Smartphones & Math

As a middle school math teacher, I was initially hesitant to incorporate technology into the classroom.  I taught in the Mississippi Delta during my first two years and our school finally received class sets of calculators late into my first year of teaching.  A class set of calculators were an invaluable tool, as students were allowed to use them on the MCT2 (state test).  Before I came to the school they were already on the cusp of being taken over by the state for low test scores so the introduction of calculators was greatly needed.

Fast forward to my first year in Albemarle County Public Schools and I was amazed (and intimidated) by the incredible uses of technology in the classroom to enhance student learning.  One of the more interesting initiatives in the division has been the use of student's handheld devices in the classroom.  Initially I was hesitant to adopt this philosophy although recently my heart has changed.

Earlier this week, my students were working on solving 1 step inequalities and were completing a partner puzzle where they had to match questions with corresponding solutions.  I announced that if they had smartphones or ipods they were allowed to use them as a calculator.  To my surprise the students were excited to use their personal hand held devices as a calculator and even tweeted me pictures of their work.  One of my favorite pictures from Tuesday was a picture of Elijah and Savannah working together and sharing an iPhone as a calculator.  With proper structures and expectations in place, this practice will certainly continue.