Web 2.0 in the Mathematics Classroom

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Vol. 20, No. 4, November 2014 MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL 237

aTo promote creativity, collaboration,

and communication, look to interactive

applications, broadly called Web 2.0.Leah P. McCoy

MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES/THINKSTOCK

A key characteristic of successfulmathematics teachers is that they areable to provide varied activities thatpromote student learning and as-sessment. Web 2.0 applications canprovide an assortment of tools to helpproduce creative activities. The termWeb 2.0designates Internet applica-tions that provide a context in which

students create, collaborate, and com-municate. The Internet technology isnot unique, but the applications thatare accessed and used are interac-tive and go beyond static browsing.A Web 2.0 tool enables the studentto enter data and create multimediaproducts using text, graphics, audio,and video. The possibilities for

eb 2.0in the Mathematics Classroom

Copyright 2014 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org. All rights reserveThis material may not be copied or distributed electronically or in any other format without written permission from NCTM


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238 MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL Vol. 20, No. 4, November 2014

creativity and variety are endless.The Standards for Mathemati-

cal Practice (SMP) in the CommonCore State Standards include a strongemphasis on student reasoning and

sense making and on demonstrationsof understanding (CCSSI 2010). Indescribing mathematical proficiency,these standards recommend thatstudents should work collaboratively,explaining and discussing concepts torefine understanding (CCSSI 2010,SMP 2 and 3, p. 6). Students should

model and apply their mathemat-ics knowledge (SMP 4, p. 7) and usetechnological tools and communicatetheir understanding precisely (SMP 5and 6, p. 7). Web 2.0 tools can be use-ful in structuring a variety of learningexperiences to enable the develop-ment of students habits of practice,as recommended by the Standards forMathematical Practice. In the follow-ing activities, students interact with themathematics in a creative and collab-orative context and communicate theirunderstanding both individually and ingroups while working on projects.

THE GLOGSTER PROJECT

Glogster is a Web 2.0 tool that isused to create aglog, which is aninteractive visual platform in whichusers create a poster containing mul-

timedia elements including text, au-dio, video, images, graphics, drawings,and data (GlogsterEDU). The tooluses a simple drag-and-drop interfacethat is easily mastered by students ofmany ages and learning styles. It canbe useful in not only a lower-levelgeneral math class but also an ad-vanced course. The Glogster (http://edu.glogster.com) free version wasused for this project. A commercialversion includes additional features.

The Glogster Project was imple-mented in two algebra classes in a ru-ral southern middle school. Each classincluded about twenty students whowere in eighth and ninth grade. Thestudents worked in groups of three orfour to create a multimedia representa-tion of an assigned algebra topic. Thisproject was assigned late in the schoolyear as a way to further examine majortopics already studied in the course, in-

cluding the Pythagorean theorem, thedistance and midpoint formula, scatterplots, and the quadratic formula. Thepurpose of the activity was to engagestudents in revisiting and modelingtheir understanding of the conceptsand to broaden and deepen theirunderstanding. The group assignmentwas used to promote a discussion ofthe concepts.

The students were first orientedto Glogster by viewing examples ofglog posters and learning how to usethe software. Preparing the glog was atwo-step process. Students first deter-mined their content, and then createdthe design. The assignment stipulatedthat students create a glog for theirtopic containing the following contentfeatures:

An introduction of the topic andbasic definitions

Problems represented algebraicallyand graphically

A statement to show where thetopic fits in the big picture ofmathematics

An example of a real-world problem

Each group planned extensively.Students began by discussing thetopic, definition, model, and applica-tion. Rich discussion was evident asstudents debated and constructed agroup understanding of the topic.An informal storyboard was used toencourage students to take notes andkeep track of their ideas.

Once the ideas were in place, the

groups decided on the design featuresthat they would incorporate into theirglog. They were asked to include text(words, equations, algebraic expres-sions), images (pictures, graphs), andaudio/video (an original podcast, alink to an online video, a link to theiroriginal video uploaded to YouTube).They could select from a wide varietyof color schemes and could arrangeelements as they chose. Computer lab

time was allocated so that the groupscould complete the design process.Video cameras and digital audiorecorders were available for originalmedia, which was encouraged. Eachgroup completed a glog that waspresented to the class at the end ofthe two-week project. Assessment wasbased on a rubric.

The glog in figure 1described thedistance formula and the midpointformula. It included graphs, formulas,video of a problem under construc-tion (from SchoolTube), and twoapplications: a baseball diamond andfinance. Another glog, shown in figure2, explored scatter plots and includedseveral graphs, definitions, applica-tions, and video calculator instructions.

RESEARCH STUDY

The research study spotlighted hereexamined the effect on attitudes

Web 2.0 tools

can be useful in

structuring a

variety of learning

experiences to

enable the

development ofstudents habits

of practice.


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toward mathematics when the Glog-ster activity was used in a middleschool algebra class. Participants inthe study were thirty students in twoclasses. Data were not included forstudents who failed to return consentforms. The data collection involvedboth a presurvey and a postsurvey ofstudent attitudes toward mathematics.A focus group discussion with stu-dents at the end of the study collectedcomments about the project activities.

Results from both the pre-attitudeand post-attitude measure showedthat the students were more positivetoward mathematics at the end ofthe study. The focus group discussionindicated that students enjoyed theactivities, liked the active involvement,and found it motivating. One studentsaid, It is better than taking notes be-cause then I get tired and I zone out.With this, you actually want to focusand figure out what you want to do

because you have to present it and youwant it to be good. And it will reflecton you. Comments indicated that thepresentations were a source of motiva-tion for many students.

Students also reported that theyenjoyed the multimedia, especially thecolor and the videos: I like it whenwe get to do different colors and wegot to personalize it and that made itpop out. They said that they appreci-ated the collaboration because theyfound it was cool to see everyonesview on the math and their applica-tions. The students further revealedthat they were quite pleased with theircreations. One student said, This

makes math real and fun. I understandit better now. An evaluation of theirprojects confirmed that they were ableto accurately model the mathematicalconcepts, including real-world prob-lems, in varied representations.

One disappointment was thatgroups used online video materialrather than creating their own videos.The Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org) site was appealing

to students, as were other videos avail-able in SchoolTube (http://www.schooltube.com). Although studentsknew how to create a video or a pod-cast, this create-your-own video wasonly an option, and students chosethe finished products that were avail-able online. This may have occurredbecause of their lack of experience,thus making them unwilling to takea chance on original video. In futureprojects, additional instruction will begiven on creating video, and an origi-nal video or podcast will be required.

Conclusions from the researchcomponent involved attitudes, en-gagement, and collaboration. Fromevidence based on survey results andcomments, students attitudes towardmathematics showed improvementafter the project. Their commentsconfirmed that they were engaged andinterested. They indicated that the

Fig. 1 This glog demonstrated a group understanding and application of the distance

and midpoint formulas.


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group collaboration was important inhelping them talk about the contentand understand it better. They felt thatthey learned mathematics, and theyenjoyed it, as well. The Glogster tool

was effective in providing a context forstudents to create (model), collabo-rate (discuss), and communicate theirunderstanding.

OTHER WEB 2.0 TOOLS

Other creative, interactive Web 2.0tools offer similar benefits and arebriefly described below.

Wordle

An application that generates word

clouds or pictures composed of wordsis the principle behind Wordle(Feinberg; http://www.wordle.net).The relative size of the words isproportional to their frequency in thechosen text. In addition to being funand colorful, a Wordle is an effectiveway to assess student understandingand emphasize vocabulary. It can beused for guided reflection and discus-sion to promote a deeper understand-

ing of the vocabulary. For example,student pairs were asked to generate aten-word vocabulary list once they hadfinished a unit on equations. These listswere entered into the Wordle applica-tion. Figure 3shows one resultinggraphic. Students were asked to discussthe Wordle in their groups and decidewhether they agreed with the vocabu-lary terms that were identified as mostimportant by the class. This guidedreflection resulted in deeper learningof the vocabulary. A similar activitywould be appropriate to emphasize thevocabulary in any topic or at any level.

Poll Everywhere

For a quick and easy way tocollect data from students, use PollEverywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com). This applicationallows the teacher to set up a survey,and students can respond either by

computer or by text message. (Yes,cell phones in the classroom!) Thesurvey questions may be true or false,multiple choice, or open ended. PollEverywhere will then display theresults instantaneously, either as atable, a graph, or as text. The text canbe transferred to a Wordle or simplyused for discussion. This tool providesformative assessment that is similar topersonal response systems, known asclickers, which involve considerableexpense and set up. The only require-ment for Poll Everywhere is thateach student or group has access to asmartphone or computer.

Pixton

To enable students to create their owncomic strips using a simple click-and-drag interface, look up the online toolcalled Pixton (http://pixton.com).This tool allows students to write theirown application problems. Figure 4shows a simple Pixton example thatstudents constructed in response tobeing asked to generate an arithmeticor geometric sequence of their own.Students then presented their comicstrips to the class the next day, and theclass discussed the problems. Problemposing has long been recognized as amotivating instructional practice in

Fig. 2 Scatter plots were used appropriately by the group that produced this glog.


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mathematics (e.g., Polya 1957), requir-ing students to reflect on the math-ematics and model it in a real-worldcontext. Pixton provides a graphic,electronic interface that broadens thistraditional activity using a twenty-first-century learning tool.

Voki

To create podcasts and customizecharacters that speak, students canaccess Voki (http://www.voki.com/). They can choose a character,

a background, and a voice or accent oruse their own. Students might createa series of vokis to explain a conceptor give examples or steps for solving aproblem or understanding the contextof a problem. In any of these uses, thestudent or group must reflect and planhow to articulate their understand-ing through a podcast. A sample vokicreated by a student group shows acharacter stating the steps for solvinga word problem. The group discussedthe problem at length and planned

carefully so that all members were inagreement and could justify each step.The final product can be accessed athttp://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=7151891&height=267&width=200.

This activity provided a different com-munication mediumaudiowhichinvolved both reflection and discussionas the group had to articulate aboutand agree on their understanding.The presentation could be given tothe class or collected and evaluated bythe teacher as formative or summativeassessment data.

Trading Card

To create a product that resembles a

baseball card, including graphics andtext, students can access the TradingCard application (http://www.bighugelabs.com/deck.php). Thisonline tool could be used, for ex-ample, to create a project to studythe history of mathematics. Studentscan select a mathematician and createhis or her own card. Another projectinvolved student groups interviewingpeople in the community and making

a card to show how mathematics wasused in their work. Figure 5showsa student-created card for a policeofficer. In this project to facilitateconnections between mathematicsand the real world, the cards createdby class groups were displayed on abulletin board titled, When are weever going to use this?

EduCreations

An online whiteboard calledEduCreations (http://www.educreations.com) allows the user towrite and record audio. It producesFlash Videos similar to those foundat the Khan Academy site and is aniPad application that also works inany computer browser. This tool canbe used by the teacher to produceonline learning materials. However,it is most valuable when accessedby students. Student groups can be

Fig. 3 The word equationsprovided the impetus for this student-created Wordle. The

assignment asked students to generate ten associated words and plug them into the

Wordle application.

Fig. 4 This Pixton, or comic strip, was constructed by a student group in response toan assignment to produce an arithmetic or geometric sequence of their own.


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assigned a problem and can writeon the electronic whiteboard as theyexplain what they are doing andwhy during their presentation viaEduCreations. They can also importgraphics, such as a grid for construct-ing a graph. The resulting video canbe presented to the class or it canbe viewed later by the teacherfor assessment.

TOOLS FOR STUDENTS

The activities described here showexamples of Web 2.0 tools that can beused effectively in a variety of math-ematics classes. They can assist stu-dents in creating, collaborating, andcommunicating understanding. It isimportant to remember that althougha tool might be good for the teacher, itis almost always better to put it in the

hands of the students. The maximumbenefit will occur when studentscreate and communicate a model oftheir understanding in a hands-oncollaborative environment that also

engages them mathematically.

REFERENCES

Common Core State Standards Initiative

(CCSSI). 2010. Common Core State

Standards for Mathematics. Washington,

DC: National Governors Association

Center for Best Practices and the Coun-

cil of Chief State School Officers. http://

www.corestandards.org/wp-content

/uploads/Math_Standards.pdf

EduCreations. http://www.educreations.com

Feinberg, Jonathan. Wordle. www.wordle.net

GlogsterEDU. http://edu.glogster.com

/what-is-glogster-edu

Khan Academy. https://www.khan

academy.org/

Poll Everywhere. http://www.pollevery

where.com

Plya, George. 1957. How to Solve It. 2nd

ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University

Press.

SchoolTube. http://www.schooltube.comTrading Card. http://www.bighugelabs

.com/deck.php

Voki. http://www.voki.com

Any thoughts on this article? Send an

email to [email protected].

Leah P. McCoy, mccoy@

wfu.edu, teaches math-

ematics education at Wake

Forest University in Win-

ston-Salem, North Carolina.

She is interested in uses of technology in

mathematics teaching and learning.

Fig. 5 The question, When are we ever going to use this? resulted in this Trading

Card generated by a student to show connections between math and the real world.

If you would like to refereemanuscripts or review books and

products for MTMS, visitwww.nctm.org/mtms

or email [email protected].

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Web 2.0 in the Mathematics Classroom