Transitioning the way students show understanding in Math and Science classes is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome in the process of technology integration. Both subjects typically rely heavily on tests to assess learning. As a math teacher, it has given me the opportunity to promote change from within, and approach the math and science teachers in the group from a common perspective. What I mean by that is, I am also guilty of relying on tests and I understand the resistance to change in these areas, and I know all the logical rationals that stand in the way of change (Provincial exams, calculation requirements in the real world, etc.). As a group, I am hoping we can move forward and work towards solutions in this area.
What does it mean to understanding content? This has been something that we have talked about for a long time as a staff during our transition to a standard based grading system. If a student can solve 5 algebra questions, do they really understand the content. I want to encourage the teachers in the group to try new things, but at the same time, I do not want them to be overwhelmed in the process. When I started meeting with the science and math teachers I wanted to introduce them to 1 or 2 ideas and let them try 1. This will allow them to focus on 1 idea or program that they feel comfortable with, and will make the change more manageable. Moving forward my hope is that they will eventually start to rethink about other elements of their instruction or assessment, and more actively seek out ways to use technology to enhance student learning on their own. When teachers find their own ideas and make their own changes to their own practices, the change will be more authentic and valuable.
The first idea I shared with the math/science teachers was based on the ideas that if students can remember or memorize a process to solve equations, that does not mean they understand how to solve equations. This got me thinking about alternate ways to assess student learning, to get a more in depth view of their understanding and what role can technology play in supporting that higher level of understanding. Interactive white board software (educreations, explain everything, etc.) allows students to explain their process while working a solution. They can also use visual representations to support their explanation. I tried this out with my grade 10 essential math class and asked them to create a tutorial that explains one concept from our unit on triangles. As I watched the tutorials below, I realized this gave me a much more well rounded idea of how well students knew the content. It also, prevented students from simply memorizing a process that could forget hours after a test, because as I know from teaching, the best way to retain knowledge and understanding is to teach it.
Tutorial Examples
In addition to the whiteboard software, some students used alternate technology to create the tutorial. The following example was created by a student who used paint to create slides, and then stitched them together and added the audio explanation using movie maker.
The concepts of tutorials through technology has applications across all subject areas where students can explain a process. They are a great starting point to support teaching and learning in the math and science classrooms where the process is often more important than the "solution." This technology will allow us to see the process. When I met with the math and science teachers, this is the main concept that we discussed. We discussed how this concepts could support many elements of their course, and I encouraged them to try and infuse it in someway over the next couple of weeks. Since those meetings, both teachers have come to talk to me, with alternate ideas about how that technology might be useful in their courses. This is a good start in moving away from the test reliant culture that currently exists in these disciplines.
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