Curriculum Area- relation to technology

While technology can probably be used to aid in teaching any subject, it is most readily apparent that this is the case in teaching math and science. As a math teacher, I have found several ways that I utilize technology in my classroom: calculators, the projector, and the smart board. I am really only comfortable using the first two of these. But oddly, I have found that even my 8th graders are unfamiliar with using calculators and often don't type in the appropriate order. I did not push this, which I probably should have, since most of the state exam cannot be completed with a calculator, and my students' basic computation skills are severely lacking. In hindsight I really ought to have used the calculators more in my classroom, especially since for the extended response section, where they can use them, they are rather clueless. I did just receive a large overhead calculator aid, so I think this will help me teach my kids how to use one. It's probably too late this year. Yikes! As for the projector, I have actually just received one and am getting accustomed to using it. It is slightly awkward to write on, but I think my students appreciated the change of pace. It is really useful for the overhead algebra tiles! I finally got my internet connection for my classroom and really should learn how to use the smart board. It is so intimidating, however, and I am not sure I am ready for it. Maybe once I make some curriculum webs of my own, my eagerness to share those will override my hesitancy of using the smart board.
Technology is especially useful in teaching math, both because it sparks interest in what can be a rather dry subject, and because it makes rather abstract concepts more readily apparent . The internet and education websites provide great animations and other aids to explain difficult topics. But more than that, technology is the way to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world. Mathematicians today rely on technology. And computers, which most certainly fascinate our kids, rely on math. Technology can help us help our students to not only understand the math we're teaching, but also to inspire a curiosity into how math affects the world around them.