Technology Rich Mathematics Instruction - Thach, K. J. and Norman, K. A

Thach and Norman reiterate the Principle of technology in Technology Rich Mathematics Instruction (2008). Society has greatly changed with the advances technology has given us. Instead of learning how to use technology, students are learning how to further develop their skills through technology. Through the use of computers, students are able to represent concepts and manipulate variables and objects that are difficult to do on paper. This has helped students become more interested in mathematics and ask their own questions rather than answering them out of a workbook.

In this article, Thach and Norman explain a technology based activity they use in their own classroom. To help upper elementary students better understand credit, they use algebra and number operations on electronic spreadsheets. Students are given a financial situation that they can relate to. They try to understand the affects of variables and learn the appropriate tools in solving these problems. Students use calculators to compute information and get to present their data using SMART boards. With an activity like this, students are more interested in learning and can have fun experiencing new technologies.

Thach, K. J. and Norman, K. A. (2008). Technology-rich mathematics instruction. Teaching

Children Mathematics 15 (3), 152-158.