An experience with thecnology and matehematics
Tamara Bianco Volker Ulm (Ed.)
Mathematics Education with Technology – Experiences in Europe
Wireless Technology and Outstanding Students in Mathematics.
Pamela ReyesSantander & Elisabeth RamosRodríguez
An Experience with Wireless Technology and Outstanding Students of Mathematics
Abstract This study was carried out with outstanding students of mathemat‐ ics and with use of TIC. The objective was to find a technology‐ based approach for working with outstanding students of mathe‐ matics or, expressed differently, to use technology as a teaching tool. Latest‐generation calculators were used and discovery tasks designed in order to achieve this objective. The effect of using these means in the learning process of a student is considered from the pedagogical “I‐You‐We” (Gallin, Ruf 1998) perspective. During the learning process, the knowledge acquired by the students was sub‐ jected to personalised assessments.
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Introduction
When they are used in classes with outstanding and fully motivated students of mathematics, these tools make the classroom an ideal place for the development of ideas (Callejo, 1994). These students are generally interested in asking questions and formulating these problems. They neither expect nor want to be given the answers – they use the technology as a resource or supporting means as they try to find the answer by themselves. As a result, the use of these technologies in working with these students creates a special inves‐ tigative situation where motivational difficulties are minimised (Leu, 1993). In this context, it is necessary to study some aspects that are specif‐ ic to these outstanding students in this particular technological environment, namely the development of technological skills and the characteristics of the outstanding students. For this purpose, the most relevant technological skills were chosen, and the devel‐ opment of these skills was assessed individually. Furthermore, special tasks were designed that could be solved with the help of these learning and learning support tools A two‐week course, consisting of activities that involved the use of technologies to consolidate and/or introduce new mathematical knowledge, was developed within the framework of the BETA (Good students with Academic Talents) Programme of the Pontifi‐ cal Catholic University of Valparaíso in Chile. This work focused on promoting certain technological skills that would equip outstanding students to better solve mathematical problems – for instance the ability to acquire information or to search and process data. On the other hand, mathematical knowledge was also considered from the very specific angle of the application of these technologies. In our experience, the use of technological tools strengthens the didactic environment and has a positive impact on the learning outcomes of the students, letting them move between different registers of re‐ presentation that exist in the treatment of mathematics (Duval, 2005).
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Most young persons of today will use several presently existing – as well as some yet to be introduced – new technologies (OECD, 2006) when they are adults. Due to their current educational potential, these technologies can now be harnessed to create powerful tools that assist the process of learning mathematics. Through the use of these technologies in the classroom, their educational benefit can be maximized. If these tools are used appropriately, the students are able to concentrate on solving the problem and acquainting themselves with the underlying mathematical concepts without ...
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