We are always looking for new ways to engage students and keep them interested in learning.
Generation Z learners (a/k/a Millennials) have been born into the digital age. Because of this, they want to actively participate, share, and learn from each other in- and out-side of the classroom. These young people are tapped into the world in an entirely different way. They want to be an integral part of the process - to know that what they are learning and sharing is in part, created by them.
Merging technology into instruction directly is a great way to appeal to and engage these students! Playing web games and using apps are just a couple of fun ways to engage students. Let's elevate it and infuse our lessons with technology! From my personal experience, the best program to use for an immersive technology experience is ClassFlow.
I find that using ClassFlow takes away some of my students’ math anxiety because it creates a safe space for effort.
Math anxiety is built on the fear of constantly being wrong. Even though research has shown that mistakes are good things because they make your brain grow, the fear of being incorrect can shut students down and prevent them from even trying.
When I use ClassFlow during class, I can send questions, images, and videos to my students and get instant feedback. In fact, all of my students’ responses are sent to my board in real-time and from there, I can select any of them to investigate further with the class.
The best part for students is that it hides the students' names so the class doesn't know who sent what question or gave what answer. This anonymity creates a safe space for discussions about everyone’s thinking process. This allows the class several opportunities: to see multiple representations; we can use error analysis without calling anyone out; students learn from each other; and classroom culture becomes supportive versus combative or accusatory. In addition to the students' benefits, there are benefits for the teacher! For instance, all of the data captured during instruction is saved in my account so I can review it later and find more ways to better serve each learner.
My students and I bleed #ClassFlowLove! I encourage each of us to find new ways to integrate technology in the classroom - boost #MathEsteem by meeting your students where they are!
