Mathematics

=** Subject: Mathematics **=

**Ohio Academic Content Standard:**
 Students demonstrate number sense, including an understanding of number systems and operations and how they relate to one another. Students compute fluently and make reasonable estimates using paper and pencil, technology-supported and mental methods.  ****Grade 4:** 13. Use a variety of methods and appropriate tools for computing with whole numbers; e.g., mental math, paper and pencil, and calculator.  14. Demonstrate fluency in adding and subtracting whole numbers and in multiplying and dividing whole numbers by 1- and 2-digit numbers and multiples of t en.
 * Standard : ****Number, Number Sense and Operations Standard **
 * Benchmark: Computation and Estimation

**Technologies Incorporated in this Lesson:**

 * iPod Touch available from Apple
 * Apps from Apple's App Store


 * iTunes available from Apple

**Classroom and Activity Description:**
This lesson takes place in a regular fourth grade classroom. The students have various academic levels including below, at, and above grade level.

Before the lesson begins, the teacher will install the Apps (PopMath, miTables Lite, Basic Maths, and Cute Math) on the iPod Touch. When it is time for the activity, the students will be divided into small groups. Each group will decide which App they would like to play as a team. After students choose their App, they take turns playing in a round-robin type scenario.

Students may choose from the following Apps: __PopMath__ —Players must pop bubbles to make pairs (5x7, 35). All operations are available for students to play. The App keeps score as you play. __miTables Lite__ —Players practice multiplication facts in a flashcard type setup. A problem is presented and students must choose the correct answer. __Basic Maths__—Players choose the operation they want to use, and then problems are presented to the player. Scores are presented in a percentage. __Cute Math__—Players choose more basic math concepts in this App, such as sequencing numbers and basic addition and subtraction.

By playing the games on the iPod Touch, students practice using mental math to solve computation problems. Apps can be chosen based on individual student ability level—teachers can customize the Apps they use in the lesson to focus on the necessary skills each student needs to develop.

**Tried and True or New and Innovative?**
Using the iPod Touch in the classroom falls into the New and Innovative category of instruction. While most students are familiar with Apple and iPods, the Touch is a newer concept involving more than just music. Students may know how to use the device, however using it in an educational sense in the classroom is something new. As more and more Apps become available and educators see the benefits of using the iPod Touch in the classroom, this will quickly move into the Tried and True Category.

Supporting Research:
The students of today live in the digital world. While there are some areas that do not have internet access or cell phone coverage, the majority of students in grades K through 12 interact with technology on a daily basis. Students are constantly connected through websites like MySpace and Facebook, they have mobile devices that keep them linked to their peers. The students of today “want to remain mobile while not missing out on educational, social, and employment opportunities” (Franklin and Peng, 208, pg. 70).

The article examines two case studies where teachers implemented the use of the iPod Touch in their classrooms along with math videos to support the math concepts being taught.

To begin, some background information is presented. The information says that “classroom experiences must mirror the complexity of society in order to develop collaboration skills, gain proficiency in working with incomplete information and concepts, manage decision making, and create and share new technologies—part of being a productive member of society” (Franklin and Peng, 208, pg. 70).

In the article, //Mobile Math: Math Educators and Students Engage in Mobile Learning//, the authors summarize the case studies in terms of methods and scientific procedures of gathering data. In summary, the students made movies about different math concepts and then put them on their iPods. The question the case studies were attempting to answer was ‘‘Are mobile devices such as the iPod Touch a useful tool in the mathematics classroom for providing video content to support the learning of eighth grade mathematics both formally and informally?’’ ( Franklin and Peng, 208, pg. 75).

Overall, students felt that using the iPod in class was as much about learning how to use the technology as it was about math. Even though there were many things that got in the way of the study (all of which were out of the control of the person doing the study), the results seemed to be positive from all angles and “the use of the iPod Touch to build math videos was viable in the middle school studied” (Franklin and Peng, 208, pg. 79). //References//