Article Summary: Teacher's Perception of Technology Use in the Elementary Mathematics Classroom

Brown, J. (2018). Teacher's perception of technology use in the elementary mathematics classroom. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A, 78,

When using technology in the classroom, I think that one of the most important things to be cognizant of is whether or not that tool is being used successfully. I believe that success can be defined in many ways, but the two ways that I always check is whether or not it is helping the students further their learning and if that tool is keeping the students engaged.

When implementing a tech tool the first question I ask myself is, “what will my students learn from using this program?” If I can list a few things right off the top of my head, I know it is going to be a good tool for them to use. If I can only name one thing, I may only use that tool in that one instance. In a study done by teachers who used technology in their classroom math instruction, they reported that they all used the tech to differentiate, reinforce, and enhance their lessons. Programs that offer differentiated instruction tailored to the students learning level supply the extra support or instruction to help them towards the goal of meeting grade level standards, while also enriching the students who are ready for more advancement in the curriculum.

Another way that success can be measured is through engagement. There are many programs out there, however if they are not engaging, students are not going to put out their best efforts. In the study, teachers found that through the use of technology, students could have visual representations of problems. In one of the programs used in my classroom, students are able to manipulate blocks and play games to answer math questions and show visual representations of problems. All of these things keep students engaged and learning at the same time.

Measuring success in technology is important, but we can’t measure success without setting up our students to be successful. This is a step that needs to be taken before we integrate tech tools into our classrooms. To make sure students can be successful, we first need to research a tool and think about the potential drawbacks or hiccups that could occur during a lesson. This was another question brought up in the study which I felt was an extremely important step to take before measuring success. Many teachers explained that they would research a tool before using it, which some others also asked coworkers who had used the tools before about their experience with it.

In conclusion, measuring success in technology can be done in many ways, however I believe the most important to be student learning and engagement. Also, before we can measure for success, we need to make sure that we, as teachers and our students, are set up on a path for success in implementing these new tools.

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