Emerging Technologies for MS Math

The idea of gamification and incorporating more digital games into the classroom is one I approach hesitantly.  I'm not what you would describe as "a gamer."  Don't get me wrong, we play a lot of games/do a lot of game-like activities in my classroom.  I think bringing in new and fun elements to the classroom is important for students.  I find it fascinating how adding the element of competition changes the engagement and effort levels immediately.  However, I've not had much luck in finding quality digital math games that meet my content standards and are FREE.  Therefore, I typically stick to powerpoint game templates and such because I can edit them to address the content I need.   However, from reading Melissa Whiteheads blog post , I had an epiphany.  Melissa pointed out from t he article  Gamification: Using game like elements to redesign our classrooms  that gamification does not have to mean playing online games in the cla...

Collaborative technology within a classroom and/or building is becoming more and more commonplace.  However, my interest is in how  to use those tools to connect globally, outside the walls of our brick and mortar school.  I am huge on travel and learning about other cultures.  I think there is a lot to learn from those who live differently than we do.  However, how do I do this in an educational setting?  After reading into the different resources for teachers, I decided to finally give Twitter a chance.  This is not a new phenomenon in the educational setting, but it's new for me.  I opened a Twitter account at a PD day...and that was the beginning and end of my Twitter experience.  I didn't see the benefit in that moment.  However, more and more resources are available now and I'm finally going to give it a fighting chance.   One of the many resources I stumbled upon was a blog written by Tom Barrett.  He points out ...

Part 1: The job of motivating students is not an easy or lighthearted task.   Each student comes with their own preconceived ideas of a subject and/or the teacher which all plays into how motivated they will be to learn.   This impression can be changed but not easily.   Rhett Mcdaniel of Vanderbilt University talks in his article Motivating Students about intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and how to model those types of motivations for your students (2018).   One of his strategies is simply getting to know your students.   This fosters into relationship building.   Mcdaniel goes on to explain that incorporating your knowledge of the students, their concerns and background, in addition to your personal interest in their lives, into your lessons and activities will “inspire their personal loyalty to you.”   With that loyalty comes intrinsic motivation and a platform for growth. Another strategy offered is to set reasonable pe...