Keeping Students Engaged

Using technology to motivate students is a wonderful way to connect with the modern-day learner (Gentry, et al. 2019). Within the realm of mathematics, there has been a significant expansion of the development and use of computerized programs in the classroom which has brought about a shift from teacher-centered environments to student-centered environments (Aliyu, et al. 2022). With this shift, students can now own their learning in and out of the classroom setting. Teachers and students can easily interact, collaborate, and learn no matter where they are. No longer is mastery of standards limited to the learning space of a classroom or only accessible when the textbook is in front of the student. Technology has changed the way teachers interact with their students and the way students interact with their curriculum.

As an experienced math teacher for over twenty-five years, I have seen my students change which has forced me to change as a teacher. Student engagement is the key to student outcomes (Groccia 2018), and math isn’t the most interesting subject for many students. How do we as math teachers in the 21st century keep our students who are bombarded with instant gratification and instant answers engaged in higher-level thinking processes like algebra and calculus? Using technological advances has certainly helped teachers to improve their student engagement (Jansen, et al. 2023).

When I began teaching, we had a textbook: no calculators, no graphing devices, no internet. We used geoboards and rubber bands, grid paper, overhead projectors with Vis-A-Vis markers, ditto machines that left ink all over your clothes and hands, and hardcover textbooks, but we still were able to engage our learners and push through the state standards. Students had longer attention spans and obeyed their authorities. There was an innate desire to please their teachers and their parents. They were social beings who enjoyed being at school and learning.

Fast forward 30 years, and the world has changed. Teachers have access to computers, iPads, writing tablets that can be projected on huge touch screen TVs, scientific calculators, graphing calculators and apps that can do just about anything. Many schools are set up with 1:1 computers and online textbooks with videos embedded in them. Online gamified programs have given students access to math problems that are instantly graded with examples to look at when they need extra help with the process of working the problem. Students have cell phones with apps that will work out their math problems for them and give them the answer. Students can search YouTube and find someone teaching the concept they are studying. Some people might even question if a teacher is even needed with so much at the fingertips of the students. Teachers are desperately needed but in a different role.

Teachers now need to work to motivate students on why they should have a desire to learn algebra when they have access to apps that can do the work for them. The student engagement aspect of learning relies heavily on the student/teacher relationship (Amerstorfer, & Freiin von Münster-Kistner, 2021). Students that know teachers care about them will develop trust that the teacher has their best interest in mind and will work on the skills the teachers are asking them to master with less resistance than if they have little personal connection with the teacher. Not only do teachers need to establish that they care, they also need to use methodology that resonates with their students. In today’s time, that means the use of technology in the classroom is imminent.

I would like to share with you three uses of technology that I have found helpful in teaching middle school and high school mathematics. I teach algebra in Florida where an end of course (eoc) assessment is mandatory. The company that produces the test also publishes a math curriculum called Math Nation. I could write an entire blog on the benefits of using Math Nation in Florida, but that is not the purpose of this entry. One technology supplement that I integrate to the Math Nation online and printed curriculum is the app called IXL. It is a subscription-based learning site that is designed for grades kindergarten through grade 12. The cost for one classroom of 25 students for one subject is $299 but there are individual parent rates and district rates also. It is very reasonably priced for all of the benefits that come with it.

IXL has saved me valuable time. It grades all of the work for the students which allows students to instantaneously know if they have the correct process or not. They can adjust and make changes after one error. An example problem and a video clip are available to help the students as well. Another benefit is the ease of creating assessments. I can design an assessment in IXl in less than five minutes which has allowed me to offer retakes of an assessment, so students can continue to master a skill that they were unable to understand the first time they studied it. This feature has had a huge effect on mastery of skills as a whole class. Students are able to work at their own pace until they master the skill.

There was a new component to IXL that was added last year that allows a competitive live game to take place in the classroom which certainly was well received by my students. This live activity, called Group Jam, is similar to a Kahoot! with a leaderboard and skills practice on the exact skill or skills that I select. It is a fantastic way to run a quick exit ticket or review for an entire unit test.

IXL has versatile connectivity. It will work with nearly any device including iPads, iPhones, Android tablets, Android phones, or Kindle tablets. It can be utilized through the website on any computer that has a Windows OS, a Mac OS, or a Chrome OS. The app can be found in the Apple Store, on Google Play and on Amazon Fire. I have it on my Macbook and on my iPhone and have never had any issues with using it on either device. My students use Chromebooks to access it at school, but many students also have it downloaded on their phones. IXL really has improved student outcomes all over the nation including at my school.

A second application I would like to highlight today is Quizlet. Quizlet is an online service that allows students to study using flashcards on the screen. On one side of the card could be a term and the other side of the card could be the definition. All you have to do as a teacher is input your notes and with AI technology, the cards are made for you along with practice tests for the students to use. I have created a set for the exponent rules to show you how easy it is for students and even those who are not so tech-savvy, simply click here to interact with the material I created on Quizlet.

There are many handy features that Quizlet offers which helps students and teachers. First of all this is a free service. There is a membership option available if you want to save several card lists together in one account, but you can make a card list and save it with a free membership. Students can also make a set of cards for others to use which is a wonderful collaborative activity. I have round tables with four students at each table. One table can make a set of cards on vocabulary while the other tables make example problems on their cards. Each table posts the link to their card set in Google Classroom. The review for the whole chapter is complete online and available for them to use on their phones or other devices whenever they have a chance to review, plus there is student buy-in so the motivation to work on the review is higher than if the teacher had made it.

Not only do they offer notecard type of study, they also have live interactive games called Classic Live where a teacher can generate the card set on the touch screen tv while students log in to compete by selecting the correct answer. There is a leaderboard and instant feedback for each question. Students also have a quiz or test feature that will make a self-graded assessment out of the material on the cards as well. I have not used all of the features of Quizlet yet, but I always introduce it to my classes as a tool in their tool box of resources that will help them in all of their high school classes. Quizlet also has versatile connectivity. It works with the following web browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge. There is an application version in the Apple store and in Google Play.

The last application I would like to tell you about is called Prodigy. Prodigy is a game-based application that allows players to go on a journey where they complete quests, have battles, cast spells, and earn rewards. They solve math problems throughout the game to advance their position in the battle. I have been exploring this game this school year, so it is rather new to me, but the kids absolutely love it, and so far, I do too.

Prodigy is free for teachers but has a membership option for parents. I just have the free membership and so do my students, but the membership is only $7 per month. The content in the game is aligned with state standards and can be selected according to skill. For example, in algebra, we have been working exponent rules. I chose the specific skills of multiplying with like bases, dividing with like bases, and bringing like bases up to a power. Then I set up a quest by selecting four of each type of question. I allowed students to work at school or at home, and they began playing their game and learning exponent rules at the same time. There are diagnostic aspects that appear helpful. You can run quarterly placement tests to identify the growth the students have made, run reports to examine activity and evaluate progress for each quest, and even prepare for standardized tests with their test prep section. Prodigy can be played on any computer with a Windows, Mac, or Chrome operating system. It is also supported with Apple, Amazon, and Android mobile devices and tablets. I sure am enjoying my exploration of this game-based learning application and look forward to integrating it into my classroom even more.

There are so many ways to reach our students in the field of mathematics today. It can be a bit overwhelming to look at all of the options at once. My goal is to try one new idea each year. This year, I am trying Prodigy. As with any new or old classroom activity, teachers need to analyze the effectiveness of the game in meeting learning objectives and monitor the students as they work toward meeting those objectives (Shaftel, et al. 2018). Just playing a game with students is not enough to meet those objectives. Students are diverse learners and have individual needs that need to be met. Multiple strategies should be used to address all types of learners (Schrum & Sumerfield 2018). Building relationships with your students and using technology to connect with them will improve your student engagement. I challenge you to find one piece of technology to try this year. Who knows, you may find it makes life easier for you and helps your learners master their math skills easier.

REFERENCES

Aliyu, J., Osman, S., Kumar, J., & Mohd Jamil, M. (2023). The design and development of a learning strategy to enhance students' engagement in simultaneous equations: An evaluation viewpoint. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 13(1), 36-52. https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.1691

Amerstorfer, C., & Freiin von Münster-Kistner, C. (2021). Student perceptions of academic engagement and student-teacher relationships in problem-based learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713057

Gentry, S., Gauthier, A., L'Estrade, E., Wortley, D., Lilienthal, A., Tudor, C., Dauwels-Okutsu, S., Nikolaou, O., Zary, N., Campbell, J., Car, J. (2019). Serious gaming and gamification education in health professions: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 21(3). https://doi.org/10.2196/12994

Groccia, J. E. (2018). What is student engagement? New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2018(154), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20287

Jansen, C., Mohammad M., Cullicott, C., Smith, E.., & Middleton, J. (2023). Secondary mathematics teachers’ descriptions of student engagement. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 113(3), 425–442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-023-10228-x

Shaftel, J., Pass, L., & Schnabel, S. (2018). Math Games for Adolescents. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37(3), 25-30. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/math-games-adolescents/docview/201170544/se-2

Schrum, L., & Sumerfield, S. (2018). Learning supercharged: Digital Age strategies and insights from the edtech frontier. International Society for Technology in Education.