Math Shiny as Chrome: Math Relevancy through Chromebooks
My students need 2 Chromebooks so they can see how the math applies to their real world, create projects that are meaningful, and interact with the math.
Math is black and white, right or wrong, cut and draw, or hard and boring according to many students. But to me, math is beautiful. It is a game of numbers. It is an art of graphed functions. It is my job to introduce this beautifully intricate system to my students and technology is my ice breaker.
I teach the wide spectrum of ability in the high school setting.
I have an Algebra 1 class that is composed of mostly all Freshmen with a few Sophomores. These are students who are eager to learn, but struggle with the concepts. Then for three periods I teach an Advanced Placement Statistics class. Many of these students are the brightest mathematical minds on our campus others are the hard workers that do what it takes to be successful. My final period is Math 4. This is a class made up of all Seniors who are credit deficient and need this class to graduate. Many of these students are classified as special education either due to learning disabilities or emotional needs. There are also a few students in this class that are English Language Learners. Overall our school is made up of students with high character who sometimes lack motivation.
My Project
Traditionally, I would give the students a formula for graphing lines. They would work 10-20 problems where they graphed lines on paper. I would then answer their questions. Through the use of these Chromebooks my students will instead visit the Desmos Application, put in the equation of a line and use sliders to manipulate the equation. We can look at hundreds of equations in just minutes and then have a conversation on how one movement of the slider causes a change in the steepness of the line, while another movement of the slider causes the entire line to shift up or down. They could then all access a Google Doc and create a study guide where everyone has input and access. The math is no longer something done on a piece of paper in a classroom, it is something they can see and touch.
By having Chromebooks in my classroom I will be better equipped to make math relevant to my students.
One of the projects I plan on doing with my students once I have the Chromebooks is to research data on cigarette smoking. They will analyze data, make predictions based on trends, and make a conclusion on smoking effects based on the math. They will change this final product into a commercial or radio add to convince others not to smoke based on the mathematical evidence they found.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Harrell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
