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Welcome To Making Math Modern For A 21st Century Education ======

I am a 5th grade math teacher at Decker Elementary in Manor ISD and I am on a quest to make math more engaging for my students using 21st century tools and technology. While on my quest, I hope to learn many ways to incorporate technology and participate in collaborative dialogue. Please share any ideas, questions, comments that will help me on my quest. Maybe we can journey together! The ultimate purpose of this Wiki is to have an active community of learning. In this community, I would like for us to share ideas for using and promoting the use of 21st century tools in our classrooms. I would like for anyone, no matter what they teach to participate.

I believe teachers, who are actively involved with students every day need to be life-long learners on a quest to bring the best the world has to offer into their classrooms. Participating in technology assessments will help you to gauge where you are in this quest. Assessments such as the Texas STaR Chart is a great place to start. Take a look at what I found at my school. [|Decker Elementary STaR Chart findings]. **Are You New to Wikis? Watch this quick video: [|Wikis in plain English] ** 


 * Members of "Making Math Modern" To Date: **

Richa (5th Grade Math Teacher and Lamar University Graduate Student) Monica (5th Grade Math/Science Teacher and Lamar University Graduate Student) Sharon (Technology Teacher/Coodinator) Candace (Intro to Business, Business Law, and BCIS I & II Teacher &Lamar Univ. Graduate Student) Heath (Psychology/Philosophy Student at Texas State Univ.) Belsa Cantu (3rd Grade Teacher, Lamar Student) Penny (Librarian)


 * Discussion Question: **

What are the first steps that a school or district that may be low on funds and new to technology take to start their journey into 21st century learning?

MonicaZone- I believe the first steps are to inventory what you do have and find out what is still usable. Then figure out which teachers will actually use it and send it to their room. Then I would add some new basic items that would make life easier for teachers and once set up could be checked out and easily moved throughout the campus, for example e-clicker answering devices. These devices allow students to choose their answer during whole group discussion. They are easily portable and simple to set up and use. If connected to your computer you can keep the grades and in some cases add them directly to your gradebook. Laptops are also easy to use and portable. I believe they are a better initial investment than a lab. I would then address the teachers using technology the most and ask what they think they need. This would be a good time to find people to be part of a grant writing team to address the needs you discovered. Simultaneously, I would ask that the most capable, technology using, teachers begin to host other teachers in their room to watch a technology integrated lesson. Then ask your tech teachers to go and teach in other colleagues rooms and help them use the equipement the school already posseses.