I really like how you list out the rules. I see the same things happening in my classroom to. I have had much success using Desmos and BTC practices. I wrote this article about this topic. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this article! https://robinkubasiak.substack.com/p/are-digital-tools-cultivating-learning
I agree, there's no way we can compete with screens for student attention. I use DeltaMath a lot, and its main benefit is that instant feedback, but there are other ways to help students self check.
Anytime we do paper/pencil work that is not actually a quiz or test, I have at least some (usually all) of the answers posted on the back board visible to students. There is no reason to keep the answers a carefully guarded secret. I tell them that their job is to show me HOW to get that answer. I don't accept answers-only papers and they have to show their work to get credit. The benefits of having answers posted:
1. Students are more willing to keep working. Lots of students won't put in the effort to keep going if they lack confidence that they're doing it the right way. There's nothing worse than finding out too late that you did the whole assignment wrong, so a lot of them would rather do nothing if they feel unsure.
2. It lets them know when they get off track and need to ask a question.
3. It encourages them to figure out their own mistakes and starts great conversations with their partners...How the heck is the answer to number six 23?
4. It frees me up to help students who need help, instead of constantly answering the question, "Is this right?"
The basic principle is, Students need feedback, and the teacher does not have to be the sole source of feedback. Any way we accomplish that, that preserves students' focus as much as possible, moves learning forward.
Thanks for another great one, Dylan! I love your blog, it's a constant source of encouragement.
What about DeltaMath? I like to give students practice problems on delta so students can get immediate feedback as well as the example worked out.
If students did a worksheet he/she may not find out the answer is wrong let alone being given the solution to the problem they just completed.
My classes just finished Pythagorean Theorem. They did practice problems finding leg or hypotenuse. How can students get immediate feedback as well as a worked example just using paper and pencil?
I use DeltaMath, and I think it's the best math practice website out there. I agree about feedback, I think that's the best use of digital math tools. I have shifted the way I use DeltaMath, with regular short assignments and multiple types of problems per assignment. That's how I feel I get the most bang for my buck with online practice.
I do still have reservations. The way students often try to rush through assignments isn't great for skills that require showing your. Some students often try to google questions. I try to do a lot of checking for understanding before students start because if too many students are confused it's really hard to get the class back on track with the internet right in front of them.
And maybe I'm old-fashioned, but millions of people have learned math without computers to check their work. They're a useful tool, and I love DeltaMath compared to all the other math practice software out there, but I'm gradually increasing the practice students do on paper and decreasing online practice for those reasons.
I really like how you list out the rules. I see the same things happening in my classroom to. I have had much success using Desmos and BTC practices. I wrote this article about this topic. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this article! https://robinkubasiak.substack.com/p/are-digital-tools-cultivating-learning
I agree, there's no way we can compete with screens for student attention. I use DeltaMath a lot, and its main benefit is that instant feedback, but there are other ways to help students self check.
Anytime we do paper/pencil work that is not actually a quiz or test, I have at least some (usually all) of the answers posted on the back board visible to students. There is no reason to keep the answers a carefully guarded secret. I tell them that their job is to show me HOW to get that answer. I don't accept answers-only papers and they have to show their work to get credit. The benefits of having answers posted:
1. Students are more willing to keep working. Lots of students won't put in the effort to keep going if they lack confidence that they're doing it the right way. There's nothing worse than finding out too late that you did the whole assignment wrong, so a lot of them would rather do nothing if they feel unsure.
2. It lets them know when they get off track and need to ask a question.
3. It encourages them to figure out their own mistakes and starts great conversations with their partners...How the heck is the answer to number six 23?
4. It frees me up to help students who need help, instead of constantly answering the question, "Is this right?"
The basic principle is, Students need feedback, and the teacher does not have to be the sole source of feedback. Any way we accomplish that, that preserves students' focus as much as possible, moves learning forward.
Thanks for another great one, Dylan! I love your blog, it's a constant source of encouragement.
What about DeltaMath? I like to give students practice problems on delta so students can get immediate feedback as well as the example worked out.
If students did a worksheet he/she may not find out the answer is wrong let alone being given the solution to the problem they just completed.
My classes just finished Pythagorean Theorem. They did practice problems finding leg or hypotenuse. How can students get immediate feedback as well as a worked example just using paper and pencil?
What do you think?
I use DeltaMath, and I think it's the best math practice website out there. I agree about feedback, I think that's the best use of digital math tools. I have shifted the way I use DeltaMath, with regular short assignments and multiple types of problems per assignment. That's how I feel I get the most bang for my buck with online practice.
I do still have reservations. The way students often try to rush through assignments isn't great for skills that require showing your. Some students often try to google questions. I try to do a lot of checking for understanding before students start because if too many students are confused it's really hard to get the class back on track with the internet right in front of them.
And maybe I'm old-fashioned, but millions of people have learned math without computers to check their work. They're a useful tool, and I love DeltaMath compared to all the other math practice software out there, but I'm gradually increasing the practice students do on paper and decreasing online practice for those reasons.