Great technology tools for high school math

Using technology in math classes can seem daunting. But the reality is that there is definitely been a push from the higher ups in education to use technology more. Since the pandemic, I have been playing around with many tools, and I have realized that when used meaningfully, technology tools can be extremely useful!

Here are some that I LOVE.

iPad & Apple Pencil - Yes I know this is a bougie technology tool, but I literally use it everyday of teaching. Instead of using the whiteboard, I actually screenshare my ipad screen and use the ipad to write notes and model out problems. I use the onenote app to do all my notes and modeling. I am able to import screenshots ahead of time so that they are already on the board. This is extremely useful for having the Do Now already up and word problems up. As a student I hated when the teacher just read off the problem and we couldn't see it...it was always too fast for me to grasp so I make sure that the problems are up for the students to see. In addition, you then have the notes on your ipad incase someone needs it later. I also really enjoy that you can zoom in, zoom out, highlight, use different colors, etc.

Edpuzzle - Edpuzzle is a tool where you can edit videos to have check for understandings implemented. These videos can be ones that you find online, or they can be videos that you create yourself. I always do videos that I create myself. I will screen record myself on my ipad doing a problem or explaining a concept and I will then upload it to Edpuzzle. Once the video has been uploaded, I then embed the check for understandings. It's great because the CFUs can be multiple choice questions, open answers, etc. Also, if you link the video to your google classroom, you can then see what your students are saying for their answers. I love using Edpuzzle when I want students to work at their own pace. That is the beauty of videos, they can pause, they can slow down, they can rewind, they can go faster...it really benefits all the students.

Desmos - Desmos was literally my saving grace during online learning. I got so savvy with it. I was able to code all these really cool things into the activities that I made. To be honest, I have forgotten most of the coding stuff, but the tool is still useful. During the pandemic it was a great data tool because you were able to see all the students' answers and you were able to see where they were at. Now-a-days I mainly use it for graphing activities. I love how easy it is to make a graphing activity in desmos and it allows students to explore new functions/graphs. Desmos definitely does have a learning curve, but once you get how to use it, it's great!

Google Classroom - Google Classroom is a great way to keep your materials organized for your students. I will often upload the notes onto Google Classroom along with any other resources that are important for my students to have.

The important thing to remember with technology is to use it meaningfully. Students also can tell when technology is just put in or if it's necessary to grasp the concept. I still don't think technology should be used everyday in math class; however, there are times when it can help the students learn more.