Digital Resources in Elementary School

Dilaila Botas,Universidade Aberta/CEMRI/ EB1 Nº2 de Queluz

Psst 2014- Personal&Shared Strategies for Teachers in Web 2.0

Location: Portugal in Europe

Lisbon district

• The population is constituted by 514 students grouped in

• 22 classes (schedule from 9h to 17h15)

• The school under study is an elementary school located in Queluz.

• It is one of the eight schools that, altogether, constitute a group of schools

This presentation is part of a Master Thesis about the use of didactic materials in Mathematics teaching at an elementary level

RESEARCH PROBLEM

In elementary schools how are didactic materials used in the teaching of Mathematics?

To understand how teachers integrate didactic materials in the planning of their Mathematics lessons;

To analyze which are the materials used by teachers in their Mathematics lessons;

To check how the materials are used by teachers in their Mathematics lessons.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The use of didactic materials in Mathematics lessons is constantly highlighted and recommended as very important to help the concretization of mathematical ideas and concepts

There is not much research on didactic materials in the learning process of mathematics, although some take into account the interest of these learning materials.

Just

ifica

tion

/ re

leva

nce

of t

he s

tudy

National Curriculum for Basic Education;

Portuguese Elementary school Curriculum

Mathematics Report (APM,2001)

Overviews of Mathematics•The way teachers view mathematics can influence their teaching practices. All that the teachers do in the classroom results of what they think about mathematics and how they feel they should (Hyde 1989, Serrazina 1993).

Didactic Material: the concept

•Curriculum Material,educational resource•Didactic resourse; •Structured materials •Manipulable material •Virtual manipulatives

Some examples of didactic materials

•Abacus• logic blocks•Cuisenaire rods• computer

Theoretical background

The Importance of materials

•They must be used as tools and the students gain more knowledge through their use (Moyer, 2001)

The use of materials

•Advocated by several mathematics educators such as Declory, Montessorri, Reys.•Referred to in the mathematics curriculum•National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM 1989, NCTM 1991, NCTM 1995, NCTM 2000) •Curriculum/Nacional Programs( DEB1990, DEB 2001;DEB 2007)

The teachers and the materials

•The few studies (APM, 1998, Moyer, 2001) show that teachers recognize the importance of using materials. However, this trust does not result in behavior in the classroom.

Textbooks•It corresponds to the most widely used medium of instruction (APM / ERI 1998)•Digital book

Theoretical background

What is a manipulative ?

geoplan

Graphics

Vale(2002)

movement Graphics draws

Technological progressComputers Dynamic

Static

Emergent category of didactic materials – Virtual manipulatives

Moyer, Bolyard & Spkiell( 2002)

Visual Static Representation: graphics, draws, spreadsheets

Visual Dynamic Representation: manipulatives, objects Although both are virtual manipulatives, the

visual dynamic representation constitutes the “really” virtual manipulatives because they can be manually manipulated (swipe, rotate ...) and can also be manipulated by computer

Another definition is presented by Vale (2002) Calculaters

Computers

Shultz(1989)

Active manipulatives

Passive Manipulatives

No manipulatives

Concrete models that students manipulate (bars cuisineire)

Teachers manipulate to demonstrate concepts

Models that are not handled manipulated : Record, manual, designed Abaco that are drawn

Calculators, computers: can be used of the three forms

Moyer (2001) “objects designed to represent explicitly and concretely mathematical ideas that are abstract (p.176)

Gellert (2004) any object can be used in math class provided it is applied by the teacher with the intention to develop mathematical activities, or as a mediator between the intention of teaching and the results obtained by students

Computer

calculators, interactive games

digital textbooks

manipulatives virtual manipulatives

Quantitative study, beginning with an exploratory study with descriptive characteristics.

Methodological Approach

• Techniques of data collection :List of existing didactic materials in the group of schools

in order to know what materials exist in the group making an inventory

Exploratory semi-directive interviews to two teachers belonging to the group under study, in order to

gather opinions on the use of teaching materials in mathematics classes and get ideas or clues for elucidating the structure of the questionnaire;

script organized in five thematic sections.

Pre-questionnaire given to five teachers belonging to the group under study, in

order to obtain information and assess the final questionnaire.

QuestionnaireDistributed to 53 teachers of the 1st cycle of the group under

study, with the aim to obtain information on the use of didactic materials in mathematics classes.

Structured in two parts:1st part consists of 30 items that characterize the

population involved in the study

2nd part consists of 117 items grouped around the following dimensions:

Definition of didactic materialsOverview of MathematicsRole of didactic materials in the classMathematics didactic materials and the teacher in the classMathematics didactic materials and the teacher in the

schoolMathematics school manual in the class

calcul

adora

comput

ador

geopla

no

tangra

n

sólido

s geom

étrico

s

dominó

s

balan

ças

recipi

entes

de ca

pacida

de

fita m

etríca

transf

erido

r0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Never+rarelysometimesoften + always

Materials used by teachers

• About half of the teachers (51%) use the computer in their mathematics classes while the other half is divided by its degrees of "never or rarely" (28.6%) and "often or always" (20.4 %).

• Over half of the teachers says "never or rarely" use the calculator (69.4%) in their mathematics classes.

Other findings:

• The calculator was not a material found in the school ; • There is 26 computers, 13 around the classroom and another 13 in the

media room.

Technological Plan 2005“an agenda for change for the Portuguese society that seeks to mobilize businesses, families and institutions so that with the combined effort of all, can be overcome the challenges of modernization that Portugal faces "” http://www.cnel.gov.pt/pt/planotecnologico/o-que-e-o-plano/lista.aspx

competitiva edge development

tecnology

innovation knowledge

The Technological Plan for Education“is the greatest program of technological modernization of the educational system in Portugal” http://www.pte.gov.pt/pte/PT/OPTE/index.htm

Adherence to new

opportunities

• “To ensure that teachers have their ICT competencies certified”(Ministério da Educação,2008)

Internet connection

in classroom

• “To ensure high-speed broadband Internet connection in all Schools”(Ministério da Educação,2008)

E-escolas: mass distribution of

computers

• “To achieve the ratio of two students per computer with Internet connection”(Ministério da Educação,2008)

The Technological Plan for Education

The technological Plan for education at elementary School : E-escolinha

“to provide acess to a laptop with learning resources to students of primary school” http://www.pte.gov.pt/pte/PT/Projectos/Projecto/index.htm?proj=72

Laptop: “Magalhães”

And to promote the use of technology in the teaching process, the school was provide

Video projectors

Interactive whiteboards

A small trial observation was conducted to understand what kind of issues arises in relation student-student at the presence of laptop "Magalhães"

• Note: 3 days• Non-school time• Student-student relationships• Environments: outside the classroom • Observations of 20 minutes period authorized by

monitors for students to use technology

where the observations were made

School

1

2

3

5

4 88

8

8

88 8

8

8 8

8

888

8

8

8

8

88

888

8

8

88888

8

1,2- ATL3- Football Field4,5-School8 -students8 -students with laptop

•The group was composed of all boys•The ages of the children ranged from 6 up to 9 years oldStudents belonging to various classes of different levels of education (1st to 4th year)•12 students and 4 "Magalhães-PC"•They played the "Pokemon" and "Tiger" games available on the laptop "Magalhães"•Owner pc and two colleagues, one on each side•A playing, the others watched and suggested little tricks or procedures When a lost, went to another pc•When students go to the toilet: landed the laptop and put the game on pause; the group met its momentary output colleague; not shuffled on laptop; awaiting the return of his colleague. •When played felt difficulties in the game, other colleagues helped advising or making his move

Some data collected

The groups were

composed of only boys

in the groups there

was an exchang

e of experiences and learning

Respect for time colleagu

e and kept the laptop without

vandalizing

Will promotes the formation of groups of one sex?

Does the laptop"Magalhães" enables greater complicity

between children?

Does the excuse of not being able to take the laptop "Magalhães" to

school because of thefts, is justified?

The integration of laptop promotes uniformity of behavior? To belong to

a group, the student is taken to mimic the behavior of colleagues?

Som

e co

nclu

sions

Some ideas to think

Some conclusions

• The computer is a great aid in teaching-learning process because it makes interesting lessons.

• The computer can also be an enriching agent in the social life of students:

-Enabling the sharing of knowledge; -Respect for others; -Approach through common interests.

APM, IIE. (1998). Matemática 2001. Diagnóstico e Recomendações para o Ensino e Aprendizagem da Matemática. Lisboa: APM.

DEB. (2007).Programa de Matemática do Ensino Básico Lisboa: Ministério da Educação DEB. (2001). Currículo nacional do ensino básico: Competências essenciais. Lisboa: Ministério da Educação DEB. (1998) Organização Curricular e Programas, ensino Básico – 1º ciclo. Mem Martins: Ministério de Educação

GELLERT, U. (2004). Didactic Material Confronted with the concept of mathematical literacy. Educational Studies in Mathematics. Nº55. p.p 163-179.

MOYER, P.S. ( 2001) Are we having fun yet? How teachers use manipulative to teach mathematics Educational Studies in Mathematics. Nº47 p.p 175-197

 

 HYDE,A(1989).Staff development:Directions and realities.Em New directions for elementary school mathematics (pp.223-233).Reston, Virgínia:National Council of Theachers of Mathematics

MOYER .P; BOLYARD.J; SPIKELL.A(2002) What are virtual manipulatives? Teaching Children .2002

NCTM (1989/1991) Normas para o currículo e avaliação em matemática escolar. Lisboa: APM& IIE NCTM (1991/1994).Normas Profissionais para o Ensino da Matemática. Lisboa: APM&IIE NCTM(1995).Assessment Standarts for School Mthematics.Reston:NCTM NCTM (2000).Princípios e Normas para a Matemática Escolar.Lisboa:APM 

SERRAZINA, M. L. (1993). Concepções dos professores do 1º Ciclo relativamente à Matemática e práticas de sala de aula. Em Revista Quadrante vol. 2 Nº 1. Lisboa: APM