool with one of my colleagues. None of these educators had ever used these tools before. We started with their learning objective and determined that the selected tech tool would best amplify their students' learning, The learning came first and the technology came after, This required my colleagues to take risks and try something unfamiliar to them. Trying a new tech tool with another educator, like a tech coach, eases that process and provides an optimal learning environment for both the student and the classroom teacher. We use my signature framework, Planning with INTENT, to guide our planning and make sure that the tech is truly transformative and enhances the lesson.

A huge thank you to my six teachers whose classroom vignettes I will share over the course of this blog series.

Ms. Speight- Grade 1 Flashcard Factory
Ms. Liberatore- Grade 1 Wixie
Mr. Kirkman- Grade 5 Gizmos
Ms. Smith- Grade 3 Desmos
Mr. Wall- Grade 2 Flipgrid
Ms. Volpe: Grade 1 Pear Deck

Join me to #TechUptheMath and share your ideas

Over the next few blog posts, consider adding some of these tech tools into your math classroom. Check their VMI and see how they can transform learning. Post your ideas and successes using the #TechUptheMath and tag me @TannenbaumTech. I can't wait to see what you share!