Contrary to popular belief, there is more to mathematics than numbers. Learning how to read and write mathematics is far different than memorizing formulas and procedures to get a solution. In current mathematics, conceptual understanding is being pushed more than basic skills. Many educators including myself feel that literacy in mathematics is a part of conceptual understanding. Once a student can defend his or her knowledge, the student can have ownership of their knowledge. This is where blogging comes into teaching mathematics.
As an inspiring mathematics teacher, I think blogging is a great tool to allow students to integrate journal writing and technology. If students can put into writing their knowledge of mathematics, I believe they will understand the material and perform better on assessments. Some examples of students' blogs might include: the steps to solving radical equations, word problem procedures and tips, explanations of formulas, derivations, and definitions of vocabulary terms. These blogs could also become a means of a study guide since the students will have access to the blogs outside of school.
In addition, the blogs are a means of communicating. As a future teacher, I will have the ability to comment on my students' post. Also, communication between parents is a possibility.
2 comments:
You brought up several potential uses of blogs. I wish the blogs gave more opportunity to use mathematical symbols, because some of the items you mentioned would require them. The idea of writing definitions and explaining problems would be a great way to partner writing with mathematics.
I like your ideas on blogs as study guides and I agree. However, I am not sure of the what many of the current 7th and 8th graders think. The (urban city) Middle School I am in uses teacher copied packets to teach from and many of the students are more than happy to throw away the packets as soon as the next packet is begun. Even though I believe that blogs would be useful to study from, I am not sure how much they would be used given my experience with packets. I cringe when I see the students throwing away good material to study from.
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