Take a look through Dan’s 101Q site sometime. Teachers can’t even come up with original ways to incorporate this simple prompt method into their lessons. The vast majority of the submissions are copies of ideas already posted on this site – “how many …” or “how much time to…”

Two things:

1. This analysis doesn’t do justice to the different concepts and skills required to answer the questions, “How many?” and “How long?” The Top 10 page is rife with those questions but the math runs the gamut. It’s a feature, not a bug.

2. No one complains about YouTube: “All you find there are videos on top of videos!” Or Flickr: “Why are these people just uploading photos?” These platforms are better suited for some material than others. 101questions may wind up just being a good source for imagery that provokes “how many?” and “how long?” questions that require a narrow subset of 6-12 math. That’ll suit me fine.

Perhaps it’s different in the US (I’m not being patronising here, just observing), but here in Australia ALL teachers (and therefore my student preservice teachers) are expected to actively help their school students to develop digital literacy, along with language literacy and numeracy.

In our 4-year preservice courses for primary (elementary) and secondary teachers, there are multiple required subjects (I would estimate over 50%) in which students are asked to integrate ICTs (tech) in their planning and teaching practices, as core parts of their assessment. So even if I didn’t agree, I am required to teach this.

Am I an “evangelist” for technology in the classroom? Absolutely, just as I am an evangelist for excellent use of questioning, “hands-on, minds-on” learning, problem solving, “real world” applications for what students learn (in math and in all other subjects); and use of the old-tech OHP, whiteboard, chalkboard, paper and pencils, butchers paper and crayons, physical manipulatives, etc., etc. My students know my passion for great teaching, and not being satisfied with mediocre, in any area of education.

These are all tools, not panaceas, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. But I won’t be asking for useful resources to be removed from my classroom, even if I can’t right now think of a good way to use them.

This weekend (and for another couple of weeks at least) I am writing specs for brand-new apps to help teachers to support their students in mathematical thinking and really learn mathematics, to be marketed through the Math Widgets website and brand. Will these IWB apps supplant textbooks? Of course not. Will they replace the need for an excellent teacher and a hundred other teaching tools? Give me a break. But I believe that these tools will add extra functionalities, not possible or feasible in an analogue form, that teachers will be able to find value in.

To repeat: my apologies for any offence I’ve caused. But I won’t apologise for looking for new ways to reach my students and to engage them in every possible way with thinking deeply about what they are learning, for the future benefit of both the students, wider society and their communities.

Why is it disappointing that a teacher might want technology removed from their room? Perhaps a giant computer screen (smart board) at the front of the room is a distraction and limits the use of the board space.

You think it is realistic to expect students to come up with effective ways to use technology to learn math? Take a look through Dan’s 101Q site sometime. Teachers can’t even come up with original ways to incorporate this simple prompt method into their lessons. The vast majority of the submissions are copies of ideas already posted on this site – “how many …” or “how much time to…”

How disappointing to hear of teachers wanting technology to be removed from their rooms. At least you could ask the students if they could think of some way to use the tech to learn math! I bet they could come up with some great ideas, given the chance.

Meanwhile, in my day job teaching preservice teachers, we are pushing for them to find ways to integrate tech into their teaching in every subject. I’m convinced that’s the right direction, provided we address the issue of getting the teaching right first, then using tech to serve the needs of teaching and learning.

David, the iPad begs to be explored though. It comes loaded with goodies to play with. But to teach USING an iPad, that lesson must still come from you and your creativity.

Nathan, we have teachers who have asked to have their interactive whiteboards REMOVED from their rooms because they didn’t know how or care to use them.

Are we trying too hard to incorporate technology into our lessons instead of letting the lesson begs for the technology?

As I plan problem-based instruction tasks to share with audiences of classroom teachers, I always remember that Dr. Mishra made a statement parallel to what Dan Meyer is saying. In my words to summarize both educators, to use technology in a lesson is not about what you use, but about the pedagogy, content and technology that makes the lesson rich.