Math and Technology

There are two main approaches to to addressing technology in the math classroom. You
can integrate math and technology, making these topics the object of instruction. For
example, round-off error is described below. You can also use technology to facilitate
math learning. For example, the use of an iPod, an interactive whiteboard, or other
devices, as described on our Math and Technology page.

If you divide the numerator of a fraction by its denominator, and the result is a
repeating decimal, your calculator will not display the results with 100% accuracy. This
is because repeating decimals have an infinite number of digits and calculators can only
compute to a finite number of digits. This phenomenon, known as round-off error,
also applies to computers. You can use this topic to integrate math and technology in
your classroom. Students will marvel at the way different calculators and computers
display varying results when they experiment with fractions such as 2/3, 5/6 or 8/9.
Read our creative teaching idea entitled: Repeating Decimals and The Monster That
Wouldn’t Die.

Math and Science

The math teacher can teach students about exponential notation. Once students
become proficient in reading and writing numbers in exponential form, and in
converting numbers between exponential, factor, and standard form, they can apply
this knowledge to topics in science. For example, they can write the distance between
the sun and each planet using scientific notation. For advanced students, you can teach
them about negative exponents. Then they can explore the half-life of certain
radioactive elements, or the size of bacteria and viruses. Try our WebQuest on
Exponents and Scientific Notation.

Explore many scientific facts, such as the boiling and freezing point of liquids, the
melting and freezing points of solids, and the temperature of planets, in myWebQuest
on Integers and Science.

Have you been to the playground lately? You'll find many connections between algebra,
science, and the real world in our article entitled Why Learn Algebra?

Math and Writing

One of the things stressed by standardized tests is the ability to answer open-ended
questions. Typically, students are asked to provide written explanations for solutions to
math problems. This assesses their ability to express their mathematical ideas in
written form. To help them prepare for these types of questions, I do a math project
that involves writing. I ask students to answer several open-ended questions using full
sentences. The math teacher can grade students based on the mathematical
correctness of their responses. The Language Arts or English Teacher can grade them
on spelling and grammar. Some sample questions are provided in our Classroom
Activities and Project Ideas for Number Theory and Understanding Percent. Students
can also answer the questions in our Number Theory WebQuest using full sentences.