Writing for a math class strikes many students, and teachers too, as an odd idea to say the least. However, an increasing number of educators have recognized the importance of written composition, especially in lower division and survey courses, for helping students to master and express mathematical ideas. When a math class consists, as it too often does, of nothing more than a collection of techniques to be learnt by rote and regurgitated on exams, then certainly writing about those techniques is superfluous. But when a mathematics course, as it ought, becomes a journey of discovery – of mathematical ideas and the importance of those ideas in our appreciation of the world – then writing about mathematics can become a powerful component of the learning process.

After listening to WillowWeb I realize how really simple it is for students to create a podcast and post it on the web.  The procedures are easy enough for them to create their own.  Podcasting puts the power to communicate into the hands of the students.  The applications seem to be limitless.  Podcasts might extend learning experiences beyond the classroom. The mobility of digital media really seems to add to the school experience, such as by allowing students to listen to lectures or other educational material while riding on their long bus rides between home and school.  Let’s face it, students today are always on the go, and we’re interested in ways to maximize learning, even if they’re waiting for a ride or sitting in their room late at night.

I think some of the benefits of a wiki are the ease in which groups can collaborate on a project.  Group authoring allows students to learn from one another – both in terms of viewing each other’s content but also by seeing the quality of other students’ work.  Students can develop critical thinking skills by reviewing other students’ assignments and learning how to defend their opinions when critiqued by other students.

Immediately some of the challenges that come to mind are grading and students correcting each other’s work.  How do you assign individual grades to a group document on a wiki?  I have had students that did not like me reviewing their work I can’t image how they would handle other students making corrections and deleting some of the work.    

I have been using an aggregator for a little while.  Since I am a huge news junkie  RSS feeds  help me explore news stories  from around the globe.  I am able to look at how the same story is reported on around the world conservative vs. liberal areas.  Usually the same story will take on a different twist depending on where you are getting the story.

Weblogs are used worldwide as tools to diaries  about what is happening in a person’s day.  Anyone can view these diaries, if the writer so wants to share.  Friends can keep track with the lives of each other even if they are continents apart.

If learners are enrolled for classes using Web 2.0 tools, they will essentially submit tasks and obtain information electronically.  They can also be used as a reflection tool.  I am not sure how many students would reflect in an online environment.  As educators we use these tools to help differentiate in our classes we need to be prepared for the students who are not comfortable sharing their writing for more than one person.

Language Arts in Math Class

Writing should be a part of teaching all subjects. Writing is used as a tool to help students think about and express ideas.

Progress has been slow in the area of writing in mathematics. Mathematics is seen as a subject that communicates through the manipulation of symbols in orderly ways, not as one that uses words to express ideas. This view is unfortunate – and misleading.

The process of writing requires gathering, organizing, and clarifying thoughts. It demands finding out what you know and don’t know. It calls for thinking clearly. Similarly, doing mathematics depends on gathering, organizing, and clarifying thoughts, finding out what you know and don’t know, and thinking clearly. Although the final representation of a mathematical pursuit looks very different from the final product of a writing effort, the mental journey is, at its base, the same – making sense of an idea and presenting it effectively.

Writing can assist math instruction in two ways – by helping children make sense of mathematics and by helping teachers understand what children are learning.