Technology, Learning, and Mathematical Culture

Abstract

So many of the technological tools we use in the teaching of mathematics clearly show their roots in the computer science that created them. They constrain us as mathematicians to think and work like computer programmers. As we begin to appreciate the importance of our relationship to technology, we also begin to understand that technology needs to be transparent in order to be the most helpful. That is, technology for math education needs to be designed with both the mathematical view and the pedagogical view in mind. We need tools designed to work the way we as teachers of mathematics work. This presentation will demonstrate the fruits of such a point of view. We will look at a handheld technological device designed by mathematics teachers to represent a new way of using technology in the classroom. An emphasis on interaction and multi-representation has produced a device that captivates the imagination of teachers and engages students in doing mathematics instead of learning technology. This presentation will follow the progress of a typical topic in secondary mathematics as explored on this device, pointing out the new opportunities that such a device offers to both students and teachers.