Ed 435/535

Infusing Technology into the Mathematics Curriculum

Course Description

This course is designed to educate future and current teachers of mathematics in the integration of instructional technology to aid in areas students have the most difficulty. This will involve reading current research on the use of technology in mathematics, evaluate commercial and freeware software, and develop mathematics lessons using information from discussion and research. These lessons will involve students in an active and meaningful mathematical learning experience involving instructional technology. They will also develop and publish a web page containing their integrated technology unit and links to recommended math education sites.

Course Requirements

To participate in this course, students should have:

· Regular access to a computer with an internet connection

· Experience in creating web pages (Creating Web-Based Curriculum Materials or Introduction to Education and Technology)

· Access to a web server to host your web site (a temporary account on Moorhead State University’s instructional web server will be provided for use during the course only, if needed).

· Access to mathematic software (Moorhead State’s Curriculum Center or an area district learning center)

Student Expectations

· Regular class attendance

· Thoughtful communication with classmates through the class discussion board

· Students will work until they are proficient with the math software before evaluating the software

· Assigned readings completed prior to discussion

· Approximately X hrs of out of class work

Teacher Expectations

· Will be available for X on-line office hours

· Respond to on-line questions within 48 hrs.

Course Goals

(Numbers in brackets refer to the MnSCU Standards for Effective Practice in Educational Technology):

1) Students will solve proportionality

2) Students will create graphical representations of scientific data.

4) To explore, research, evaluate, and use computer/technology resources including applications, tools, educational software and associated documentation [2.6, 3.1.1, 3.5].

5) To describe current instructional principles, research, and appropriate assessment practices as related to the use of computers and technology resource s in the mathematics curriculum [2.7, 3.2].

6) To apply specific-purpose electronic devices (such as a graphing calculator or scientific probe ware) in appropriate content areas [1.0.1, 1.02, 2.1.6].

7) To communicate results of research electronically with classmates [2.4.1, 2.4.2, 3.3.2].

8) To conduct research and evaluate on-line sources of information that support and enhance the mathematics curriculum [2.3.2, 2.4.3, 2.7.4, 2.7.5, 3.5.1].

9) To design and practice methods and strategies for teaching problem-solving principles and skills using technology resources in an ethical and appropriate manner [2.1.2, 2.4.4, 2.7.2, 3.3.1, 3.4].

10) To design and publish on-line documents that present information and include links to mathematical resources [2.4.1, 3.1.2].

11) To develop instructional units that involve compiling, organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing of information and use technology to support these processes [3.3.3].

12) Reflect on the implementation of the technology in mathematics instruction and revise the lesson to better meet the students needs [3.3.1].

Units

All Students complete the 1^st TWO units Students choose 2 of the following 5 content areas

Meaningful Technology Use in Math ematics Education

Data Analysis and Probability

Assignments

Assignment 1:

Read and respond to: What are principles for Meaningful Technology Use in Mathematics Education? (Healy, 1999, pp. 245-289).

Assignment 2:

Become proficient in and evaluate three of the six software categories for undergraduates, five of the six categories for graduates.

Assignment 3:

Evaluate the lessons and freeware that was downloaded.

Assignment 4:

Design and publish on-line documents that present information and include links to mathematical resources.

Assignment 5:

Create a unit involving at least three lessons that introduce the student to the topic, has their students work first hand with the integrated technology, and then has their students summarize their learning.

Assignment 6: (graduate students only)

Write a research paper responding to the question: What is appropriate use of technology in your mathematics instruction?

Grading

	Undergraduate	Graduate
Assignment 1	10%	10%
Assignment 2	15%	25%
Assignment 3	10%	10%
Assignment 4	20%	15%
Assignment 5	35%	20%
Assignment 6		15%
Discussion	10%	10%

Instructor

Tim Harms

Math Department

Minnesota State University

1104 7^th Ave S.

Moorhead, MN 56563

218-236-4016

harms@mnstate.edu