Blog Post Six - Games and Simulations

Link to Simulation: GeoGebra

I chose to focus on math simulations for this assignment because I feel as those these are less common and less well known when compared to math games. I found GeoGebra as an open source math simulation program when searching for a simulation or game to examine through this assignment. All of the GeoGebra images and descriptions are resulting from my own experience in creating a log-in and playing with the software myself.

               

(These images show the calculators function to use tools for graphing shapes and lines as well as formulas for representation of those figures.)

GeoGebra.org is an online math simulation website, with a downloadable app version, which offers two main functions. The first function within GeoGebra is its “calculator.” I place the word calculator in quotation marks beacuse it is so much more than that. The calculator function holds many different options as listed below:

- Graphing functions in 2D and 3D

- Graphing shapes in 2D and 3D

- Creating and manipulating shapes using basic construction tools and transformations

- Setting up probability distributions

- Proving a scientific calculator

- Offering tables and spreadsheets for appropriate functions

The second feature of GeoGebra is the math resources. Choosing between topics such as algebra, geometry, measurement, number sense, operations, and probability and statistics, GeoGebra offers both exploration and practice simulations on a large variety of different math topics from fourth to twelfth grade. Choosing an exploration simulation will allow the user to investigate specific mathematical theorem by adjusting measurements or quantities to see how it effects the outcome. On the other hand, a practice resoruces simulation will allow the user to apply knowledge to practice questions in a particular topic. These practices allow the user 3 attempts at answering a problem. If the second attempt is wrong, the software will provide a hint to aid the user in finding the answer. However, if the third attempt is wrong the software will provide the user an explanation of how to solve the problem as well as the final answer.

(This video shows a simulation which demonstrates a geometric theorem regarding how not matter how a polygon is manipulated, the sum of it’s exterior angles is 360 degrees and makes a circle.)

                    

(The left image above shows an example of how the software offers a hint after the second wrong answer in the practice simulations whereas the right image demonstrates how the software explains the problem after the third incorrect answer.)

As I have just found GeoGebra and this is my first exposure to it’s uses for simulation within mathematics classrooms, I truly believe it’s opportunities are endless. Of course, simulations have been found for a variety of uses within the educational world. For example, Bradley & Kendall (2015) discuss how computer simulations can be used in teacher education and training teachers in bullying prevention, classroom management, identifying at-risk students and many other topics. Such simulations are not intended to be a substitue for hands-on classroom experience, however they do have the capacity for providing specific skill-building lessons to teacher candidates (Bradley & Kendall, 2015). However, I beleive that simulations, such as GeoGebra, represent how simulations of mathematic concepts have the capacity for changing how students learn content in their classrooms as well. Where Bradley & Kendall (2015) discuss teacher simulations and how they change how we prepare teachers for situations they will encounter in the field, I believe that GeoGebra and simulations similar to it have the capacity to offer the same opportunities and benefits for students. GeoGebra simulations provide students the unique experience of experimenting with the different properties and theorems that they learn about in class. Many math teachers, such as myself, struggle to find ways to provide students situations where they can experience and visualize math concepts and theorems in easy to understand ways. Much like how Bradley & Kendall (2015) discuss how teacher simulations can provide teachers the opportuntiy to experience situations they may not otherwise be able to practice with in an actual classroom, GeoGebra simulations offer students the opportunity to visualize principals that may not otherwise be easily replicated in the classroom. While it may not be a game per say, GeoGebra does offer a low-stakes opportunity for students to experience relevant simulations to visualize and understand math concepts as they are discussed in class.

While I do believe GeoGebra can be integrated throughout an entire course of study and has appropriate benefits within a variety of concepts and topics, one specific area I can see myself implementing GeoGebra is in discussions of geometry. For example, New York State Next Generation 8th grade math standard “NY-8.G.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations.” (New York State Department of Education, 2017, 102) Typical mastery of this standard would include having students practice preforming reflections, transplantions and rotations on a paper coordinate grid in an effort to hopefully help them understand that lines match to lines and angles math to angles during all transformations. However, many students tend to loose sight of this understanding because visualizing such theoretical concepts can be difficult, especially on coordinate planes when students are not necessarily comfortable with the concept. However, GeoGebra has a large variety of simulations and practice problems in the area of geometric transformations in addition to the capacity to preform transformations on a coordinate grid through the calculator function. 

(A scroll through of the 6-8th grade math exploration and practice resources for transformations.)

In introducing transformations, I would likely set up classroom activities using small group stations around the room. Ideally, one of these stations would be dedicated for students to experiment with GeoGebra explorations such as “Translating Figures” and “Angle Measures of Rotated Figures,” which are two of the available exploration simulations. My objectives for this station would be: using GeoGebra simulation software students will be able to explain how moving a shape does not change the length of the shapes sides or measure of the shapes angles. In order to further cement the visualization of these simulations I would also have students write/draw the simulation transformations and shapes on their own piece of graph paper that they can later reference in review. These simulations would act as a strong introduction to the concept of translations and rotations as well as the idea that such rigid motions do not change the size of the shape that is being transformed. Finally, I would also have students assess their knowledge after experimenting with these simulations by participating in the “Angle Measures of Translated Figures” practice resource on GeoGebra and further inform them to document their use and answers of this practice resource.

(Images of the “Translating Figures” and “Angle Measures of Rotated Figures” GeoGebra exploration simulations.)

When considering how I would implement GeoGebra within the class, and more specifically within this activity, there are several factors to consider. Firstly, I would aim to scaffold student usage of GeoGebra by demonstrating the program to the class and doing an “I do, we do, and you do” introduction and examples of how I expect them to use the program and document their use on graph paper. While it is not mandatory that users create accounts for GeoGebra, because of how frequently I would like to use the application I would likely have my students set up GeoGebra accounts in the beginning of the school year. Additionally, if students require differentiation I can also select lower-level or higher-level simulations for them to utilize as alternatives to these simulations. Because GeoGebra offers simulations for grades 4 through 12 there are a variety of opportunities for differentiating content by assigning students to do different simulations based on their skill level. Additionally, I would consider showing high-achieving students the calculator function of GeoGebra and inviting them to use that function to create and document their own transformations as another form of differentiation.

(Image of the “Angle Measures of Translated Figures” GeoGebra practice resource. This resource shows how the image is translated visually by moving the image across the screen in real time and then asks the student to fill in the blank of angle measures in the new image.)

Finally, student literacy practices and learning goals with GeoGebra can be assessed through both their submission of documentation from using the program as well as student reflection journals. Students can reflect on their experience with GeoGebra and the course context qualitatively in their reflection journal which can be reviewed by the teacher. Additionally, I would have students submit their documentation of their GeoGebra use as qualitative data towards assessing their completion of literacy practices and learning goals. 

Overall, I am so glad I found GeoGebra while searching for math simulations for this assignment. GeoGebra has endless opportunities for implementation of simulations through exploration and calculator functions as well as practice opportunities. This simulation program is something I look forward to using in the future! 

References

Bradley, E.G., Kendall, B. (2015). A review of computer simulations in teacher education. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 43(1) 3-12.

New York State Department of Education. (2017). New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards. https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/standards-instruction/nys-next-generation-mathematics-p-12-standards.pdf#page97

Blog Post Five - Digital Tools and Platforms

    The first platform I am interested in discussing as an educational tool is Instagram. Instagram is a multi-faceted social media application which allows users to complete a variety of tasks through various methods of sharing content. Instagram could be considered a form of microblogging as it allows for users to share communication, photos, and videos while also engaging with each other through comments and reactions. In my experience, Instagram is not currently widely used in the educational environment. However, Web 2.0 tools such as social media are experiencing a greater push to be included in educational curriculum because they benefit student engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and innovation skills (Ledgerwood, 2022). Given the strong benefits of including social media platforms such as Instagram into curriculum there is reason to believe that the use of such platforms in curriculum will increase within upcoming years as schools increase their teaching of digital literacy.

    The levels of engagement on Instagram are multifaceted. From one perspective, engament can occur through the use of posts, stories, and reels. Posts, stories, and reels are created by the user to share content with the wider community. Posts and reels will appear on a users profile indefinitely whereas stories may only last 24 hours unless they are highlighted to remain on a users profile. These forms of engagement can allow students and teachers to share images and videos with corresponding captions. Additionally, these forms of engagement also allow students and teachers the opportunity to comment on and react to each others content. Such usage allows for teachers to create assignments and assessments based in blog settings where students are sharing what they’ve learning through multimedia resources and reflect on each others content. Additionally, direct messaging features of Instagram allow users to communicate with each other directly in groups or private chats. This could allow students a means of communicating with their teacher to ask questions as well as their peers to collaborate on assignments and content. Finally, Instagram has a Shop feature that allows creators to buy and sell materials. Teachers could create a classroom shop to help parents and students navigate, access, and purchase required course materials. Each of these aspects allow for different types of communication, collaboration, and consumption of content amongst the many invested stakeholders of a students education. By allowing accounts to remain private or public there is opportunity for teachers and students to create a closed circuit community in which they communicate with each other without outside influence, if that is desired.

(Image of the Instagram app icon)

    Instagram brings its own new methods of communication because it promotes a unique way of communicating knowledge and giving students the opportunity to communicate in various contexts (Ledgerwood, 2022). As previously stated, instagram allows for public communication by reacting or commenting on posts and reels as well as prive communication utilizing one-to-one or group direct messaging. Within the classroom this can support students ability to discuss project and share ideas with each other while also reflecting on each others content and ideas. However, outside of the classroom this can allow students to engage with external creators content through comments, reactions, and direct messaging in order to create a larger audience of learners. The utilization of social media in curriculum allows students the opportunity to collaborate on tasks and goals in a way where they can collectively accomplish something as a group by sharing ideas, creations, and resoruces with their larger audience (Ledgerwood, 2022). Additionally, Instagram has influences on consumption of content. Social media presents greatly increased opportunities for student engagement because social media tools in the classroom allow students to learn through doing, creating, and evaluating (Ledgerwood, 2022). However, on Instagram students are able to see what others are doing, creating, and evaluating as well. By following people of interest or discovering new people on their explorer page, students are able to consume content from a specific audience or greater collective of community by utilizing Instagram to view their content. Additionally, the search feature of Instagram allows users to search for specific people or accounts as well as types of content by using hashtags or key word searches. Public accounts allow other users to view and learn from all of their content whereas private accounts require that users are approved by the account owner before the user may view their content.

    Instagram, as with other social media platforms, has a variety of positive effects on student learning. As previously stated, integrating social media into curriculum has the capacity to benefit student engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and innovation skills (Ledgerwood, 2022). Following the learning theory of connectivism, social media platforms such as Instagram promote learning that occurs when learners connect to knowledge through the use of digital technologies and participate within learning communities to share and build their knowledge (Ledgerwood, 2022). However, there are concerns regarding the privacy of this learning method. Instagram is a public platform that is not limited to school use, thus meaning that there is an endless supply of users from across the globe with access to the content that is posted on the social media application. Teachers should be aware and mindful of the concern that students may not be comfortable sharing their knowledge for media due to the public nature of Instragram as a tool (Ledgerwood, 2022). However, accounts can be made private and there are other opportunities for students and teachers to adjust the usage of Instagram to create a more private experience for classroom users in collaboration with familial guardians.

(Elantum Digital, n.d.)

    Instagram utilizes a variety of literacies. Basic computer skills, network literacy, digital problem solving, and media literacy are all necessary in pursuing the uses of Instagram. Basic computer skills incorporate ones ability to control a digital device and use it to complete a task (Vanek, 2019). Because Instagram is accessed using a computer or phone, there is a certain level of basic computer skills that are necessary in order to navigate to the application and within the application. Network literacy is based on the concept of connectivism and involves the idea of how to learn from and through social media platforms in a way that hones in on skills necessary to access and curate information as required by social networks (Vanek, 2019). Digital problem solving is the ability to “navigate and use multiple digital resources to accomplish goals across domains, including work, personal interests, educational pursuits, social and professional networking, civic participation, and for future uses not yet conceptualized.” (Vanek, 2019, 2). Because Instagram can be used for personal reasons as well as educational and work related, there is a need for being able to successfully navigate it across such domains as required by digital problem solving. And finally, media literacy is focused on finding, evaluating, using, and communicating information through a range of media found online while also accounting for the production skills of such media (Vanek, 2019). These forms of literacy are all used in tandem to create a user that is comptent in digital literacy on Instagram.

    Finally, as previously mentioned, there are many uses for Instagram in the educational environment. Much as I sit here writing this blog using multimedia representation of my learning, Instagram can be utilized in a similar way. Offering diverse opportunities for student assessment of knowledge through blogging, video creation, and learning demonstration, Instagram can likely be best utilized as a means for students to share what they have learned. Additionally, Instagram can be utilized as a means of group communication for a whole class, small groups, or individual conversations amongst students. Through direct messaging as well as public reactions and comments, students can be encourage to engage with each others research and knowledge while also learning for themselves. I truly believe this platform can be adapted to meet nearly all goals an educator has for their students because it has such a diverse opportunity for engagement. Additionally, parents could easily create accounts to also monitor their students engagement with a course and help their student navigate discussions of safe internet practices. Overall, Instragram is an untapped world of digital literacy where students, teachers, and parents can benefit from all that it has to offer in curriculum.

(Skyliftmarketing, 2025)

    The second platform I would like to discuss is Google Classroom. Because Google Classroom is much more widely used in educational environments when compared to Instagram, I will keep this conversation much more brief and based off my own experinece with Google Classroom. Google classroom is a space where parents, teachers, and students can communicate with each other as well as access posted material. The main function of Google Classroom within eduction is to act as an online classroom space where students can access content digitally. 

    Parents can engage with Goggle Classroom by monitoring student completion and submission of work as well as accessing teacher posted content to help support parent understanding of what is being discussed in class. Additionally, students use Google Classroom to digital access course content as well as submit assignments online in the electronic format and access a variety of resources as posted by the teacher. And finally, a teacher utilizing Google Classroom may choose to post some or all of their course content to the platform digitally so that students can access it whenever they please, whether that be at school or at home. Teachers can also assess student assignments and grade them, directly from the google classroom application. Google Classroom is most effectively used by schools that integrate all Google platforms (such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, and others) into their educational pursuits. Students and teachers can communicate with each other on Google Classroom through their classroom stream, private comments on specific assignments, and through outside Google resoruces such as Gmail or comments on individual Google documents that are submitted to Google Classroom. Google classroom is less effective as a space for students to interact with each other as it is for a space where students can interact with their teacher. Most information is consumed on a teacher-to-student or student-to-teacher basis. Teachers can post content for students to consume and engage with. Additionally, students can submit content for teachers to assess. However, depending on the permissions that a teacher allots their students, students may be able to post and respond on their classroom stream in a way that supports class-wide discussions. In my experience the most positive effects of Google Classroom is it’s ability to allow teachers to create a digital space where students have around the clock access to course content and discussions as well as additional resources. However, limitations become evident if a district does not fully invest in all other Google resource. Because Google supports it’s own applications and practices through the use of a Google account, Google Classroom is almost useless if a school does not also utilize the other aspects of Google such as Google Documents, Slides, email, Chat, Meets, and all others. However, the opportunity for around the clock engagement through digital means and access to resources is evident if the school properly accepts all aspects of Google network. In terms of privacy and safety, Google Classroom is limited to exist solely within the educational institutions environment. Teachers and students have the ability to determine the level of privacy within their communication and submissions amongst each other. There is much less concern with privacy when considering the use of Google Classroom for assessing student knowledge as compared to other applications such as Instagram.

    

(Image of the Google Classroom Icon)

    As with any digital platform, Google Classroom Requires a variety of literacies. Basic computer skills, digital problem solving, information literacy, and media literacy are all necessary in successful navigation and use of Google Classroom. As basic computer skills was previously defined, such skills are necessary for accessing and utilizing Google Classroom because Google Classroom is an online space accessed through digital technology such as a computer or phone. Additionally, digital problem solving is also necessary because it involves “using digital technology, communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks.” (Vanek, 2019, 2) Students will need to use such skills to navigate Google Classroom and use it for completing assignments and participating in discussions. Information literacy includes a set of ability that require individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information (Vanek, 2019). Within Google Classroom students have to be able to search for the information they need and identify what information is relevant to the task they are trying to complete. Thus, information literacy is necessary in supporting student ability to navigate determining what information is necessary to them when they are viewing and using the resources posted to Google Classroom. Finally, media literacy is necessary as it includes what is discussed in information literacy while also considering the need to understand how to produce content (Vanek, 2019). Google Classroom often requires students to engage by contributing to class discussions or submitting assignments within the application itself. Students must have an understanding of how to produce such content in order to be successful within their use of Google Classroom, thus creating the need for media literacy.

(Ed Tech, 2024)

    In terms of aligning with educational goals, Google Classroom creates an alternative digital learning space where students can engage with content and submit assessments for teachers to track their goal achievement. Additionally, teachers can use this platform for effective teaching because it allows students who miss a class the opportunity to access the content, materials, and assignments they may have missed in their absence. Additionally, students with and without accommodation can have greater access to content through this digital space thus creating a universal design for learning by uploading extra resources and notes for all students to benefit from. Finally, parents can be easily provided access to Google Classroom content so that they may also stay up to date on what is being discussed in the classroom in order to better support their students learning at home. A teacher may decided to upload parent resources in order to further this benefit of the application. Additionally, parents can also use this platform to track their students progress on assignments and ensure their student is submitting assignments on time, if that is of concern to them. Overall, Google Classroom creates an easily accessible digital space for teachers, students, and parents to engage with content, submit assessments, and communicate with each other as needed with the only major downfall of the need for investment within the whole Google network in order to be able to benefit from all of the outlined uses.

All in all, there are many tools, platforms, and digital applications that can support student learning an development of new literacies. Social media platforms such as instagram, and online classroom communities such as Google Classroom are only two of the infinitely many possibility that teachers have for integrating technology into their curriculum. 

References

Ed Tech. (2024). 20+ tips to use Google Classroom effectively and efficiently. Ditch That Textbook. https://ditchthattextbook.com/10-tips-to-use-google-classroom-effectively-and-efficiently/

Elantum Digital. (n.d.). The Purpose of Instagram Features. Pinterest. https://tr.pinterest.com/pin/708050372708521814/
Ledgerwood, K. (2022). Technology and the Curriculum. Pressbooks. https://pressbooks.pub/techcurr20221/chapter/using-social-media-to-promote-21st-century-learning/

Skyliftmarketing. (2025). What’s New on Instagram 2025. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DEfEs0vI1L-/

Vanek, J. (2019). Digital Literacy. The Skills that Matter in Adult Education. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrief-508.pdf

Blog Post Four - Annotated Bibliography

As a mathematics teacher, a topic of new literacies that is of interest to me is the need for digital literacy to be integrated into mathematics curriculum. In having conversations with other math teachers regarding the concept of integrating real-world and non-skill-based content into math classrooms I am often met with a lot of push back. In my experience, many math teachers have strong feelings against these ideas because they have so much pressure to teach to the high-stakes exam at the end of the year and they feel as though it is not relevant to their content. Unfortunately, this archaic way of thinking has left digital literacy out of many math classroom experiences. In my experiences of preparing to be a teacher I have been exposed to many new ideas regarding the opportunities for mathematic students to engage with digital content. It is my opinion that the world has spent far too long teaching math using worksheets and lectures; it is time for something new and innovative to be used in order to ensure students are being properly prepared for life after school.

This is where digital literacy comes in! The opportunities for digital literacy in mathematics classrooms are endless, and I wish I had come to know them sooner. Digital learning in math has the opportunity to offer more dynamic learning experiences, emphasize real-world connections, and support student understanding of content. Because of this, I have decided to do further research into the application, opportunities, and importance of digital literacies in mathematic classrooms specifically. In the articles I found related to their topic, the majority of research done on digital literacy in math classrooms either relates to how teachers instruct students by utilizing digital literacy or how to enhance student engagement through gamification of math content by digital means. My goal is to use this research to promote digital literacies in my own mathematics classroom and share the research with other math teachers to help them see the relevance of digital literacy in math as well!

 (Mamolo, 2019)

Annotated Bibliography

Bhagat, K. K., Chang, C.-N., & Chang, C.-Y. (2016). The Impact of the Flipped Classroom on Mathematics Concept Learning in High School. Educational Technology ＆ Society, 19(3), 134–142.

    Flipped learning settings aim to utilize technology to have students learn new course as part of their homework and then practice this homework in the classroom. This a classroom level opportunity for math teachers to integrate digital literacy into their content delivery. This article aims to discuss a study of 82 mathematic high school students between control and experimental groups to determine the effect of the flipped classroom setting on the students learning achievement and motivation. Within this the study also observed the difference of effects on students of varying level so mathematic achievement. The study ultimately found that students participating in the flipped classroom model experienced significantly increased motivation and achievement of low and average achieving students when compared to the students that utilized standard content deliveries. This study proposes significant benefits to utilizing technology in instruction, which is in direct opposition to typical mathematic classroom strategies which have teachers lecturing during class and assigning independent paper work as homework. This study supports the concept that digital literacy and digital media should be incorporated into mathematic classrooms to support student success.

Loong, E. Y.-K., & Herbert, S. (2018). Primary school teachers’ use of digital technology in mathematics : the complexities. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 30(4), 475–498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-018-0235-9

    This article aims to analyze primary teachers use and acceptance of digital technology in math settings. Through the use of two case studies to understand how two primary school teachers deploy digital technologies for teaching and learning mathematics. The article more specifically discusses the teachers views, beliefs, and efforts to which they integrated digital technology into their math content during the time of the study. While the findings of this study are not necessarily generalizable, they do offer valuable insight into teacher perceptions and beliefs regarding the integration of digital technology in mathematic classrooms. While one of the teachers was very interested and engaged in the use of digital technology in mathematic classrooms, often finding a way to use digital technology in every aspect of learning, the other teacher was quite opposite and was not interested by digital technologies that were readily available on the internet and saw the integration of such technologies as a burden to the available time. The most valuable piece of this study to my research, outside of individual teacher perceptions of digital technology in math classrooms, was the highlighted variety of digital software and online resoruces that are suitable for supporting different mathematic topics. Furthermore, these highlighted insights also showed the constrained and affordances teachers experience in everyday settings while integrating digital technology into mathematic classrooms. This showing the varying and drastic differences that are currently present in education when it comes to math teacher perceptions of digital literacy in mathematics classrooms.

Lee, J. Y., Pyon, C. U., & Woo, J. (2023). Digital Twin for Math Education: A Study on the Utilization of Games and Gamification for University Mathematics Education. Electronics (Basel), 12(15), 3207-. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12153207

    This article discusses a study of the effects of gamification in college mathematics education, specifically the effect on students who may lack foundational mathematics knowledge. The created gazéifiée form of mathematics was a digital concept which allowed students to visualize mathematical concepts through games, pair gamification factors on physical and virtual worlds, and engage in interactive problem-solving activities. The ultimate findings of this study demonstrated that the gamification of mathematics improved students engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. The article draws the conclusion, through discussion, that through gamification mathematics can be revolutionized in a way that promotes accessibility, interaction, and engagement for students from diverse educational backgrounds. While this study was conducted on college level students, I beleive it can apply to k-12 education and the justification of digital literacy in mathematics as well. For one, many high schools offer college level courses and thus this study on college level engagement with gamification in mathematics can be directly related to college level courses in a high school setting. Additionally, this study shows the potential that gamification and digital practices in math courses can have, offering a convincing argument for broadening the scope of digital resources in math classrooms. The valuable benefits, as indicated by this study, of including digital learning in mathematics should be emphasized in k-12 settings as well as college settings.



Mamolo, L. A. (2019). Development of digital interactive math comics (DIMaC) for senior high school students in general mathematics. Cogent Education, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2019.1689639

    This article discusses a study in which 488 high school students were assessed in the pursuit of determining the effectiveness of digital interactive math comics in their ability to meet the needs of senior math students. The overall findings suggested that digital interactive math comics had high usability when rated by students and it drew positive feedback for classroom use beacuse it was interesting and unique. Thus, the end result was that this study presented digital interactive math comics as a helpful instructional tool based in digital practices. This article is beneficial to my research because it offers a successful use for digital literacy in math classrooms. This app, digital interactive math comics, is yet another way that math teacher can change their approaches to teaching math content by utilizing digital literacy and digital supports to make content more engaging and supportive of students needs. The concept of using math apps to support student learning by engaging them directly through their handheld devices supports the use of digital literacy to make mathematic content more accessible to all students.




Wangid, M.N., Chandra, A.P., & Hendra, E. R. (2021). The Science-Math Stories Based on Digital Learning: Digital Literacy Innovation in Increasing Ability to Solve Problems. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (Online), 16(9), 94-107. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v16i09.22039

    This article discusses a research study which used a pre-test/post-test method to compare a control group and multiple experimental groups with the goal of determining the effect of using science-math stories based on digital learning as a digital literacy media to improve problem solving skills for elementary students. The ultimate findings of this study were that the result of using whole activities, content, and features of science-math stories based on digital learning directly improved problem solving stages such as formulating the problem, developing the problem solving strategy, exploring the possible strategies, and evaluating the effect(s) of the problem solutions. Specifically, the story line and examples of how characters solve problems that they encounter were the main factors which caused an increase in student ability to solve problems. This study is relevant to my pursuit of proving the importance of digital literacy integration into mathematics because this method of utilizing digital based learning through science-math stories was found to support students abilities in connecting mathematics to various disciplines, thinking critically about content, and communicating key components of mathematical content. These skill upgrades also included supporting basic and procedural mathematic abilities. While this study reflects specifically elementary school values of digital literacy in mathematics, such content speaks to possible supports for adolecent students who need more support in basic math processes and connections.

Blog Post Three - Leveraging Tools, Text, and Talk in My Teaching Context

When leveraging tools, text, and talk in the context of teaching there has to be considerations for equity and engagement with content. In a previous experience I had during a student teaching placement I observed how the utilization of online spaces can negatively affect students who do not have equal access to those spaces. In the effort to build new literacy skills and utilize digital resources in the pursuit of a classroom across spaces teachers must consider the tools that are available for all students. After reading this modules resources, my understanding of designing to support practices beyond the screen is that teachers have a responsibility to utilize face-to-face classroom analog instruction as well as online digital instruction to support the development of new literacies without negatively effecting the students in the process. New technologies should be constantly integrated into the classroom environment in order to bridge the gap between the classroom uses of technology and social uses of technology (Philip & Garcia, 2013). In my experiences, everything in education is about balance, for example, balancing between online and real-life learning experiences. While we want to incorporate online spaces for learning to better support our students new literacy skills, we must use this as a supplement to our real-world spaces for learning which present their own benefits as well.

In my opinion the best way to have conversations about new literacy practices and navigating them in a purposeful and informed manner is by putting them in the positon to have to use those practices and apply the necessary skills. In my experience, when integrating new literacies into assignments and course content these conversations will come naturally through teacher feedback and student engagement. It is for this reason that “technology should be considered within an array of educational tools and strategies and judged in light of its potential to introduce or reshape texts, tools, and talk.” (Philip & Garcia, 2013) It is easy to ban phone usage in classrooms and create paper copies of learning activities so that students do not have to have conversations about new literacy, however this only disadvantages the student themself in their pursuit to effectively support and contribute to the digital space around them. This further rotates back to the idea of creating classroom digital experiences that are relevant and connected to social digital experiences. Students are craving exposure, knowledge, and progress in this area as a result of increased social media influence in recent history, so we should expose them to these digital spaces in a safe and control manner that teachers students who to maximalise their capabilities.

One example of a project that I could assign in a mathematics classroom to incorporate analog and digital learning experiences towards a complex learning goal could be related to collecting and visualizing data. To teach qualitative versus quantitative data student's could be prompted to create a personalized topic which they want to research, including a variety of closed-ended quantitive practices as well as open-ended qualitative practices. Students could be encouraged to use analog experiences such as in person interviews and discussions as well as digital experiences such as an online survey or affinity group posting to collect the necessary data. Then, students could also use digital applications, such as google sheets or Microsoft excel, to generate data visualizations and practice new literacies through the exploration of different data visitation softwares.

Because this project allows for students to choose their own topic and path as well as engage with affinity groups that interest them, there is room for both positive and negative outcomes from this project. Positive outcomes include the use of reality pedagogy since this project encourages teachers to get proximal with students and gain authentic insights and asset-based perspectives of their culture and associated interests (Edmin, 2021). Additionally, incorporating the use of affinity spaces into data collection and the sharing of the data visualization has the capacity to build stronger presences in their affinity groups. One highlighted tension of the use of affinity groups is inconsistent feedback and experiences as a result of students not participating enough in the spaces in order to understand their online audience (Magnifico, 2018). However, by integrating affinity spaces into the data collection and sharing the data collection once it has been visualized in an illustrative format will help students in repeat exposure to their affinity group and thus create high opportunity for them to become invested in the responses and considerations of the other members of the affinity group. A project such as this will encourage student participation and cultural responsiveness by allowing students to pick their own topics. Additionally, this project would support a variety of analog and digital experiences aimed towards designing a classroom across spaces and utilizing a variety of resources to create increased digital competency and new literacy skills for the students.



References

Edmin, C., Adjapong, E., Levy, I.P. (2021). On science genius and cultural agnosia: Reality pedagogy and/as hip-hop rooted cultural etching in STEM education. The Education Forum, 85(4), 391-405.

Magnifico, A.M., Lammers, J.C., Fields, D.A. (2018). Affinity spaces, literacies and classrooms: tensions and opportunities. Literacy, 52(3), 145-152.

Philip, T. M., & Garcia, A. D. (2013). The Importance of Still Teaching the iGeneration: New Technologies and the Centrality of Pedagogy. Harvard Educational Review, 83(2), 300-319,400-401.

Blog Post Two - How New Literacies are Relevant to Us

     My previous post explored the general applications of new literacies in my professional and personal life as well as the importance of understanding literacy to be more than a narrow view of communication. However, with this post it is my goal to explore in greater depth the components of digital literacies that I will utilize in my workspace this upcoming school year as a middle school mathematics teacher.

    To begin, one of the readings I chose to explore in this topic was the 2018 Literacy Leadership Brief by the International Literacy Association. From this reading, my broad takeaway was the newfound understanding of the expansiveness of new literacy and its implications on society and education. Most importantly, there is an emphasis on the need for our classrooms to “move fluidly between the digital and analog worlds that we simultaneously inhabit.” (International Literacy Association, 2018, 3) From this I have a better understanding of my responsibility, as an educator, to ensure the appropriate representation of new literacies in my classroom as a means of better preparing my students for the reality that they are living in. This being said, with new literacies comes new problems. While educational inequality has persisted through generations as a result of long-standing marginalization of students’ on the basis of race, class, and gender; there is a new concern created by new literacies that schools may widen the achievement gap by overemphasizing technology and further harm marginalized communities (International Literacy Association, 2018). Reading of this concern shocked me as it is not something I initially considered in my pursuit to learn about new literacies. From this point there is the prevalence of a new line for educators to balance, one which requires us to incorporate technology as a means of preparing our students for life after school while also accounting for the possible overemphasis of technology which could harm marginalized groups. 

    This brought me to a point of considering my own anticipated use of digital literacies in my classroom. How can I support my students exploration of new literacy without harming students who come from marginalized groups? While there may be no clear answer, this question does offer me the opportunity to evaluate how I can utilize digital literacy without losing sight of the need to accommodate and support all students. Unfortunately it is clear that technological opportunities are not equally distributed across schools or viable solutions to deeply rooted educational problems (International Literacy Association, 2018). However, this does not close the door for me to adapt my instruction to ensure that my students have the best opportunities in terms of having equitable access to practicing new literacies. From this I must learn to look at the current digital literacy I will be using in my work setting such as tools and applications for research, content access, and instructional messages, and assess them in terms of their accessibility to all of my students. While the school may have computers and internet available inside of the building during the school day, there is no guarded that each of my students goes home and has equal access to these same materials. By acknowledging this real limitation of what digital recourses can do, I can use digital resources for more meaningful, just, and authentic forms of literacy instruction to support the students in my class for civic, academic, and vocational pathways beyond school (International Literacy Association, 2018). It is important that I keep all of this in mind as I aim to create inclusive classroom experiences for student's from diverse backgrounds that may not have equal access to technology and could, in turn, be further marginalized by excessive use of digital literacy.

    Noting my new understanding new literacies and the concerns that I need to keep in mind when educating my students, I continued in my pursuit of learning by reading the issue brief by Vanek titled “Digital Literacy” (2019). When reading and viewing this briefing I was immediately drawn to the following visual which opened my eyes to the true complexity of digital literacy.

Sourced from “Digital Literacy” (2019) by Vanek, this visual highlights the multitude of proficiencies that aer addressed in current research regarding digital literacy. This image brought me to the same conclusion that I keep arriving at as I read and learn about new literacies; I am glad I’m taking CURI 6010: New Media and New Literacies because I clearly did not understand the true importance and vast opportunities that are available when integrating and assessing new literacies into course content prior to starting this course. 

    Furthermore, what may be the most important lesson I gathered from continuing my learning regarding new literacies by reading “Digital Literacy” (2019) by Vanek was the understanding of necessary skills that I need to help my student's to develop so that they can improve their digital literacy. Critical thinking, communication, processing and analyzing information, self-awareness, problem solving, and navigating systems are all deeply necessary skills in the pursuit of achieving proficiency in digital literacy (Vanek, 2019). Understanding these skills is necessary to me because they represent integral components of digital literacy that I must incorporate into my instruction as a means of supporting my students growth and preparation for future endeavors. As a mathematics teacher I would of course love for all of my students to graduate high school and enter field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As a result, I must support these digital literacy skills by using relevant technologies to these fields to ensure my students have a level of comfortability with them as a means of easing the transition to college and careers (Vanek, 2019). Additionally, I can integrate more technology and emphasize access so that I can giving my students ample opportunities in and out of class to explore low-stakes reasons for digital literacy in a way that lessens the resource gap by using and providing technology that they all can have adequate access to (Vanek, 2019). Ensuring the inclusion of these practices and associated skills in my classroom helps me to be a more effective teacher in preparing my students to function after their k-12 education.

    While I have not yet started my position as a middle school mathematics teacher, these resources have provided me the opportunity to reflect upon and critically analyze the expectations I must have for myself as a teacher aiming to incorporate new literacies into my courses. As a teacher I must ensure I am providing a consistently inclusive education that builds on the skills associated with digital literacy in a way that supports students need to one day grow into productive colligent students and members of the workforce. Without consistent and appropriate incorporation of digital literacy in my curriculum I will not be able to achieve this goal. This further affirms my need to continuously reassess and reevaluate my teaching practices in order to provide a high quality educational experience for all of my students.

References

International Literacy Association. (2018). Literacy Leadership Brief: Improving Digital Practices for Literacy, Learning, and Justice More Than Just Tools. International Literacy Association. 

Vanek, J. (2019). Digital Literacy. The Skills that Matter in Adult Education. American Institutes for Research.

Blog Post One - Defining New Literacies and Why They Matter

     In all honesty, prior to starting my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with SUNY Empire State University, I did not have a strong understanding of what new literacies were and how literacy even was outside of academic English in terms of reading and writing. While we are only in the second module of CURI 6010: New Media and New Literacies I am already finding myself to have a growing understanding and more cohesive view of the importance of integrating new media and new literacies into students academic experiences.   

    When considering the idea of how literacy is relevant to me in my professional and personal life, it has now become very clear the high level of importance I must place on my understating of new literacies. From a professional standpoint it is vital that I, as an educator, am able to understand new literacies I and implement them into my classroom instruction for the benefit of my students. It can be said that “instead of placing trust in the latest gadget, faith must be placed in the expertise of teachers to sustain classrooms that reflect the contexts of learning that are encountered outside of schools and in the real world.” (International Literacy Association, 2018, 2) From this view it is vital that I am able to integrate new literacies into instruction for the purpose of creating a holistic education that prepares my students for their future experiences outside of k-12 education. For example, in preparing my students for their future goals and aspirations I should focus less on investing resources and energy into individual tools, and instead put more pressure onto the involvement of classroom technology that more clearly mirrors the kind of work environments I expect my students to eventually encounter (International Literacy Association, 2018). Furthermore, as a professional who is attempting to create more opportunities for the practice and development of new literacy skills in my classroom there are changes I need to make. I must pull my instruction away from being anchored in individual apps and devices while pushing my instruction towards generating the consideration and implementation of  how “todays professionals seamlessly produce, respond to, and coordinate work and personal activities across myriad devices, tools, and topics.” (International Literacy Association, 2018, 3) Additionally, in the pursuit of growing my understanding of new literacies for my students, I must also implement and address my usage of them in my personal life. By using my personal experiences with new literacies, and my newfound understanding of what new literacies are, I can supplement my instruction to create a more holistic educational experience for my students.

   Common misconceptions of literacy involve the idea that literacy is only the existence of reading and writing in academic English. I, admittedly, believed this to be the extend of literacy for far too long. New literacies have expanded the concept of what literacy means and how it must be taught to our students. The International Literacy Association (2018) highlights this need for a broader understanding of new literacies by explaining the extent to which literacy is now present in our lives by sharing the following quote. 

“In their professional and personal lives, many people today move fluidly across digital and nondigital resources: texts and tweets may be used to coordinate plans, whereas face-to-face meetings can yield multimodal products like Instagram posts and Facebook messages. Schedules are coordinated digitally, and groups of employees meet in person to produce digital texts for presentation to audiences in multiple formats.” (International Literacy Association, 2018, 2)

This paragraph quote represents the exact need of understanding of the true meaning of literacy in today’s society. If we are not developing and addressing new literacies such as digital and social literacy, as evident by the consistent exposure to digital texts and social media platforms, then we are not preparing our students for the experiences they will face in the real-world outside of a textbook. Understanding these literacies offers students more than an education, it creates a whole new space for communication and research with endless possibilities for personal development. When we create a narrow mindset for what new literacies are, we adversely neglect and deprive our students from truly understanding how to communicate and interact with society in the other forms of mediums that are explored through acknowledge what new literacies are. For example, digital literacy may often be written off as computer skills. However, digital literacy represents more than having proficiency with these discrete computer skills (Vanek, 2019). In fact, in this example, we ignore the fact that “the crux of what is meant by digital literacy is the recognition of these skills’ relevance in specific contexts and one’s ability to creatively apply them.” (Vanek, 2019, 1) By not truly understanding what this type of new literacy is, we minimize it to a form which neglects the expansive importance of what we can stand to learn and develop from it. By developing strong and concrete understandings of new literacies we replace these minimized understandings with broader views of literacy that help us to prepare our students more efficiently.

    When we incorporate these new literacies into our curriculum we can better support the holistic learning of our students towards developing the skills required to function within society. When we don’t acknowledge the expansive opportunities that come as a result of understanding new literacies, we do a disservice to our students by not preparing them adequately for life outside of school. 

This image, displayed in the article Multimodal and New Literacies (n.d.), can serve of a visual representation of the many forms of literacy that fall into the idea of “new literacy” which has been made possible by technology. (Multimodal and New Literacies, n.d.)

References:

Multimodal and New Literacies. (n.d.). Cultivating Creativity in Writing. http://cultivatingcreativityinwriting.weebly.com/multimodal-and-new-literacies.html

International Literacy Association. (2018). Literacy Leadership Brief: Improving Digital
Practices for Literacy, Learning, and Justice More Than Just Tools. International Literacy Association.

Vanek, J. (2019). Digital Literacy. The Skills that Matter in Adult Education. American Institutes for Research.

Introduction

 Hello all! My name is Savannah Taylor and I am from the Rochester, NY area. This is my second semester at SUNY Empire State University in the M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction program. Prior to starting this program in January 2025 I had just completed my B.A. in Adolescent Mathematics and Special Education at Keuka College. While I have past experience subbing, I currently work as a preschool lead teacher as my full time job. However, I recently excepted a position as a middle school mathematics teacher at a local school district!

My biggest interest is understanding trauma-informed educational practices and policies. During my undergraduate degree I completed an honors project surrounding this topic and through my masters I have continued to learn more about this topic and its importance in the field of education. My interest would be to grow my learning enough so that one day I can help teachers and schools develop curriculum and instructional practices that are based in trauma-informed research and policies. I chose to pursue the M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction because I wanted to grow my mindset and further my understanding of research based practices related to building curriculum and offering valuable instruction. Additionally, Empire State allowed me the opportunity to do this asynchronously in an online format where I could choose my own pace. These benefits fit my needs very well as it is my goal to complete my degree in December of this year while working full time.

My learning goals for this course are quite general. I feel as though media and literacies are not well represented in mathematics classrooms. I would like to use what I learn from this course to better supplement my students holistic learning in the mathematics setting and create a space where students are building a full toolbox to help them in their future endeavors. Along with this I also believe that this course will support my personal understanding of new media and new literacies since I currently feel that this is an area I am lacking in.

Attached here is a meme that one of my friends sent to me recently for May 4th. It made me chuckle so I decided it would be a good meme to share here! (Explanation: when you take the square root of a number there are 2 answers, one is positive and the other is negative. In this meme the student is saying that if x squared is 9 then x must be 3 because the square root of 9 is 3. However, there is another answer because the square root of 9 can also be negative 3 since negative 3 times negative 3 is positive 9 because a negative times a negative is a positive.)