The Promise of a Dynamic Mathematics Classroom: Technology at Work
Abstract
"Technology is an essential tool for the 21st century mathematics classroom. The value of multiple technologies in the K-12 classroom produces multiple payoffs for students' learning and understanding. The use of technology helps facilitate models of a visual form - an important step for children in moving from the concrete to the abstract. A shift in roles for teachers and students is to work with the mathematics that is presented in a manner that allows for exploration of concepts. Public education should reflect this practice, allowing students to focus more on the analysis and interpretation of results. Throughout the paper, video clips are inserted to showcase student and teacher interaction with a variety of technology tools as a vehicle for exploring mathematics content. Given the documentation from the literature and the compelling evidence seen in the videos, there is no doubt that technology can and does support, enhance, and extend the quality of mathematics instruction in our schools. It is recommended that school systems should maximize their current resources in technology, sustain those resources with ongoing professional development, and consider some new resources in technology for their future."
