Teaching with technology: up, up and away with parachutes in primary mathematics.

Northcote, Maria

If you like taking your mathematics lessons outdoors then you will enjoy this issue's technology column! Maria Northcote and her students suggest a variety of different technologies and mathematical explorations that can be used in conjunction with a parachute.

Introduction

It is of utmost importance that what is already known about young children's healthy growth and development is applied to the use of new technological developments (Lentz, Kyeong-Ju Seo & Gruner, 2014, p. 22).

In a teacher education institution just north of Sydney, a lecturer asked her students about their most vivid memories of learning about mathematics in their primary school years. By far, the most easily recalled positive experiences of mathematics involved some form of physical activity or the use of hands-on resources:

   One day the teacher organised for us to
   have a pizza party. The pizzas were divided
   into even pieces and we learned about
   fractions.

   I loved the way my teacher got us to use the
   things she found around her house in the
   classroom. She'd bring them into our class
   and we'd use them in maths activities.

   We did cooking in our primary school
   class. I'm not sure if it was meant to be a
   maths lesson or not but we learned how to
   measure, how to cut up food into parts and
   how to estimate amounts.

   We did maths activities with parachutes.
   I really enjoyed that. We were all running
   around, laughing, counting and just
   doing maths.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Not only was the enjoyment clear in their voices but they were also able to easily identify the learning that had occurred. It follows as no surprise that research studies continue to reinforce the value of using physical resources and physical activities to optimise learning outcomes. In primary school mathematics, the physicality associated with a lesson is often the key to children developing a strong conceptual understanding of a mathematics topic.

By using hands-on equipment and resources in authentic and purposeful activities, children's learning about mathematical concepts can be firmly grounded in a mixture of sensory experiences and cognitive understandings (Reys et al., 2012).

Activities which involve the use of physical activities have been shown to benefit children's fitness, movement, concentration, cognitive functions and social skills (Bouffard et al., 1996; Cosentino & Wyrzkowski, 2007). In more recent years, Prensky (2001) has been reminding us that we are in the 21st century and that children are digital natives of this new era; they naturally use all types of online and offline technology. However, the overuse of technology as a focus of play and enjoyment in more recent years has seen the time spent by children on physical activities diminish (Lentz et al., 2014; Rosen et al., 2014). While some uses of technology during indoor and outdoor learning experiences can be incorporated into physical activities, an over-reliance on screen-based resources can promote more sedentary behaviour patterns.

A mixture of physical and movement-based activities in conjunction with technological resources can provide opportunities for physical and technological education of primary school students to be interconnected. For example, Goodwin (2008) found that the use of virtual manipulatives actually enhanced kindergarten children's understanding of mathematics. Similarly, by using screen-based resources to teach third grade students about fractions, Reimer and Moyer (2005) found that the students' learning and their enjoyment of learning significantly improved.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

While parachute activities in primary schools have long been used to provide opportunities for children to develop a range of knowledge and skills that are not necessarily mathematical in nature, the use of parachutes can also contribute to the quality and enjoyment of children's mathematical learning. For these reasons, the physical activities described in this article are also linked to activities that can be conducted with the use of online, computer and hand-held technologies.

Mathematics with parachutes and technology

Playground parachutes have been used inearly childhood (Richards, 2010; Wilmes & Wilmes, 2000) and primary education (Strong & LeFevre, 2006) for many years to develop cooperative skills, conduct music activities and develop language competencies, not to mention the use of parachutes in physical and movement activities.

The use of a playground parachute in indoor and outdoor activities in primary schools can also facilitate mathematical learning in all strands of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2013) including Number and algebra, Measurement and geometry, and Statistics and probability.

The following table provides a collection of mathematics activities that can be used with a playground parachute and mobile technologies to initiate physical activities and games. For the convenience of curriculum planning, each activity has been referenced to a strand and substrand of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (ACARA, 2013). Technology can be used to both supplement and reinforce the learning that occurs in these physical activities.

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

[FIGURE 4 OMITTED]

Conclusion

The mathematics activities described in this article suggest a combination of hands-on physical resources and technological tools to teach mathematics concepts to primary school-aged children (Goodwin, 2008; Kissane, 2009; Reys et al., 2012; Swan & Marshall, 2010). The use of technological tools such as cameras, stopwatches, audio recorders, iPad apps and interactive whiteboard games can be used before the parachute game activities, during the parachute activities or to reinforce learning after the parachute activities have taken place. These interactive activities provide opportunities to introduce new mathematical concepts, to build on current knowledge and to extend children's understanding of mathematics while giving them the chance to be active and social.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the following pre-service teachers from Avondale College of Higher Education who contributed their parachute activity ideas in the article above: Jasmin Bell, Roland Herps, Jennifer Hewitt, Cam Selby, Jonathon Stuckings and Lauren Taylor. Thanks also to the pre-service teachers enrolled in the units EDCP29100 and EDCP59100 for demonstrating the parachute activities in the photographs throughout this article and to Jasmin Bell for her photography.

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2013). Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Retrieved 4 April 2014 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Mathematics/Rationale

Bouffard, M., Watkinson, E. J., Thompson, L. P., Causgrove Dunn, J. L. & Romanow, S. K. E. (1996). A test of the activity deficit hypothesis with children with movement difficulties. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 13(1), 61-73.

Cosentino, E. & Wyrzkowski, M. (2007). Running on adrenalin. Teacher, 177, 14-15.

Goodwin, K. (2008). The impact of interactive multimedia on kindergarten students' representations of fractions. Issues in Educational Research, 18(2), 103-117.

Kissane, B. (2009). What does the Internet offer for mathematics students? In C. Hurst, M. Kemp, B. Kissane, L. Sparrow & T. Spencer (Eds), Mathematics: It's mine (Proceedings of the 22nd Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, pp. 135-145). Adelaide: The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers.

Lentz, C. L., Kyeong-Ju Seo, K. & Gruner, B. (2014). Revisiting the early use of technology. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 42(1), 15-31.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

Reimer, K. & Moyer, P. S. (2005). Third-graders learn about fractions using virtual manipulatives: A classroom study. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 24(1), 5-25.

Reys, R. E., Lindquist, M. M., Lambdin, D. V., Smith, N. L., Rogers, A., Falle, J., Frid, S. & Bennett, S. (2012). Helping children learn mathematics. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons.

Richards, K. (2010). Physical activity in early childhood settings: Inclusive physical activities for children aged 0-5 years and their parents, day-carers, or teachers in a variety of early childhood settings. Hindmarsh, SA: Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER).

Rosen, L. D., Lim, A. F., Felt, J., Carrier, N. A., Cheever, J. M., Lara-Ruiz, J. S., Mendoza, J. S. & Rokkum, J. (2014). Media and technology use predicts ill-being among children, preteens and teenagers independent of the negative health impacts of exercise and eating habits. Computers in Human Behavior, 35(June), 364-375.

Strong, T. & LeFevre, D. N. (2006). Parachute games with DVD. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.

Swan, P. & Marshall, L. (2010). Revisiting mathematics manipulative materials. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 15(2), 13-19.

Wilmes, L. & Wilmes, D. (2000). Parachute play for indoor/ outdoor play (rev. ed.). Lewisville, NC: Gryphone House Publishers: Building Blocks.

Maria Northcote

Avondale College of Higher Education, NSW

<maria.northcote@avondale.edu.au>

Table 1. Mathematics activities using a playground parachute
and technological resources.

Strand           Substrand         Activities using a playground
                                   parachute and technological
                                   resources

Number and       Number and        Addition and subtraction:
algebra          place value.      Place two foam dice on the
                                   parachute and instruct
                                   children to add up or subtract
                                   the numbers on dice faces.

                 Fractions         Counting: Place a light ball
                 and decimals.     on the parachute and ask
                                   children to estimate how many
                                   times they can get the ball to
                                   roll around the centre circle
                                   or around the far edges of the
                                   parachute.

                 Patterns and      Counting down: Practise
                 algebra.          lifting the parachute up and
                                   down, by counting down from 5
                                   or larger numbers.

                                   Number recognition: Place a
                                   ball on the parachute. Tape
                                   numbers around the
                                   circumference of the parachute
                                   and, as each number is called
                                   out, children aim to roll a
                                   ball towards that number.

                                   Online games: such as Skip
                                   Counting with Pictures:
                                   http://au.ixl.com/math/
                                   year-1/
                                   skip-counting-with-pictures.

                                   Online interactive number
                                   board:
                                   www.abcya.com/interactive_100_
                                   number_chart.htm.

                                   Full part nature of fractions:
                                   Folding the nylon parachute to
                                   show halves (two layers),
                                   quarters (four layers) etc.

                                   Equivalent fractions: Use
                                   folding activity above to
                                   demonstrate the equivalence of
                                   fractions (e.g., one half =
                                   two quarters).

                                   Even and odd numbers: Allocate
                                   each child an even or odd
                                   number. As a group, children
                                   call out skip counting
                                   sequences using odd and even
                                   numbers. Hold the parachute
                                   high while children with even
                                   numbers run into the centre,
                                   shake hands with each other
                                   and run back out to hold onto
                                   the edge of the parachute.
                                   Repeat with odd numbers.

                                   Random number generator:
                                   www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/
                                   games/RndGenerator/
                                   rndnogen.html.

                                   Online big calculator:
                                   www.amblesideprimary.com/
                                   ambleweb/mentalmaths/
                                   BigCalculator.html.

                                   Pattern recognition: Children
                                   count aloud the various
                                   coloured segments and the
                                   numbers of each of the
                                   parachute sections, and
                                   verbalise their sequence.

                                   Online quiz: Create online
                                   quizzes based on pattern
                                   matching and guessing
                                   activities using Quiz Boxes:
                                   http://quizboxes.com.

Measurement      Using units of    Time: Tape numbers from 1-12
and geometry     measurement.      around the parachute to
                                   simulate a clock- face.
                                   Children run to an o'clock
                                   time, based on the use of a
                                   spinner.

                 Shape.            Informal/formal measurement of
                                   length: Estimate and measure
                                   (with footsteps, trundle
                                   wheels) the distance across
                                   and around the parachute.

                 Location and      Time estimation: Estimating
                 transformation.   how long it would take for a
                                   child to walk around the
                                   parachute in regular, baby or
                                   giant steps.

                 Geometric         Online stopwatch: on iPhone,
                 reasoning.        iPad or laptop:
                                   www.online-stopwatch.com

                                   Virtual spinner: http://www.
                                   mathsisfun.com/data/spinner.php

                                   2-D shapes: Describe shapes
                                   that make up the parachute
                                   (circle, triangle segments).

                                   Mobile phone/iPad app: Shape
                                   Builder--the Preschool
                                   Learning Puzzle
                                   Game: https://itunes.apple.
                                   com/au/app/shape-builder-
                                   preschool-learning/
                                   id306572986?mt=8)

                                   Directions: Children follow
                                   directions around, above,
                                   below, near the parachute.

                                   Movement: Children run around
                                   one rotation of the circle in
                                   anti-clock- wise direction,
                                   then in a clockwise direction.

                                   Online barrier games: such as
                                   the Tasty Ice Cream app which
                                   allows children to build a
                                   virtual ice cream, putting
                                   ingredients on top, under, in
                                   the middle, etc.

                                   Angles: Compare angles created
                                   by colour divisions or by
                                   folding the parachute.

                                   Online angle measuring tool:
                                   such as www.teacherled.com/
                                   resources/anglemeasure/
                                   anglemeasureload.html.

                                   Digital cameras: to record 2-D
                                   and 3-D shapes in context of
                                   school grounds.

Statistics and   Chance.           Prediction and chance games:
Probability                        Rolling foam dice on the
                                   parachute.

                 Data              Collect data: about
                 representation    how long it takes individual
                 and               children to run around the
                 interpretation.   parachute or how the number of
                                   times a foam die rolled on the
                                   parachute lands on a 1, 2, 3,
                                   etc.

                                   iPad or tablet: to record data
                                   in columns, based on their
                                   occurrence.

                                   Online dice: e.g.,
                                   www.curriculumbits.com/
                                   mathematics/virtual-dice.

                                   Online polling system: such as
                                   Poll Everywhere:
                                   www.polleverywhere.com
                                   to record outcomes of data
                                   collection activities.