| Many forms of media can be used in math lesson | | | | a tool the instructor uses to teach related lessons (see |
| plans placing the medium in the role of both instructor | | | | below). |
| and as a tool used by the "live" instructor. This article | | | | Math Lesson Plans - Medium as Tool |
| touches on only a few but may give you some ideas | | | | Medium: Computer |
| for similar ways to do this in your classroom. One | | | | When carrying out definite functions, such as graphing, |
| educator who developed and employed multimedia | | | | calculating, and storing/retrieving information, computers |
| into math lessons found that:o mathematical | | | | behave as a tool. Students can be engaged in |
| vocabulary of the students increased (and they made | | | | activities that require collecting data, organizing it, and |
| a more conscious effort to USE the correct | | | | making graphs to show their findings. Because, in the |
| terminology)o students asked more questionso | | | | business world, a graph is typically used to explain |
| response quality improved | | | | statistics, students should be encouraged to |
| Math Lesson Plans - Medium as Instructor | | | | experiment with different graphic representations and |
| Medium: Computer | | | | pick the one that most "forcefully" displays the data. |
| When teaching concepts or skills, the computer serves | | | | Medium: Video |
| best in the role of tutor. There are many programs | | | | Here are some ways that video can be used as both |
| commercially available where the computer presents | | | | instructor and as a tool the "live" instructor uses to |
| information and asks questions. Then, when the learner | | | | teach other concepts.o Modeling: Video on modeling |
| responds, the computer evaluates the response and | | | | behavior can be used to teach social skills but also as |
| determines what to present next. This is called | | | | tool to explore the usefulness and applications of |
| Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) or Computer Based | | | | creating models in mathematics.o Scale: A murder |
| Training (CBT). | | | | mystery video can be used to teach problem solving |
| In addition to tutorials, the computer can serve as | | | | skills and as a tool to demonstrate how scale is |
| instructor for drill and practice, simulations, and | | | | needed to construct a bar graph to prove the |
| instructional games. | | | | accusations against the culprit.o Monetary system: A |
| Medium: Video | | | | social studies video on life in another country can be |
| Long before computers entered the school | | | | used as a tool to teach how monetary systems are |
| environment, videos have been used for instruction. | | | | based on a standard unit of value. |
| Traditionally, the video served the role of instructor | | | | These are just a few ideas. Creative instructors will |
| while the "live" instructor simply reinforced the lesson | | | | continue to find interesting ways to use various |
| presented in the video. Today, videos are being | | | | mediums to teach math AND "relate" the concepts |
| created that may be used as BOTH the instructor and | | | | across disciplines. |