Switch on to Mathematics
Activities in Word® PowerPoint® and Excel®
Mathematically Engaging eLearning Environments
Introduction
I have produced these Mathematically engaging eLearning activities to empower teachers and students to recognise and harness the mathematical power of open-ended computer applications, namely Microsoft Software. The activities have been created in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and can be made active on all computers with this software installed.
Maths integrated with ICT
To enable learners to value the advantages, disadvantages, potentials and uses of computers, they ought to experience computers across the curriculum. The idea of integrating the use of computer technologies into all areas of learning is a product of the current age of teaching and learning.
The learning of mathematics within a computerised environment is no exception. When learners learn to work mathematically, they devise many strategies to arrive at a solution. This can also be said for production on computers, using computerised tools to facilitate the educational process. There are many ways to manufacture a product using a computer. The strategy with this book / CD has been to fuse multi-skilling using Microsoft applications on computers within a context for learning and working mathematically, providing a broad base for mathematical investigation, while focusing on a specific dimension of mathematics.
Benefits of Maths integrated with ICT
The emphasis in developing these resources, has been to use and work with the capabilities of mathematically able / productivity software to produce enriching mathematical learning objects for primary school students. Both students and teachers will be familiar with the interface of Microsoft Applications. Working within the mathematically engaging environments of the activities in this resource will give exposure to the mathematical power of this software, perhaps leading learners and teachers working mathematically in new ways within these environments.
How it enriches maths learning
It is proposed that regular use of mathematically able software increases general dexterity with the software as a teaching and learning tool and more specifically, a mathematical teaching and learning tool.
Using the software within a mathematical focus fosters the creation of mathematics products from both teachers and students and nurtures thinking mathematically, if used appropriately. Emphasising ICT use in the curriculum is focused on comprehension and demonstration of mathematics as well as doing computations and solving problems.
Why use Microsoft Applications?
The learning tasks have been produced in Microsoft Office Software for different reasons:
· All schools have and use the Microsoft Office Suite of applications
· The activities actually integrate the technology into mathematical learning, transforming the software into mathematical learning technologies
· All the tasks on the CD have been explored, implemented and improved in primary classrooms. My own teaching repertoire upholds the use of Microsoft software for authoring interactive / engaging learning tasks for all key learning areas, not just mathematics.
· Schools need NOT expend more money on commercially available software for mathematics learning and teaching. Encourage them to investigate the use of open-ended / productivity software (e.g. Microsoft Applications) to enrich mathematical learning
· To increase dexterity of teachers to use these applications to create other learning objects / tasks for their students. The teacher becomes the author of mathematically engaging software for learner engagement
· To create a learning and teaching culture that empowers teachers and learners to create learning objects / activities in open-ended software
· Learning engagement is set within the context of a fluid / flexible software environment where the capabilities of the software are drawn upon to heighten the context of the learning (in this case it is mathematics).
· An inclusive approach to using ICT to teach, learn, design and practise mathematics.
· For teachers wishing to polish up their skill base in using Microsoft Office as educational technology tools, visit http://www.microsoft.com.au/Education
Site title; Classroom Corner - Office Tips for Teachers has a wide list of pages for teachers. Follow the links.
Features
A mathematical teaching and learning focus can be coupled sympathetically and appropriately into a computer-learning environment where the mathematical features of the software can be drawn upon and to assist the mathematical learning process. The two entities are fused to create an integrated experience of mathematical learning (Mathematically Engaging eLearning Environment)
becomes
Skills
Each lesson profile purports and array of skills in Microsoft Software (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) The ICT Skills heading for each lesson specifically references these.
Below is a general overview of the skills addressed in the activities and associated tutorials:
•Programming formulas in spreadsheets to solve problems involving numbers
•Harness the Draw tools to investigate problems involving Space / Geometry
•Using the tables feature in Word to create number, data charts and displays
•Creating different types of graphs from data presented in a spreadsheet
•Manipulating transition timings in Microsoft PowerPoint to model mathematical strategies
Diverse activities / diverse mathematical experience
The degree of mathematical engagement in the activities varies. Many of the activities place the mathematical focus into a real world context. Other activities are purely mathematical, requiring specific solutions.
Some activities require students to draw on problem solving strategies, to engage their thinking in an open-ended scenario and others require repeated drill of a specific strategy. The technology mandates no particular way of learning/teaching mathematics; the focus is to enrich conventional maths investigations.
This does demand more vision and creativity on the part of the teacher, but affirms their place behind the wheel of the learning and teaching vehicle.
How to use Mathematically Engaging eLearning Activities
The activities in this volume have been developed for use with primary school students at the Year 3 and 4 level (8 to 10 years)
The material in the book and matching activities on the CD are designed to work hand in hand. The teacher can select a ICT/Mathematics activity based on whether it matches the current mathematics learning focus in the classroom.
If a match is found to apply, it would be appropriate to follow the guidelines in the lesson plan, present the activity via one computer to the whole class and read through the instructional language associated, so that if the student is to work at a computer independently at a later stage, they would feel confident to proceed.
Suggestions for classroom organisation
§ Demonstrate the activity on one computer, enlarge parts of the activity using the Zoom % box on the Standard Toolbar in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. - Zoom Percentage box can be manipulated to enlarge / reduce the page for easier viewing. This feature is particularly useful when a whole class gathers around one computer for demonstration. Alternatively, if the school has access to a data projector, this can be set up effectively for a demonstration session.
§ Computer Laboratory If the school has access to a computer laboratory set-up, the activity can be demonstrated as mentioned above and students can be instructed to work at computers in pairs or as individuals.
§ Pod or cluster of computers in classroom The activity can be demonstrated as mentioned above and students can rotate through the activity over the course of a few days, depending on access.
Steps to implement an activity –
1. Purpose: Place of the computer software in investigating the particular realm of mathematical learning.
2. Maths outcome: A reference to the foundation of mathematical learning. Where does the activity sit in context with the mathematics curriculum?
3. ICT skills: Affirms the appropriate use of the ICT related to the maths investigation.
4. Related tutorial: A series of tutorials have been prepared to familarise teachers with the mathematical capabilities of a particular aspect of Microsoft Software. Choose to do a particular tutorial that relates to the particular activity. This is more likely to assist the teacher in recognising the software as educational software and more specifically, mathematically-able software.
5. Existing knowledge required: This gives an idea for the learning experience to be enhanced / enriched by the ICT, in reference to what has taken place already in the learning process.
6. Lead in activity: A scene setting activity which acts as a link to the computer-based task. This should precede the computer-based task.
7. At the computer: Sequence of instructions and / or procedures as well as shortcuts and tips. Also gives examples of good questions to ask and good guiding statements to make. Ways to demonstrate the activity on the computer, whether gathering all students around one computer or, accessing a data-show projector. It is suggested that the electronic documents be placed in a repository (Class Shared Folder, Intranet) where students can access and save to their own file or folder on a school / student network.
8. Parallel consolidation activity: Usually a BLM, paper based activity to strengthen the learning.
9. Class reflection: An opportunity to for students to articulate their learning and insights from the experience(s). An opportunity to for teacher to assess and students to self-assess.
Hints for teachers / Tips and Tricks
Instructions download activities from CD to student network
Some file management considerations may need to be addressed with students in order for the activities (template documents) to be filed and completed to a satisfactory standard.
1. To Copy the file from the CD to the shared student folder on the network.
Windows users: Right click on the document icon > From the menu that appears choose COPY > Navigate through folders to a shared folder for the particular class / grade > When inside the shared folder, Right click on mouse and PASTE. The template has been placed for the students to access and save to their own folders.
Apple Macintosh users: Click on the document icon while holding down the CONTROL key on the keyboard > From the menu that appears choose COPY > Navigate through folders to a shared folder for the particular class / grade > When inside the shared folder, click inside the empty space while holding down the CONTROL key on the keyboard > From the menu that appears choose PASTE. The template will be placed for the students to access and save to their own folders.
File extensions - .doc .dot .xls .xlt .ppt .pot
Every document on the CD has a file extension, which refers to the application in which it was created. It is good ICT Education practice to append every document with the appropriate file extension.
They are listed as follows:
.ppt Microsoft PowerPoint
.pot Microsoft PowerPoint Template e.g. picto_graph.pot
.doc Microsoft Word document
.dot Microsoft Word Template e.g. move_locate.dot
.xls Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
.xlt Microsoft Excel Template e.g. placevalue_grids.xlt
Setting up a shared work folder in the class folder.
It is suggested that a repository be set up or be in place for students to access template documents on the student computer network / curriculum server.
This repository can be set up as a series of folders where students can go to access documents or any other documents or files.
The file structure may look something like this:
Class Folder Class Members Template document
and Shared Folder in Shared Folder
Web Page Access
Alternatively if a school has a web based intranet, class web-page, the template documents can be uploaded to the site for students to access @ school and from home.
Downloads can be made by a simple click on the links or:
•For Windows users: Right click on the link > From Menu that appears, choose Save Target As > Name Document > Save
•For Mac Users: Click on link while holing down the shift key > From Menu that appears, choose Download Link to Disk > Usually saves the document to the desktop or Hard Disk.
Save the document first
When the teacher works through an activity with the whole class / group, they should demonstrate the Save As procedure, renaming the document and saving to a location significant for them. (e.g. Named folder inside a Class folder on the School’s Networked Server)
Students setting up a folder for mathematics
The activities are saved as template files, which means that when the learner retrieves / opens a document, it will open up without a title and needs to be saved and named to a significant place on the school’s computer network / server. Students @ this level can set up a folder inside their own folder especially for mathematics.
For example, below; inside Mary Richard’s folder lie designated folders for different Key Learning Areas. Within her Mathematics folder is documentation stored relating to work done in mathematics.
Student instructions for creating new folders for KLAs in their own folder:
In Windows environment: Through Windows Explorer, navigate to student folder > File Menu > New Folder > Type name of subject, KLA > Press Enter, Return.
In Apple Macintosh environment: Navigate to student folder > File Menu > New Folder > Type name of subject, KLA > Press Enter, Return.
What next?
Many of the MEELE activities offer a foundation for other engaging mathematically rich tasks to be designed / created by the teacher. Tasks may be altered and changed in a minor or major way. Changes can be made and the document can be re-named under a new name. Open-ended software lends itself to change and the editing process. Some of the tasks have blank documents designed for the teacher to edit, alter and prepare for a divergent learning focus beyond the focus of original document. (e.g. Number Lines – Rounding round_no_lines.doc and no_lines_blank.doc)
Tutorials
Accompanying the activities in MEELE are useful tutorials that can be explored for
§ teacher professional development or
§ student familiarity / skill building.
These tutorials are designed to highlight the mathematical capabilities and potentials of Microsoft Applications – Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
The tutorials are located on the CD in the Tutorials Folder within the relevant folders.
Tutorial titles:
geom.ppt – involves the exploration of the geometry features of Microsoft Applications
tessa.ppt – a specific tutorial on creation and design of tessellations in Microsoft Applications
draw_tut.ppt - Draw tutorial – Designed to increase familiarity with the Draw Tools in Microsoft Applications. Likely to give teachers the skills to be able to create mathematically rich learning objects with a geometry / space focus.
excelmath.xls – Work though a series of mathematically rich tasks created in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Designed to familarise teachers with the mathematical capabilities of a spreadsheet, presenting an array of scenarios for mathematical teaching and learning. 16 sheets (tabs) in the one document.