Interactive Technology Helps School District Revamp Math Courses – TI MathForward

"Research, as well as years of experience in math education, indicated that there was not one ‘silver bullet’ that would solve this challenge," explained Lisa Brady-Gill, TI’s director of education policy and practice. Mathematics experts, researchers, TI, RISD administrators and teachers collaborated to develop the intervention program now called TI MathForward.

Graphing Improvement

MathForward’s technology component incorporates the TI-Navigator, a graphing calculator attached to a wireless hub, which communicates directly to a router connected to the teacher’s computer. In real time, a teacher can view students’ calculators on the computer, receive contributions from students and assess their comprehension. The instant feedback lets teachers address their students’ needs immediately, rather than waiting for unit tests as the culminating assessment for a week’s worth of lessons.

"Because the system can anonymously display individual student responses to the class, it helps create a safe environment for students to share and compare thoughts and answers," said Kristen San Juan, the RISD’s MathForward implementation curriculum specialist, who was the mathematics department chair at Lake Highlands Junior High in Dallas during the pilot year. "The interactivity of the technology engages students, even those who would not be participating otherwise … [which] helps reduce discipline problems in the classroom."

TI MathForward http://timathforward.com/

By Melissa Camilleri Magliola

Full Story: http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/424045