Technology in Math and Science

Chapter 11 discusses using technology in Mathematics and Science instruction. I will be the first to admit that I do not integrate technology into my Math and Science instruction as I should. After reading this chapter, I retained some useful websites and information on how to incorporate it more into my plans. First of all, I usually associate technology with “computer”, but that is not even close to the only technology there is for children to learn. When learning to add and subtract I teach my children to use paper and pencil, their fingers, or manipulatives. However, I could teach them to use a calculator, but when the skill is as easy as adding and subtracting I feel as if I were teaching them to be lazy. If I taught higher grades where they learn more complex mathematical skills then I would definitely introduce and teach them how to use a calculator. They could also build on and learn social skills from one another by using calculators in groups or working on assignments together using the computer. I do allow my students to play on math websites and C.D. rom’s for a reward. As for using technology to teach Science, I struggle with that as well. Again, I teach Science with much more of a hands-on approach. We do experiments and observations and I inquire them a lot with data, questions, and reasonings. There are also some useful websites this chapter mentions that could aid in the discussions we have on some of our experiments. It is interesting to find out all the different ways to incorporate technology into our curriculum.