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Improving
pupil attainment and motivation through the
effective use of ICT in
Key Stage 3 Mathematics |
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School: St Edmund's Catholic
School |
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Fellow: Maureen Poole |
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Email: graham.poole@virgin.net |
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We are all familiar with the latest classroom
technologies that promise to be the panacea
for delivering the mathematics curriculum
in a stimulating state of the art manner,
to transform teaching and learning, leaving
students agog, awe inspired and begging for
more. We are talking data projectors, interactive
whiteboards, graphic calculators, and integrated
learning systems, but are we talking realistically? |
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At the start of my Gatsby Fellowship I had
intentions of looking at all of these aspects
of ICT in the classroom. It soon became apparent
that this was totally unrealistic in the time
scale even to someone who was not a complete
rookie in using ICT. The project was slim-lined
to explore the use of the interactive whiteboard
in the mathematics classroom. This was a little
tricky as the school did not have such an
item at the conception of the project. |
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Now we have eight Promethean boards spread
across all departments, an indication perhaps
of the positive impact of this new technology
on teaching and learning. |
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During initial teething troubles with the
installation of the system I decided to explore
the use of certain software using a data projector
and laptop so that I could make some headway
with the project. I was particularly interested
in the use of Autograph. There are some parts
of mathematics teaching that are enhanced
using ICT, for example transformation geometry
and graph sketching. These are visual topics
that are best explained and understood diagrammatically
by observation. The use of an ordinary whiteboard
to teach these topics is time consuming and
tedious because of all the drawing needed
to be undertaken by the teacher and students.
The Autograph software removes the time factor
and tedium allowing the user to focus on the
content rather than the process. Secondly,
the software is dynamic in that it allows
the user to observe the curves or lines being
drawn or the shape being moved or changed.
Finally, when combined with the interactive
whiteboard, a very stimulating and potent
method of learning by discovery ensues. Pupils
can actively engage in demonstrating skills
and concepts for themselves and to the rest
of the class. |
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With the interactive whiteboard in fully
operational mode I could now use any of my
bank of teaching resources that I had created
in Excel, Word, and Powerpoint. There are
several advantages of using these applications
through the interactive board rather than
with a data projector. The first is geographical.
The applications can be controlled from the
front of the classroom at the board itself
rather than from a laptop at the side of the
room. This lends pace to the lesson. Secondly,
through the interactive software aspects of
the presentation can be annotated or highlighted.
This enhances the pupils’ assimilation
of information. Thirdly there is the time-saving
element; the text of the lesson content and
diagrams can be displayed time after time.
These are clear and legible to pupils, the
teacher does not have to laboriously write
them on the board each time and they can be
printed off instead of pupils copying them
during the lesson. |
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The next stage in the project was to implement
the use of the Activ Board flip chart to create
my own resources within the interactive board
software. This allowed me to create lesson
presentations as navigable linked pages. The
power of this system lies in the ability to
create a link with any other application such
as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Autograph, Logo,
or even the internet so that at any stage
in the lesson presentation a detour can be
made to the required software. For example,
in a flip chart about solving simultaneous
equations I called up Autograph and used the
slow plot function to draw the two straight
lines and show the point of intersection.
This ability to present live interactive and
visual demonstrations is a powerful tool and
one which is becoming increasingly necessary
to stimulate and encourage students in their
learning. The technique of creating a flip
chart is easy to master. Text can be typed
into pages or imported from other applications
such as Word or Excel, diagrams can be drawn
or imported. The Activ board software includes
resources such different types of graph or
squared paper, 2D and 3D shapes and solids.
Users can create a bank of their own images,
diagrams or graphics. Hyperlinks can be created
within a flip chart or to another application.
The flip charts can be made very colourful
and sound can be added. In addition to self-made
learning materials there is a wealth of commercial
resources available for use. I have been using
the CD-Roms which support our textbooks. As
well as topic support they also provide interactive
games and activities for classroom use. These
have proved very popular with students especially
as lesson starters. This versatility of the
interactive board system can be used to create
presentations that support the visual, auditory
and kinaesthetic learners and the presentations
themselves provide a means by which lessons
can become truly interactive. The outcome
of this is improved pupil motivation leading
to an increased pace of learning. |
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I have taken part in the Review Project
run by Cascade at the University of Hull.
This is a national survey of the use of the
interactive whiteboard in the classroom. My
mathematics lesson was observed and videoed.
The feedback from the observer has reassured
me that I am making good headway in the use
of this new technology. |
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I have also presented a lesson
to the Kent Thinking Skills group. They were
interested in seeing a mathematics lesson
based on thinking skills and using the interactive
whiteboard.
The implementation of the interactive whiteboard
has been a priority in the school development
plan this year because we have had eight boards
installed across all curriculum areas. I have
been responsible for developing teacher expertise
in the use of the boards. A staff development
day was used to demonstrate how we had been
using the board during lessons and to provide
hands on training for staff. The expected
target set by the Head Teacher is for every
member of staff to have taught a lesson using
an interactive board by the end of the summer
term. |
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I now use the board in almost every lesson.
The reaction from students has been very positive.
A lesson without the board is felt to be rather
mundane by both the pupils and by me. Measuring
its effectiveness in terms of improved pupil
performance is very difficult but improved
pupil motivation and participation are good
enough for me. Creating a flip chart is time
consuming but it can be used time after time.
A bank of flip chart resources is beginning
to materialise. My next step is to train the
rest of the department in the use of the interactive
board. During this half-term each member of
the department will be using the board with
one particular class of pupils so that as
we roll into the next academic year the staff
will be competent enough to use it on a regular
basis. A target for the next academic year
is to connect the interactive board to the
school network and internet. A network connection
will enable us to use Headstart as a teaching
tool. This is an interactive mathematics package
for key stages 3 and 4 and will provide subject
content tailored to be delivered using ICT.
An internet connection will enable us to link
with on-line mathematical web-sites and resources,
in particular with the Mathematics Enhancement
Programme (MEP). We have found these to be
a rich source of content and have recently
started to incorporate them into our schemes
of work. |
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The Gatsby Fellowship has enabled me to
focus on the implementation of innovation
in teaching and learning using ICT. The outcomes
are far reaching for both the mathematics
department and St. Edmund’s School.
For the mathematics department the use of
the interactive whiteboard is well under way.
Future targets include the training of all
members of the department, the development
of a bank of flip charts and the use of on-line
resources. The next few years will see interactive
whiteboard technology firmly embedded in the
school. |
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