April+26th+Article



Smith, Lauren. "Winning Equation: How Technology Can Help Save Math Education." //Edutopia//. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 22 May 2008. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. .

This article identifies multiple different assistive technologies for math, like the Assistment system, Cognitive Tutor, SimCalc, or a graphing calculator. Additionally, the article highlights why it is important to support students in math. Less than one-third of eighth-grade students and fewer than one out of four seniors now test as proficient or better for math, according to recent National Assessment of Education Progress reports.

The program that was described in the most depth was the Assistment system. Every other week, Judy Murphy, the head of a middle school math department, takes her students to the computer lab to use the Assistment system, an online program that provides students with one-on-one tutorials. Teachers can tailor the program to fit specific curricula, and Murphy's students use it to practice the state's math-assessment test questions. If students answer a problem incorrectly, the program may give them a review session, and afterward, it tests them on a similar question to gauge whether they've learned the material. For students who answer multiple questions correctly on the first try, the program may skip tutorials to move them on to a more challenging lesson.

Additionally interesting was the focus and enthusiasm toward graphing calculators. The graphing calculator is a piece of technology simpler than a computer and should definitely not be to overlooked. Such calculators now come equipped with software that allows students to draw shapes and plot points on the screen. Often it's difficult for teachers to schedule the labs, and graphing calculators are less expensive, so everyone can have one. You can draw shapes and then learn all the postulates and theorems. The possibilities are endless. Texas Instruments graphing calculators only cost between $80 and $100 and are much more affordable and feasible for schools to provide en mass.