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 Correlating
the ITBS/ITED with Math Teaching Resources
on the Internet
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The
purpose of this work is
to provide teachers with
an extensive, free
source of teaching
resources available on
the Internet to increase
student achievement in
mathematics as measured
by the Iowa Tests of
Basic Skills. The
Internet is a tool that
many teachers use to
excellent advantage when
teaching any number of
research related topics,
but its use has been
somewhat limited in
teaching
mathematics.
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Mathematics
instruction in many
classrooms is based on
the content, approach,
teaching order, and
resources of one
textbook. This usually
provides continuity, but
what is lost is the
ability to tailor
instruction to the
needs, abilities and
learning styles of
students. Textbooks also
can lose timeliness,
relevance and motivation
for their audience since
textbooks usually take
several years to publish
and are used in schools
for a long period of
time afterwards. They
are also often designed
for specific states with
large textbook adoptions
and contain examples and
illustrations that are
foreign to students in
other states.
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No
matter how excellent a
textbook is, no one
textbook is ever a
perfect match with the
curricular goals and
educational philosophy
of any school district.
Gifted teachers usually
use a variety of
resources when teaching,
and they are not
dependent on the
content, approach,
resources and teaching
order of one textbook.
The Internet can
increase this set of
resources.
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Use
of the Internet has
several
advantages:
- There
are a large variety
of quality authors of
materials, both
experienced and
creative classroom
teachers and
nationally known and
respected math
educators.
- Many
Internet sites are
interactive and
employ graphics,
sound, color, and
animation to keep the
attention and
maximize learning in
the
student.
- Sites
are constantly
updated and
improved.
- Resources
are abundant and, for
the most part, free.
- The
examination of one
resource at a
recommended site may
spark the use of
another resource
found at the same
site.
- Students
can interact with
their peers all over
the world in problem
solving situations
etc.
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To
conduct the correlation,
the math content/process
skills of ITBS were
grouped according to the
National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics
Principles and Standards
for School Mathematics.
Selected sites on the
Internet were divided
into three groups:
lesson plans,
interactive sites, and
games/puzzles/activities.
The interactive sites
such as the NCTM
"Illuminations" sites
are especially
engaging.
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It
can be argued that
developing teaching
resources keyed to the
Iowa Test of Basic
Skills is "teaching to
the test". That would be
true if the skills
assessed on ITBS were
out of the main stream
of math instruction, but
the skills are the same
ones listed in national
and local curricula. One
might also ask if these
resources can improve
student achievement on
ITBS.
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Consider
examples like the
following: 3 x 231 and
400 x 62 found in a
horizontal format in the
Computation section of
the ITBS. This section
of ITBS is the most time
dependent of the test.
If students must use
paper and pencil to
rewrite the items
vertically in the
traditional algorithmic
approach, valuable time
is used that will not be
available for other
items. On the other
hand, if these items are
done mentally using the
distributive and
associative properties
time can be saved. Sites
to practice these
properties are some of
the ones included
here.
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As
another example of the
usefulness of selected
sites, the "Virtual
Manipulatives" is
particularly
motivational for the
visual learner. Students
best internalize
concepts and skills
through repeated
practice in games which
abound in the
recommended sites. What
is especially productive
is when computers are
used by effective and
knowledgeable teachers
to teach higher-order
thinking skills. See
"Technology
and Math Scores: Do They
Compute?"
by David D.
Thornburg.
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For more information contact:
Corrine
Breitsprecker or Julie
Hukee
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