Integration of technology in primary mathematics instruction

Hi everyone!

This is some comments with regard to the topic: integration of technology in primary Mathematics.

Technology has been widely used in the classroom currently to enhance the process of teaching and learning. Undeniably, technology can do wonders to teaching. It adds variety and fun to the classroom. However, how a teacher utilizes and applies technology in the classroom can influence the learning of pupils greatly. Therefore, it is crucial for Mathematics teacher to know how to use and manipulate technology to teach Mathematics effectively. So here are some ideas to guide everyone on how to maximize the use of technology to support Mathematics teaching and learning, hope this can make you and your students Winners in Maths!

1. Power point is the easier tool to use in the classroom. We're sure that everyone of you are well-versed in this!

This is an example of how the teacher uses power point to teach addition. Power point is the easiest tool to use as it allows us to add pictures, sounds, movement and animation. By adding these elements to the slides, it will be easier for teachers to convey the ideas.

2. Internet is also a great technology tool that can be used by Mathematics teacher. We've found an article by Marilyn Western, in which she wrote about tips to use technology in the elementary classroom. One of the tips is the use of Glogster. We've tried it, and trust us, it is amazing!

Glogster at http://www.glogster.com/edu is an attention-grabbing (and FREE) way to get all

kinds of information to pupils.

You can use it as a mean to get pupils to websites, watch videos, and listen to any audio. You can also easily embed a glog in your classroon wiki, blog or website. Or pupils can build their own 'glog' to show what they know. We can even record important Mathematical tips/rules and let Gloster repeat it for us! Cool isn't it? But make sure you chose a cool player to really enhance your audio!

3. Another cool website that we can explore is Goole Earth at http://earth.google.com

We can use some of that excitement to pull in some interesting Maths concepts. For instance, we can use the ruler tool to measure things that pupils find. For example, locate a park, playground, even a shopping mall. Pupils can measure the sides and figure out the perimeter and area of that place. They can even measure the distance between 2 different places.

4. Here are other website which we can use in the classroom:

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/main.shtml They provide resources for both kids and also teachers and parents. There are tonnes of interesting Mathematical games there, and it is filled with all the useful information about Mathematics. With this, it enables pupils to learn at their own pace:

5. Video is an effective tool to grab pupils' attention as well. Teachers can just play the video for set induction and we are sure it will be able to keep pupils attentive for the rest of the lesson.

This is one of the videos that we found quite interesting:
We are sure that you can find lots of interesting online Mathematical games for your pupils. We've provided some useful links in our previous posts as well! So, why not use them and bring some fun to the classroom? Chalk and talk is not sufficient and it can't grab all the attention of the pupils.

To sum up, it is indeed very true that technology can help pupils to learn and master Mathematics faster and easier, however, it is important to take note that technology cannot totally replace the role of teacher. Teachers need to be there to guide pupils, and supervise them to ensure that learning occurs. We play an important role in facilitating pupils to learn. Hence, teachers or teachers-to-be out there, be careful not to let technology replaces you!