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Middle School Math Programs Adopt New Delivery Methods

Montevideo Middle School Algebra I teacher, Ann Shultz, traded in her chalkboard for a stage. Now, her classroom is filled with sounds piped through stereo speakers coupled with video, animation, and graphics sent to a SMARTBoard through a ceiling-mounted projector. An Algebra lesson is now a carefully scripted performance and students eagerly engage themselves as participants.

Press the "Play" arrow to see Mrs. Shultz in action as she brings excitement and energy to her Algebra lessons. She and MMS Math colleague, Ginger Carico, discuss their SMART-enhanced rooms and what they see as the ideal classroom setup for teachers who want to maximize the learning experience for students. (Clip narration by Joe Showker, RCPS ITRT. Requires Quicktime to view: Download Windows / Macintosh)

Kara Velez (WSPMS), using a SMART Notebooks lesson, works through problems she created involving multiplication and division of fractions.

Katrina Blubaugh (JFHMS) uses her SMARTBoard in conjunction with her document camera to discuss graphing exercises with her students.

Kathy McKenzie (JFHMS) uses her Airliner (a wireless slate) to interact with her SMARTBoard remotely.

With student performance (a pass rate of 100%) on the Algebra I SOL test that leads the Commonwealth, Mrs. Shultz’s successful teaching techniques have proven themselves over and over again throughout her career. And those same tried-and-true methods have now been woven adeptly into a technology-rich delivery system that brings to the classroom a new dimension – a visual component that surpasses anything previously possible before the arrival of this hardware and software in her classroom.

With literally hundreds of development hours behind her now in this endeavor, she has transformed an entire Algebra I curriculum into SMARTBoard-compatible lessons. Each day brings an old lesson with a new facelift, one that includes illustrations from the Internet, videos from TeacherTube, links to web sites, along with graphics, sounds, and animations offered by SMART Notebook, the software she uses as the delivery tool. Each multimedia element is an integral part of the lesson, not simply one that offers glitz or entertainment, as lesson components works in concert to provide a clear picture of the algebraic concept to the student.

Mrs. Shultz explains that creating a visual image of Algebra for her students is the key to her success and motivation.

“My favorite story comes from a student who wasn't suppose to take Algebra, Part I last year.  This student decided to try it and became an “A” student in the class.  He said to me, "I can SEE it!  I can SEE it!"  I know my students see and understand math in a new dimension!  The excitement between student and teacher continues to fuel and enrich the classroom environment!!  There is no limit to the kinds of activities you can do with the SMARTBoard.  As I grow in its use, I continue to see more and more wonderful ways to make the learning experience richer!!  What a dream to be teaching at a time when we have access to this kind of technology!!”

Interactive whiteboard technology is making Algebra in each of the four RCPS middle schools a much more engaging process for students AND teachers.

Wilbur S. Pence Middle School Math teacher, Kara Velez, offers her perspective on the new tool and how it makes her time with students more productive: "Adding something new to the classroom is always refreshing. The SMARTBoard has made instruction more exciting. I'm finding that not only are my lessons more effective (with the use of color, graphics, animation, video and web links), but also I am able to teach the material more efficiently than I have in the past. This leaves more time during class for enrichment problems and activities."

Having the SMARTBoard and projector permanently located in the teacher's classroom is a key for all wishing to employ this technology on a consistent basis.

"Teaching with a SMARTBoard has sparked excitement in my teaching. Before the SMARTBoard, my classroom had only a chalkboard and all technology had to be checked out of the library. This put a damper on the continued use of technology in my classroom. After completing NETS*T, I now have the equipment in my classroom to use EVERY DAY!!" exclaims Katrina Blubaugh, Algebra teacher at J. Frank Hillyard Middle School, who earned her SMARTBoard and projector by achieving NETS*T certification.

When applying any new piece of technology, support from colleagues who are learning at the same time is hugely beneficial. Mrs. Blubaugh mentions that RCPS teachers are sharing lessons and ideas with each other adding that teachers adapt the ideas to suit their own teaching styles and learning needs of their students. And fellow JFHMS Math teacher, Kathy McKenzie, points out that another partner in this learning process is often found right in her own classroom: "I've always had a few students that came from a classroom where the board was in use to give me pointers as I learned. You have to have a board up and running at all times to build comfort and fluency."

Wilbur S. Pence Algebra teacher, Kathy Buracker, admits that the process is reinvigorating for her, as well, and offers another positive byproduct of its use - enhanced student motivation to participate: "It is refreshing to use a new piece of technology. It takes more work in the beginning but I love learning to use it. And, I find that my students are more willing to come to the SMARTBoard to work Math problems."

According to Michael Horst, Algebra teacher at Elkton Middle School, his students, too, demonstrate a heightened level of interest and participation: "The students seem to be more interested in the math and are focusing better than last year when I was just using transparencies and chalkboard. I can adapt/edit my slides on the spot and expand on something that needs more explanation. It has made my teaching easier and I can be more flexible and adapt if I need to."

Mr. Horst identifies one final very practical advantage that any Math teacher who has ever used an overhead with Vis-a-Vis transparency markers can appreciate about the interactive whiteboard: "I like it because my hands are clean at the end of the day because of digitally erasing instead of having to clean something."

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Mrs. Shultz, Mrs. Carico, Mrs. Velez, Mrs. Blubaugh, Mrs. McKenzie, Mrs. Buracker, Mr. Horst, and many others not featured in this article, students in Rockingham County are seeing Math in a new and exciting way.

Kathy Buracker (WSPMS) uses the SMARTBoard tools to review simplification of expressions involving absolute value with her students.

Michael Horst (EMS) translates sentences into numerical equations with his students, highlighting key components with the SMARTBoard markers.