I feel like a juggler with data, UBD, benchmark assessments, the dreaded NJASK, curriculum, differentiation and now, more than ever, technology printed on colorful balls and spinning above my head.  When I catch one will I drop another?  That is what seems to happen. 

            As a special education teacher differentiation is what I do.  In order to meet the needs of all the different types of learners I encounter I must be willing to teach the content in a variety of ways.  Using technology is really just another way to do that. 

            I have incorporated more technology into my classroom over the past few years.  He emobi’s for some activities as well as for note taking and sharing.  I have used programs like Study Island to reinforce topics introduced in class.  I have used the math text’s on line tutorials, presenting them to the whole class, figuring maybe another person explaining it will help.  And we have looked up video clips on Youtube to learn through songs.  Okay, so here is where my juggling analogy and my goals for my MMP come together.

            “Teaching mathematics is a challenge at all grade levels.  Technology has some specific attributes that support the learning of mathematics in new and exciting ways,”

( Schrum and Levin, 2009)  I want to embrace this whole heartedly; I want to incorporate technology more into an every day practice in my math classroom.  I want to Use Web 2.0 tools to introduce, reinforce and be a center while I am teaching the content needed by math students.  Erica gave me a lead to small blueprinter, where the students can design their dream house.  I already have them do scale drawing and this is another great option.  There are some problems associated with these new technologies, “ This is not to say that participative online activity is the same as participative online learning activity.: Most learners struggle to transfer skills effectively from informal to formal learning contexts without explicit guidance:” (Walker, Jameson and Ryan, 2010)  I also find that there is a time restraint in all areas involved.  The book plans and the regular math teacher achieves a one day one topic scenario.  I modify the heck out of things, incorporate hands on, and rarely cover more than one half the topics.  Is adding technology going to make my completion rate better or worse? 

            My classes had a very difficult experience this year in the fact that I stressed calculator use in all aspects of our learning.  Once I introduced a topic I taught how to set up these problems on our calculators.  This crashed and burned when we were told, almost three-fourths through the year that calculator use on certain parts of the NJASK was denied even for special education students.  “Similarly when students used calculators, their scores increased over those without calculators and the greatest gains came for those who used the calculators almost every day (Wenglinsky, 2005).” (Schrum and Levin, 2009)  Well perhaps someone should tell the state this. 

            I have joined two communities through Thinkfinity,   Illumination which is actually one of their, “content partners” and a group from the NCTM; and Learning Math. These two groups have lesson ideas, and links to many tools, for integrating technology into your classroom on an every day bases.  Wish me luck!