MathTrek
4, 5, 6 A Tool to Assist Teachers and Students in
Tracking Progress
by Jenni Donohoo
|
 |
The Report
of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4—6 in Ontario
2003 states:
Technology is not meant to replace mathematical thought but to expand it. In
the junior years, technology can be incorporated to support the development
of student understanding in the following ways:
- It can support
students’ sense making by providing an environment
for investigations. For example:
- Calculators
can be used to look at number patterns and to develop number
sense.
- Spreadsheets
can be used to organize and display data, and also to study
number patterns and shapes.
- Online
applets can be used at home or in the classroom. They allow
students to carry out repeated experiments and to explore
mathematics visually.
- Technology can
allow students to develop critical-thinking skills through analyzing
and comparing many examples.
- It can support
the development of diagrammatic reasoning by providing visual representations.
- Technology changes
the mathematics that students do and the way that students do mathematics.
It changes teachers priorities about what needs to be taught. For
example, in the twenty-first century it is not necessary for students
to do extensive calculations by hand, but it is necessary for them
to develop deep number sense.
Software programs
such as MathTrek 4, 5, 6 can be used by teachers in the
junior years to support student development. Futhermore, MathTrek
4, 5, 6 has a tracking component which allows teachers to monitor
student’s understanding of mathematical concepts. The tracking
feature can be used to diagnose developmental stages of students
and assist teachers in tailoring mathematics programs to meet students'
needs. Immediate feedback is provided for students, assisting them
in recognizing their strengths and identifying particular needs.
A teacher can set
up a class and enter his or her students’ names to allow for
individual tracking.
This feature can be accessed by selecting the 
button
on the opening screen.
The ‘Teacher
Utility’ feature is password protected. A window will appear
requiring the password. Please contact your school's CIESC, SST,
Doug Peterson or Jenni Donohoo to obtain the password.
|
|
TO
CREATE A CLASS:
1. From the MathTrek Teacher Utility select ‘New’.
2. Enter a Class Name (e.g. Doe) and a Password
(optional). If you leave the Password field blank,
students will not require a password to log into that
class.
3. Click the ‘Create’ button once you have entered the
necessary information. |
TO
ADD STUDENTS:
1. Select your class from the list. Click ‘Open’.
2. To add students click the ‘New’ button.
3. Type your students’ names by clicking on the ‘New’ button
each time you add an additional name.
4. When you have entered all of the students’ names, click ‘Close’. |
|
When students launch MathTrek they
can select their class and then their name from the list.
STUDENT
PROGRESS REPORTS:
Teachers can return to the ‘Teacher Utility’ function to view and/or
print individual student reports. Activity records and/or quiz results can
be displayed for one or more than one math strand.
 |
The report
to the left shows that Jane earned a score of
40% on her Measurement quiz on January 10th 2005. |
If you have trouble
accessing the Teacher Utility Centre, contact your school's CIESC
so that problems can be reported to the Help Desk.
