Abstract
This short practitioner report presents information for the planning, teaching and evaluation cycle of a cross curricular Computing, Geography and Mathematics lessons in a 5thgrade classroom. The study focused on both mathematical thinking and Geographical knowledge. The objective of the lesson was to teach children measurement and prediction skills through exploring the Angel Falls, located inside of the Canaima National Park in Venezuela, using the Google expedition application. For the purpose of this study, action research was chosen whereby the findings of this study were used to inform future planning and improve learning. The study found that the students were able to use their logical reasoning to predict the length of many objects including the Angel Falls. The project also found that providing children with real-life learning contexts motivated them to learn and made learning more meaningful. The children were able to transfer and apply their prediction skills during their coding sessions, which highlights the link between mathematical and computational thinking.
Highlights
In this short practitioner report I will be discussing how I planned and taught a series of lessons to provide learning experiences for students in a real-life context using technology as a tool
The students were taught about the Angel Falls found in the Canaima National Park, Venezuela, using Google Expeditions application
This short classroom investigation study found that prior knowledge plays an important role in children’s construction of new knowledge, making learning meaningful. This shows that teachers should be aware of children’s prior knowledge, in order to plan and teach according to their needs. It was very clear from the observational data that the children were able to recall not just what they had learned in this session but from other mathematics and in other subject lessons such as geography, art and physical education
Summary
In this short practitioner report I will be discussing how I planned and taught a series of lessons to provide learning experiences for students in a real-life context using technology as a tool. The students were taught about the Angel Falls found in the Canaima National Park, Venezuela, using Google Expeditions application. Within the lesson I focused on providing students with a real-life problem whereby they can develop and apply their mathematical, technological and geographical knowledge and understanding. It been suggested that the knowledge and experiences that students bring from their everyday lives can serve as resources for the teaching and learning of mathematics (Civil 2002, 2007). There is evident that when concepts and skills are connected to real life contexts and situations, student learning is enhanced (Boaler, 2008)
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