Mathematics Education: Matrix Operations Interactive Worksheet

This post is from my mathematics education blog located at: eyelearnmath.blogspot.com


Strength comes with diversity and when addressing the issue of instructional media, diversity provides strength in optimizing student interest and involvement. Traditional lectures have a well-deserved important place in the classroom, however, providing alternative modes of instruction and classroom interaction. Non-traditional or alternate modes of instruction can meet many different INTASC standards such as 4, 5, and 6. Here are a list of those standards and how they may apply to the Inspiration interactive worksheet I developed and posted above.
STANDARD 4: MULTIPLE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

Obviously alternative instructional media, such as Inspiration worksheets relate to 'a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development.' The challenge that lies within is addressing 'critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.' My worksheet combines interactive technology along with problem solving skills while requiring subject knowledge.

STANDARD 5: MOTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT
The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Interactive worksheets create motivation strictly from the process of its own interaction, however the quality of that interactivity is key to promoting quality motivation. The degree of diversity can increase the effectiveness of individual instruction as well.

STANDARD 6: COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Communication's effectiveness is also strengthened through diversity. The worksheet above allows students to visualize a previous lesson on matrix operations and connect ideas with an interactive interface. Using technology in the classroom not only provides a diverse instructional medium, increase motivation but also helps teach skills needed beyond the classroom.


These standards are also illustrated here in Robert Ahdoot's webcasts of his classroom instruction. By introducing webcasts, Robert adds excitement to an already energetic lesson and also allows students a very practical mode of reviewing instruction.