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Grounded Tech Integration:
By Neal Grandgenett, Judi Harris, and Mark Hofer
Teachers today can choose from a variety of technologies for teaching mathematics. Drill-and-practice software, virtual manipulatives, real-life data sets, interactive
geometry programs, graphing calculators, robots, and computer-based
laboratories are just a few of the options available. But it can be difficult
for mathematics teachers to know
just which technologies to choose to
support student learning in particular
lessons.
One way to help teachers integrate
technologies effectively is to match
technology integration strategies to
how teachers plan, rather than asking teachers to plan instruction that
exploits the opportunities offered by
particular educational technologies.
For more about a curriculum-based,
pedagogical approach to technology
integration, see our previous article
(L&L, September/October 2009,
“Grounded Tech Integration,” page 2).
The new conceptual tool that we
offer to assist with technology integration is a comprehensive set of learning activity types for each curriculum
area, with suggestions for specific
educational technologies that can best
support the types of learning for each
activity. As we have identified many
learning activity types for each curriculum area, we have organized them
into subcategories so that each con-tent-based collection of learning activity types forms an informal taxonomy.
Once teachers have determined the
learning goals for a particular lesson,
project, or unit, they review the activity types in the taxonomy for that
content area, selecting and combining the learning activities that will
best help students achieve the selected learning goals. Because the
list includes suggested educational
technologies for each learning activity type, choosing the activities to use
helps teachers select technologies to
support the plan in sensible, practical, and usable ways. We think of this
as “grounded” technology integration
because it is based in content, pedagogy, and how teachers plan instruction,
rather than the features of particular
educational technologies.
Learning Activity Types in Math
We designed mathematics activity
types to be catalysts to thoughtful
and creative instruction. We have
conceptualized 31 activity types, in
seven genres, derived from the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics’
process standards. Although we provide
just two samples per genre here (see
tables on pages 25 and 26), a complete
taxonomy of mathematics activities is
available on the Activity Types Wiki
( http://activitytypes.wmwikis.net).
isTockphoTo.com/kaTiv
Combining Activity Types: An Example
Some of the most effective learning
that a mathematics teacher might facilitate uses a combination of activity
types that are carefully interwoven.
Combinations of learning activities
are also typically needed to engage
students in higher-level activities,
such as problem solving, divergent
thinking, or mathematical modeling.
Interfacing a graphing calculator
with a mechanical robot makes
possible some innovative combination lessons. Several companies have
recently developed inexpensive robots
that connect to popular graphing calculators. With these two newly linked
technologies, a teacher might ask
students in a mathematics class to first
use their graphing calculators to interpret a representation of a mathematical expression, such as distance = rate
× time, or at higher levels, perhaps
a sine curve. Then, by attaching robots to their graphing calculators, the
students use what they have learned
to create a process that involves programming the robot’s movements
around strategically placed cones and
using calculator commands to move
the robot. The students might make
video clips of their efforts using digital video cameras, then demonstrate
their strategies for moving the robots
to the class. They could even use the
video camera to more closely examine
the robot’s speed or help troubleshoot
problems. Using this combination of
three learning activities, students can
build a much better understanding
of the mathematical relationships involved while learning a bit more about
the technologies used in the learning
activities.
Invitation for Collaboration
The activity types approach is not an
instructional planning model per se.
It is a way of using key instructional
planning resources within existing
planning models. We acknowledge
that both the range of mathematics
24 Learning & Leading with Technology | November 2009
