Enhancing Mathematical
Learning in a
Technology-Rich
Environment
I
n Principles and Standards for School Math- mathematics lessons that address the needs of their
ematics (NCTM 2000), the Technology Principle diverse students, in particular, English Language
asserts: “Technology is essential in teaching and Learners (ELLs) and students with special needs.
learning mathematics; it influences the mathemat- Through classroom examples, we discuss how a
ics that is taught and enhances students’ learning” technology-rich learning environment influences a
(p. 24). More specifically, a technology-rich envi- classroom’s critical features. Moreover, we define
ronment for mathematical learning influences five
critical features of the classroom (Hiebert et al. By Jennifer M. Suh, Christopher J. Johnston, and Joshua Douds
1997): the nature of classroom tasks, the mathemat- Jennifer M. Suh, [email protected], is an assis-
ical tool as learning support, the role of the teacher, tant professor of mathematics education at
the social culture of the classroom, and equity and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Her research interests include lesson study and
accessibility. An essential question when working the development of preservice mathematics
in a technology-rich mathematics environment teachers. Christopher J. Johnston, cjohnst2@
is how technology can be used (appropriately) to gmu.edu, is a doctoral student at George Mason University interested in preservice and begin-
ning mathematics teachers’ use of technology. Joshua Douds, [email protected], is a
enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics.
fourth-grade teacher at Westlawn Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. His research inter-
This article describes teachers working collab- ests include center-based mathematics and the effects of cooperative learning in mathematics.
oratively in a technology-rich environment to plan
Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008 235
Copyright © 2008 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org. All rights reserved.
This material may not be copied or distributed electronically or in any other format without written permission from NCTM.
Figure 1
Student work showing mathematical knowledge mapping
unique technological properties that amplify oppor- The second featured lesson was a fourth-grade
tunities for extending mathematical thinking. fractions lesson with the objective of renaming frac-
The participating school is a Title I elementary tions and finding equivalent fractions. This lesson
school in a major metropolitan area with approxi- was a prerequisite to adding and subtracting with
mately 600 students: 51 percent Hispanics, 24 unlike denominators using models. Once teachers
percent Asians, 16 percent Caucasians, 3 percent identified the lesson objectives, the lesson-planning
African Americans, and 6 percent others. More team worked together to construct a mathematics
than 50 percent of the student population receive knowledge map outlining the key components of
free or reduced lunch, 44 percent receive services both interrelated prerequisite and future knowledge
for English for Speakers of Other Languages, mathematics concepts building blocks. Addition-
and 49 percent are identified as limited in Eng- ally, they identified effective representations or
lish proficiency. On the basis of student need at models to teach each concept (see fig. 1).
this school, an important school initiative sought In these two lessons, the planning team
to incorporate nonlinguistic representations into included third- and fourth-grade classroom teach-
students’ daily activities to help build their back- ers, the special education teacher assigned to those
ground knowledge. Representing knowledge (non- grade levels, the mathematics specialists, and the
linguistic representation) is one of nine categories university mathematics educator. Teachers ranged
of instructional strategies proven to advance stu- from novices to experienced teachers with varied
dent achievement (Marzano et al. 2001). An essen- strengths and weaknesses in the areas of technol-
tial part of the initiative promotes the integration ogy integration, mathematical content knowledge,
of technology in all content areas to provide the and teaching practice—a range that provided
diverse student population with interactive, visual, opportunities for all participants to develop deeper
and multimedia tools. To enact the initiative, pedagogical content or technology knowledge.
teachers in each grade level collaborated with a
university mathematics educator to design lessons Creating Technology-Rich
incorporating technology tools and nonlinguistic
representations to engage, motivate, and respond to
Mathematics Learning
the needs of a diverse group of learners. Environments
To begin planning collaborative lessons, teach- When creating a technology-rich mathematical
ers identified a mathematics area at their grade level learning environment, teachers must understand
that presented a teaching and learning challenge. what using technology “appropriately” (Garofalo et
For one of the highlighted classroom examples, we al. 2000, p. 67) means when integrated into teach-
will share a third-grade money lesson that was part ing mathematics:
of the measurement strand. The lesson objective
was to count a collection of mixed coins and then 1. Introducing technology in context
find and record a variety of ways to show a given 2. Addressing worthwhile mathematics with appro-
amount of money. The future building-block target priate pedagogy
was to make change for amounts up to five dollars. 3. Taking advantage of technology
236 Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008
Figure 2
An Advancing Mathematical Thinking planning sheet
Advancing Mathematics Thinking with the Use of Technology
Web site Addition of Fractions
Math Strand Number and Operations Grade Level Fourth Grade
Description of
mathematical concept
(NCTM)
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives at Utah State University, copyright 1999–2000. All Rights Reserved.
Analysis of Mathematical Representations and Models
X Concept tutorial/skill practice Investigation/problem solving Open exploration
Representation
• Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate
Connected pictorial
mathematical ideas
and numerical
• Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve patterns
representations
• Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical
phenomena
Communication Peer talk:
• Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication Discuss applet’s
• Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, function and the
teachers, and others mathematics
• Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others process (step by
• Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely step)
Connections Connecting
• Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas renaming before
• Understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to combining; finding
produce a coherent whole common multiples
• Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics with arrows
breaking pieces
Reasoning and Proof
• Recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics Analyzing and
• Make and investigate mathematical conjectures making sense of the
• Develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs algorithmic process
• Select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof
Problem Solving Discovering what
• Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving happens when
• Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts fraction pieces
• Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems are renamed and
• Monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving combined
Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008 237
4. Connecting mathematics topics students were able to touch the screen and drag the
5. Incorporating multiple representations coin directly onto the hundreds chart to help them
count by twenty-five, ten, five, or one. We used the
In planning the lessons, we used these guidelines highlighting pen to shade in money amounts and
to structure the learning environments with virtual to show the value of each coin. For many children,
manipulatives and applets. counting money is especially challenging because its
In addition to knowing how to integrate technol- representation is nonproportional; that is, although
ogy appropriately, teachers must focus on worthwhile a dime has more value than a nickel, the dime is
mathematics and effective pedagogy when using tech-
nology. An effective way to optimize the mathemati- Figure 3
cal thinking opportunities presented by technology
Student work using tech tools
is to plan the mathematics task focused on the five
Process Standards (NCTM 2000): Problem Solving, (a) The SMART Board to count change
Reasoning and Proof, Communication, Connections,
and Representation. We used a template during plan-
ning to guide the activity and the classroom discourse
so that teachers were focused on advancing students’
mathematical thinking processes (see fig. 2).
The remainder of the article describes two les-
sons in which technology was used as an instruc-
tional strategy. More specifically, we describe the
task and the technological tool that supported the
learning, the role of the teacher in capitalizing on
learning in the technology-rich environment, and
how the technology gave more access to learning
opportunities and more equity to diverse learners.
(b) A virtual hand to drag coins and skip-count
Counting Change
Makes Sense
The third-grade lesson objectives were to teach
students to count a collection of mixed coins and
find and record a variety of ways to show a given
amount of money. Making change for amounts to
five dollars was a future knowledge building block.
To address the objectives, we designed the task on
the SMART Board with a hundreds chart and coins
that had infinite clones to count change. Using
the hundreds chart (see fig. 3a), students worked
with benchmark numbers such as five, ten, and (c) Multiple coin combinations for thirty-three cents
twenty-five, learned to skip-count when counting
change, and practiced using numbers flexibly. The
second activity, “Show Me the Money,” embedded
two tasks. First, students counted the money in the
virtual hand (see fig. 3b) by dragging the coins and
skip-counting. The following scenario offered the
other task: “I have in my hand a total of thirty-three
cents. Show me all the possible ways to make that
amount” (see fig. 3c).
We used technology to provide students with
multiple representations. The electronic hundreds
chart helped students see the relationship between Copyright © 2003 Arcytech. All Rights Reserved.
coins and their value. Using the SMART Board,
238 Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008
physically smaller. The task was designed to relate the dual representations of the coins and the
the proportional representation of the hundreds chart hundreds chart allowed for some high-
with the nonproportional representations of the coins ability students to engage in more chal-
so that students would gain better understanding of lenging tasks. By using the hundreds
each coin’s magnitude and worth. Demonstrating chart and counting on, these students
how to count up to thirty-three cents at the SMART used the tools to determine how
Board, one student commented, “With twenty-five much change one should get back
cents, I need to shade in a lot more: two rows for the if one pays with a dollar bill. For
two tens and five ones; and to get to thirty cents, I example, the cost of a candy bar is
need to add a nickel and then three more pennies.” sixty-eight cents. The child counts on,
Shading the hundreds chart was an instructive visual “Sixty-nine, seventy,” using pennies and
representation of the coin values. then counts on, “Eighty, ninety, one hundred,” using
three dimes; the total is thirty-two cents in change.
The teacher’s role Having multiple tasks embedded within each task
The SMART Board technology facilitated the also allowed for differentiation in instruction.
teacher’s ability to give students opportunities to
show multiple ways to count change. Important
teacher tactics included allowing students to dis- Exploring Equivalent Fractions
play different solution paths on the SMART Board The lesson objectives for the fourth-grade fractions
simultaneously, asking students to compare differ- lesson were to rename fractions and find equiva-
ent thinking strategies for making compatible num- lent fractions; the subsequent lesson focused on
bers, and initiating productive discussion on effi- using models to add and subtract fractions with
cient change-counting strategies. Simultaneously unlike denominators. The virtual manipulatives
displaying multiple student solutions allowed stu- called Fraction Equivalence, found on the National
dents to compare and make some important gener- Library of Virtual Manipulatives Web site, allowed
alizations about counting coins. For example, when students to explore the relationship between equiv-
given the coins (a quarter, dime, dime, and nickel), alent fractions. On the Fraction Equivalence applet,
one student shared, “I count the quarter first and students were presented with a partially shaded
then the nickel to get to thirty cents [and] then add circle or square and the fraction symbol. They were
the two dimes to get to fifty cents.” Another student directed to “find a new name for this fraction by
said, “It is easier for me to add the quarter, then the using the arrow buttons to set the number of pieces.
two dimes to go from twenty-five, thirty-five, forty- Enter the new name and check your answer.” To do
five cents, [and] then add the nickel to get to fifty this, students clicked on arrow buttons below the
cents.” Many students began to adapt their thinking whole unit, which changed the number of parts.
and model the strategies shared in class that made When students had an equivalent fraction, all lines
it easier to skip-count money. The task also allowed turned red. When a common denominator was iden-
them to discover ways to compose and decompose tified, students typed the names of the equivalent
numbers using different coin combinations. fractions into the appropriate boxes. They checked
their answers by clicking the “Check” button.
Equity and access Each step of the way, the pictures were linked to
for diverse learners numeric symbols that dynamically changed with
Technology enhanced students’ learning by allowing the students’ moves (see fig. 4a). To help explore
diverse learners to understand the concept through the relationship between equivalent fractions, the
multiple representations. Students recorded the applet prompted students to find several equivalent
numeric value right next to the coins as they counted fractions. This applet was specifically designed
change on the hundreds chart, thereby allowing to develop the concept of renaming fractions.
the visual representations to be closely tied to the Although constrained to one specific objective,
numeric representations. For some English Language the tool allowed for more exploration than do
Learners, being able to write words such as quarter, physical manipulatives, such as fraction circles or
dime, nickel, and penny next to the coin gave them bars, which are usually limited by the number of
better access to the lesson. The technology features fractional pieces. This applet allowed students to
allowed for better communication, problem solving, equally divide a whole, up to ninety-nine pieces,
reasoning, and connections among concepts. In fact, and generate multiple equivalent fraction names.
Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008 239
The teacher’s role equivalent fractions. The teacher gave students
Figure 4
The teacher’s role in extending students’ think-
ing during this task was to encourage students Fraction equivalence applet
to record a list of equivalent fractions, look for a
(a) in English
pattern, and generate a rule. For instance, using
the applet on a SMART Board, a student found
1/3 = 2/6 = 3/9 = 4/12. As we recorded this on the
board, students’ eyes started to widen and hands
started waving in the air: “Oh, oh, I know the
rule!” Some students noticed the additive rule.
One student stated, “The denominators are going
by a plus-three pattern.” Another student echoed,
“It is like skip counting.” And another voiced, “It
is the multiples of three.”
To get students to further explore the rela-
tionship, the teacher asked them to examine the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives at Utah State University,
copyright 1999–2000. All Rights Reserved.
multiplicative pattern for both the numerator
and the denominator in 2/3. Students listed 2/3 =
4/6 = 6/9, and again they quickly saw the additive (b) in Spanish
pattern and the multiples of two for the numerator
and three for the denominator. Then the teacher
posed the questions, “Are 2/3 and 20/30 equivalent
fractions? What about 2/3 and 10/15?” To find a
rule beyond the additive rule, students were asked
to use the applet and talk to their partners while
exploring the relationships between the equivalent
fractions and to other fractions. When students
came back together as a group, several of them
shared their discoveries: “The fractions 2/3 and
20/30 are equivalent, because you multiply both
numerator and denominator by ten. And in 2/3 =
10/15, you multiply both numerator and denomi- National Library of Virtual Manipulatives at Utah State University,
copyright 1999–2000. All Rights Reserved.
nator by five.” These comments led to a lively con-
versation about how 10/10 and 5/5 both equal one
whole. The teacher connected this idea to the iden-
tity property of multiplication by asking, “What the opportunity to work with a partner. As the
happens when we multiply one by any number?” pairs worked together with the applet, they were
The ensuing discussion reinforced the idea that able to make sense of the mathematics by talk-
no matter how you rename the fractions, as long ing through the processes. The teacher paired
as you multiply them by one or n/n, you will have limited English-proficient students with students
an equivalent fraction. To challenge the students, who spoke the same language and could better
the teacher posed a question: “What would the explain what was happening. The ability to switch
equivalent fraction be for 1/3 if the denominator to Spanish gave many ELLs better access to the
were divided into ninety-nine parts?” This type of mathematics (see fig. 4b). And finally, while other
questioning encouraged students to extend their students explored with a partner, the special needs
thinking by making conjectures and testing their learners worked together in a small group with
rule or hypothesis. the mathematics educator, who scaffolded their
experience by working collaboratively in front of
Equity and access the SMART Board.
for diverse learners Traditionally, special needs learners are often
Instead of merely teaching an algorithm, we used given direct instruction on how to perform an algo-
the fraction applet to allow all the students to rithm using mnemonic devices or procedural steps
think and reason about the relationships among without being given opportunities to construct
240 Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008
conceptual understanding of the procedure. One Leveraging Technology
of the biggest challenges of working with physi-
cal manipulatives, such as fractions circles, is that
in Mathematical Teaching
actually manipulating multiple pieces creates so and Learning
much of a cognitive load on students’ thinking As teachers structure their learning environments
processes that they lose sight of the mathemati- using technology, the primary focus should be to
cal concept. In our classroom example, working support mathematical understanding. A number of
with a virtual applet reduced some of the physical design and assessment issues are unique to using
manipulation so that the special needs students technology. For example, teachers should consider
could focus more on mathematical processes and having students print their work or use a task sheet
relationships among the equivalent fractions. In to record their work, their thoughts, and examples
many ways, the applet gave special needs students from using the virtual manipulative or applet. By
access to the mathematics without creating a cog- writing and recording their work, students reflect
nitive overload. on their own thinking, a metacognitive process,
Having visual and numeric representations which is essential in problem solving. The task
closely tied together and displayed on the screen sheet also provides a permanent record that can be
helped students make direct connections in rela- used for the teacher’s assessment purposes.
tionships among equivalent fractions. Throughout Ensuring mathematical discourse with peers and
the lesson, the teacher worked with a small group teachers before, during, and after using a technol-
of ELLs and special needs students, who required ogy tool is an important design issue, critical to
more teacher support and benefited from small- students’ exploration of patterns and relationships.
group interaction. The teacher could re-teach Using appropriate technology in teaching and learn-
and reinforce skills as needed. The kinesthetic ing should make learning environments qualitatively
and tactile advantages of the SMART Board also different from teaching without technology. That is,
enabled students to grasp greater understanding integrating technology should not merely add a virtual
of the concept as they took turns manipulating the representation to a lesson; it should enhance teaching
SMART Board and coaching each other through and learning by providing opportunities for rich math-
the given task. ematical thinking and discussion. Teachers should
consider specific pedagogical issues. In our two class-
Leveraging Technology room examples, we illustrated how using the NCTM
Process Standards alongside the unique aspects of the
to Enhance Mathematical technology tools allowed meaningful learning to take
Learning place while meeting the needs of diverse learners.
Learning environments that take advantage of vir-
tual manipulatives and applets offer a number of
ways for students to develop their mathematical References
understanding. The authors identify the following Garofalo, Joe, Hollylynne Stohl Drier, Suzanne Harper,
as five primary benefits of virtual manipulatives Maria A. Timmerman, and Tod Shockey. “Promot-
and applets: ing Appropriate Uses of Technology in Mathematics
Teacher Preparation. Contemporary Issues in Technol-
ogy and Technology Education 1, no. 1 (2000): 66–88.
1. Linked representations provide connections Hiebert, James, Thomas P. Carpenter, Elizabeth Fennema,
and visualization between numeric and visual Karen C. Fuson, Diana Wearne, Hanlie Murray. Mak-
representations. ing Sense: Teaching and Learning Mathematics with
2. Immediate feedback allows students to check Understanding. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1997.
their understanding throughout the learning pro- Marzano, Robert J., Jennifer S. Norford, Diane E. Payn-
ter, Debra J. Pickering, and Barbara B. Gaddy. A
cess, which prevents misconceptions. Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works.
3. Interactive and dynamic objects move a noun Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Cur-
(mathematics) to a verb (mathematize). riculum Development, 2001.
4. Virtual manipulatives and applets offer opportu- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
nities to teach and represent mathematical ideas Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
Reston, VA: NCTM, 2000.
in nontraditional ways. Utah State University National Library of Virtual Manipula-
5. Meeting diverse learners’ needs is easier than tives. nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_105_g_2_ t_1.
with traditional methods. html?from=grade_g_2.html. s
Teaching Children Mathematics / November 2008 241
