As I shared in my last two blog posts, 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.
How can Wixie #TechUpThe Math?
Wixie is without a doubt one of my favorite programs to use with my littles, but I use it with older students too, Even my fourth and fifth graders love using it! This program offers so many opportunities especially when it comes to math. One of my favorite features is the ability to clone images. Using cloned images allows students to use them as virtual manipulatives. One of my first grade students this year also introduced me to the spray can. The spray can is also a great way to create virtual manipulatives. Last, I love how students can share their thinking with text, paint tools, audio, images and video.
Seeing The Power of Wixie
While coteaching lessons in my school this year, many of my teachers have done Flashcard Factory lessons with me.
Ms. Liberatore's class practiced making groups of ten using WIxie in two ways, First, they used the paint brush to make groups of ten and then, they used the spray can to create numbers up to 20.
Ms. Volpe's class used Wixie to demonstrate numbers and then order the three sets,
All of my kindergarten classes used Wixie to figure out a missing number and then used the spray can to create a target number.
Two of my second grade classes, Ms. Phillips and Ms. Burton's classes, used Wixie's cloning feature to demonstrate a target number using base 10 blocks in two different ways. Some students even created videos explaining their thinking.
A #TechUptheMath Highlight
One of my first grade teachers in my school, Ms. Liberatore has really embraced the use of Wixie. During one of our math coteaching lessons, we did one of my favorite math activities: The Shape of Things. For those of you unfamiliar with this idea, it comes from a book of the same name by Dayle Ann Dodds. It shows how we can take simple shapes and use them to create so many other things. It brings in a real life application to seeing shapes in every day objects. I love this activity for so many reasons, but most of all, it allows us, as educators, to see divergent thinking from our students. I am always amazed by what my students create.
In each of these first grade classes, I was so impressed by their creations. One student used a circle and made an Eiffel Tower snow globe. Another student made. Another student turned a square into a rocket. The students' creativity truly astounded me!
So how does this #TechUpThe Math and show VMI?
These #TechUptheMath lessons clearly empowered visualizing the math using the digital tools. Students were clearly able to visualize the math concepts that they were learning about using virtual manipulatives in many cases. Students were also able to share their thinking using multimodal thinking given the variety of response types possible using this tool. These #TechUpTheMath lessons are truly gems of Visualization and Multimodal Thinking!
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! Did you miss Parts 1 and 2, check them out here: Part 1 and Part 2