Teaching with technology: iPads and primary mathematics.

Attard, Catherine

Although they were not originally intended for use in classrooms, iPads and similar mobile devices are being purchased by schools all around Australia in the hope they will enhance the education experiences of our students. The need to integrate technology is now an essential aspect of Australian classrooms, with current curriculum documents expressing explicit expectations that ICTs are integrated into the teaching and learning of mathematics (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2012; Board of Studies New South Wales, 2012). Literature around teaching practice and the use of ICT suggest the implementation of new technologies has potentially changed teaching and learning radically, providing opportunities for a shift of focus from the mechanics of action to a more problem-solving based approach (Resnick, 2006)

The introduction of iPads as teaching and learning tools can also potentially remove some of the existing barriers to successful ICT integration (issues with accessibility and technical support), with many also believing the devices have the potential to address a disparity between the way young people use digital media outside school, and the ways in which digital media are used within the classroom (Henderson, 2011; Selwyn, Potter, & Cranmer, 2009). This disparity is described by Selwyn et al. as a 'digital disconnect' between schools and learners. The distinct affordances offered by iPads when compared to the use of laptop and desktop computers include their affordability and ubiquitous access, mobility, ease of use, opportunities for more flexible learning spaces and more opportunities for students to author their own work rather than simply consuming the work of others (Ireland & Woollerton, 2010; Kiger, Herro, & Prunty, 2012; Melhuish & Fallon, 2010).

So we know iPads have the potential to enhance teaching and learning, but how should teachers be using them to teach primary mathematics? In two recent studies (Attard, 2013; Attard & Curry, 2012), teachers found it more challenging to use iPads in interesting ways when teaching mathematics, in contrast to their use in other subjects. Often teachers tend to rely on applications (apps) that are specifically designed for mathematics, but focus on a drill and practice approach that simply replaces the repetition of a standard worksheet or textbook page with some added animation and colour. Sometimes the apps that are used in mathematics lessons are based on games, with little or no opportunity for students to develop their problem solving skills or being able to reflect on their learning.

Planning considerations

There are several things to think about when considering the integration of iPads into teaching and learning mathematics. The following is a brief list:

* What specifically do you want students to learn (content and/or proficiencies)?

* What types of activities/tasks help students learn this content? (Don't forget the importance of including concrete materials.)

* What function of the iPad could you utilise to enhance teaching and learning? (If the iPad does not add anything to the lesson, then perhaps reconsider using it.)

* How will you integrate the iPad into the lesson structure? Will the lesson begin with a whole class demonstration using projection onto an interactive whiteboard?

* How many iPads will you need? (This often depends on how many you have available.)

* Should each child have a device, or is it better for students to share a device? (Sharing promotes reasoning and supports the development of mathematical language.)

* How will the students be grouped?

* Will all students be engaged in exactly the same task using the iPads, or will there be a range of tasks that address the same mathematical content?

* How will you know if students are engaging with the mathematics of the lesson? (Sometimes iPads can be distracting.)

* How will you collect evidence of student learning?

Two tasks to try

The Geometry Treasure Hunt (Figure 1) is an example of an interesting and engaging use of iPads to assess students' understanding of two-dimensional shapes. The task incorporates the built-in camera and photo apps as well as the free, Explain Everything app that allows students to annotate photographs and capture their audio explanations. Students' work can be replayed as a short video and shared via an interactive whiteboard. The advantage of this task is that it allows students to access the proficiency strands of Understanding and Reasoning and is open-ended enough to allow the majority of students the opportunity to achieve success. The task is also engaging as it is highly operative, includes cognitive challenge, and makes links to mathematics beyond the classroom.

Temple Run is a free game app that keeps a record of achievements (Figure 2) and also allows players to purchase upgrades and utilities using coins collected from each game played (Figure 3). This game provides many opportunities to 'play' with numbers and build Fluency, and is an excellent lesson starter to tune students in to thinking about mathematics. The use of a game, and the use of numbers that have been generated by the students make this an engaging platform for some rich mathematical thinking. The following are a few suggested ideas that can be used with the Temple Run app (beginning with students playing one game at the beginning of a lesson to generate some scores):

* Order the scores within your group from lowest to highest.

* Write out your score in words.

* Write out your score using expanded notation

* Calculate your group's mean score.

* Add the total scores in your group.

* Round your score to the nearest ten/ hundred/thousand.

* Is your score an even number or an odd number?

* Is your score a multiple of 3/4/6/8?

* Who ran the furthest distance in your group?

* What is the total distance your group ran?

* Convert your total distance to kilometres/ centimetres.

* Investigate how many times you would need to run around the perimeter of your school playground if you had to run the distance of your group's total. The class total?

* What can you buy with the coins you have saved?

* How many more coins do you need to make a purchase?

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[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

There are many more creative ideas for using apps such as Temple Run and Explain Everything and other non-mathematics based apps to provide mathematics tasks that have purpose and incorporate appropriate challenge for students. In future issues of Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom we will continue to share other creative uses of iPads to teach and learn mathematics.

References

Attard, C. (2013). Introducing iPads into Primary Mathematics Pedagogies: An Exploration of Two Teachers' Experiences. Paper presented at the Mathematics education: Yesterday, today and tomorrow (Proceedings of the 36th Annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia), Melbourne.

Attard, C. & Curry, C. (2012) Exploring the use of iPads to engage young students with mathematics. In J. Dindyal, L.P. Cheng & S. F. Ng (Eds), Mathematics education: Expanding horizons (Proceedings of the 35th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia). Singapore: MERGA

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2010). The Australian curriculum: Mathematics. Retrieved 8th August, 2010, from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu. au/Mathematics/Curriculum/F-10

Board of Studies New South Wales. (2012). Mathematics K-10 syllabus. Retrieved from http://syllabus.bos. nsw.edu.au/

Henderson, R. (2011). Classroom pedagogies, digital literacies and the home-school digital divide. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, 6(2), 152-161.

Ireland, G. V., & Woollerton, M. (2010). The impact of the iPad and iPhone on education. Journal of Bunkyo Gakuin University Department of Foreign Languages and Bunkyo Gakuin College(10), 31-48.

Kiger, D., Herro, D., & Prunty, D. (2012). Examining the influence of a mobile learning intervention on third grade math achievement. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 45(1), 61-82.

Melhuish, K., & Fallon, G. (2010). Looking to the future: M-learning with the iPad. Computers in New Zealand Schools: Learning, Leading, Technology, 22(3), 1-16.

Resnick, M. (2006). Computer as Paintbrush: Technology, Play, and the Creative Society. In D.

G. Singer, R. Michnick Golinkoff & K. Hirsh-Pasek (Eds.), Play = learning: How play motivates and enhances children's cognitive and social-emotional growth (pp. 192-208). New York: Oxford University Press.

Selwyn, N., Potter, J., & Cranmer, S. (2009). Primary pupils' use of information and communication technologies at school and home. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(5), 919-932.