M422/M522 Teaching Mathematics in Secondary Schools

Fall 2014
Technology Portfolio
Due: Mon Dec 8
(16 points total)
The Technology Principle
Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that
is taught and enhances students' learning.
NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000)

For this portfolio assignment you will provide evidence of your knowledge of uses of technology
and your experience using technology for mathematics learning and teaching. Entries in this
portfolio will come from work you have done for your mathematics courses, for your
mathematics methods courses, and your field experiences. You will have to revise prior work to
meet this portfolios requirements and you will have to do some new work in the areas in which
you have no prior experience or knowledge. Entries must address at least three of the following
tools: spreadsheets, dynamic graphing tools, computer algebra systems, dynamic statistical
packages, graphing calculators, data-collection devices, and presentation software.
The final portfolio will be a collection of entries where you will use one or more pages for each
entry. You will typically have one page or more devoted to the item you are talking about
(exploration, lesson, resource) and in another page your reflection or discussion of how the item
demonstrates that you have met the goals for that category. For example, if your entry is about an
exploration that uses an applet. In one page you will have a screenshot of the applet, and in
another page the text you created that includes a description of the exploration, learning goal,
and discussion of how the tool helps reach the learning goal. Your portfolio will include entries
in each of the following categories.
Explore Mathematical Concepts with Technology
For this category you will include entries that show your experience exploring mathematical
concepts with technology or supporting students exploration of mathematical concepts with
technology. Entries should be about actual explorations that you conducted, or explorations that
students conducted and you had the chance to observe and include an explicit statement of the
exploration task something that could be given to others (students) to have them work on the
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exploration. You will include the learning goal of the exploration, a description of the tool used
in the exploration (applet, software, graphing calculator), the way in which the tool supported
mathematical learning describing the understandings gained while exploring with the tool, and
compare and contrast with a similar task that could be done without the use of technology
addressing what is gained with the use of technology and what is lost. When the entry is about
supporting a students exploration, describe how you would introduce the student to the use of
the tool, describe the tool and the learning goal, and write up your observations of what the
student did while exploring with the tool, and your assessment of the extent to which the student
met the learning goal.
For this category you should include at least four entries, one for each of the following content
areas: 1) Explore geometric ideas and their applications, 2) Explore algebraic ideas and solve
problems, 3) Explore fundamental concepts of calculus, and 4) Explore problems involving the
use of discrete structures and applications of algorithms.
Knowledge of Resources for Teaching Mathematics with Technology
For this category you will include entries that show your knowledge of mathematical technology
resources and software accessible to students and teachers, and your ability to make judicious
choices of technology resources to support mathematics teaching and learning. Entries can
include (1) annotated lists of resources; (2) a critical evaluation of one resource such as a piece
of software, web site, calculator, or applet; or (3) a critical evaluation of information resources
about technology (technology corner of journal, or software review section of magazine). For
this category you should include at least two entries.
If your entry is an annotated list of resources, include appropriate reference for each resource
(web address, screenshot if appropriate), a paragraph description of each resource, and some
discussion on how to decide when it is appropriate to use resources of that type. If your entry is a
critical review of a resource, include the appropriate reference for the resource (including web
address and screenshot if appropriate) and then a reflection on what the resource affords to do for
mathematics learning as well as some discussion to help teachers decide when to use it.
Integrate Technology in Classroom Learning

For this category you will include entries that show your ability to plan and teach mathematics
lessons that support learning of mathematics concepts with technology. The purpose of these
entries is to demonstrate that you can plan and teach mathematics using technology. Entries will
typically consist of a lesson plan for a lesson you taught, a note from your host teacher verifying
that you taught the lesson, students feedback on the use of technology during the lesson, and an
account of how the lesson went. You will need to include information on the date, location, and
number of students who participated in the lesson. You will also need a note from the host
teacher confirming that you taught the lesson, in the note the teacher should provide a brief
description of the lesson from the perspective of the host teacher, and his/her contact
information. Your lesson plan should include a brief student survey asking students for feedback
on the use of the technology during the lesson. Your account of how the lesson went can be
qualitative, no need to include data on students performance, other than a summary of the
students feedback. For this category you should include at least two entries.
Reflect on Teaching and Learning Mathematics with Technology
For this category you will include entries that show your ability to describe and judge the
effectiveness of a technology supported mathematics lesson or exploration based on learning
outcomes. For these entries you are required to choose some criteria to judge the effectiveness of
the lesson. We will read several position statements from national organizations about the use of
technology. For example, NCTMs position statement on technology, or the TPACK standards
from AMTE. You can choose some of these recommendations (2 -4) and make them into criteria
you would use to judge the effectiveness of the lesson. In your entry you will describe the criteria
and discuss the evidence you have related to the indicators you chose. Entries will include (1) a
description of the lesson or activity, preferably the lesson plan; (2) information on where/when
the lesson took place; (3) verification from a third party that you observed the lesson; (4) a
description of the criteria used to judge the effectiveness of the lesson or activity; and (5) a
discussion of how effective the lesson or activity was using the criteria just described. For this
category you should include at least two entries.
Portfolio Checkpoints
Several times in the semester you will submit some of the portfolio entries for a grade and
feedback. Portfolio checkpoints are as follows.
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Checkpoint 1
Due Monday September 29. For this checkpoint you will submit a list with the title and brief
description for each entry that you plan to include in your portfolio. You will also include one
complete portfolio entry for the first category: Explore Mathematical Concepts with Technology.
You will receive feedback on the complete entry to help you plan the rest of your submissions,
but the entry submitted for this checkpoint will not be resubmitted for a grade change.
Checkpoint 2
Due Monday October 13. For this checkpoint you will submit one additional portfolio entry, this
time for the second category: Knowledge of Resources for Teaching Mathematics with
Technology. As with the first checkpoint, the entry submitted for this checkpoint will not be
resubmitted for a grade change.
Checkpoint 3
Due Monday October 27. For this checkpoint you will submit a third portfolio entry, this time for
the third category: Integrate Technology in Classroom Learning. As with previous checkpoints,
the entry submitted for this checkpoint will not be resubmitted for a grade change.
Checkpoint 4
Due Monday November 10. For this checkpoint you will submit a fourth portfolio entry, this
time for the fourth category: Reflect on Teaching and Learning Mathematics with Technology.
As with previous checkpoints, the entry submitted for this checkpoint will not be resubmitted for
a grade change.
Final Technology Portfolio Submission
Due Monday December 8. All remaining entries for your portfolio to total 10 entries are due on
this date.

M422/M522 Teaching Mathematics in Secondary Schools

Technology Portfolio Rubric
The quality of your portfolio will be assessed using the following rubric.
Category

Proficient
(4 points)
Explore
Secondary major can
mathematical
articulately describe
concepts with
the tool, learning
technology
goal of exploration,
(4 entries)
and ways in which
One entry for each
the tool supported
of the following
mathematics
areas. 1) Explore
learning. There is
geometric ideas and one entry for each of
their applications; 2) the required areas.
Explore algebraic
ideas and solve
problems; 3)
Explore
fundamental
concepts of
calculus; 4) Explore
problems involving
the use of discrete
structures and
applications of
algorithms.
Knowledge of
Secondary major can
resources for
articulately describe
teaching
mathematical
mathematics with
technology resources
technology
and software
(2 entries)
accessible to students
Entries include
and teachers, and
some narrative
displays ability to
regarding the
make judicious
usefulness of
choices of
various resources
technology.
for supporting
mathematical
learning in the
secondary
classroom.

Acceptable
(3 points)
Secondary major can
describe the tool,
learning goal of
exploration, but not
the degree in which
the tool supported
mathematics
learning. There are
entries for at least
three of the required
areas.

Unacceptable
(1 point)
Secondary major
provides limited
description of the
tool, learning goal of
exploration, or the
degree in which the
tool supported
mathematics
learning. Entries
missing for 2 or more
of the required areas.

Secondary major can

describe
mathematical
technology resources
and software but
does not display the
ability to make
judicious choices of
technology.

Secondary major
describes limited
mathematical
technology resources
and software and
displays minimal
insights to make
judicious choices of
technology.

Integrate
technology in
classroom learning
(2 entries)

Reflect on teaching
and learning
mathematics with
technology
(2 entries)

Secondary majors
can effectively plan
and teach
mathematics lessons
that support learning
of mathematics
concepts with
technology.
Secondary majors
can articulately
describe and judge
the effectiveness of a
technology supported
mathematics lesson
or exploration based
on learning
outcomes.

Secondary majors
can plan and teach
components of a
mathematics lessons
incorporating
technology.

Secondary majors
provide limited
evidence of
mathematics lessons
planned and taught
incorporating
technology.

Secondary majors
can describe and
judge the
effectiveness of a
technology supported
mathematics lesson
or exploration but
focus on minimal
learning outcomes.

Secondary majors
provide limited
evidence of their
ability to judge the
effectiveness of a
technology supported
mathematics lesson
or exploration.