Abstract:

This paper reports on a collaboration between teacher educators and in-service teachers, focusing on the strategic use of technology in teaching mathematics. As a case study, we showcase how a mathematics educator developed a sequence of professional development activities centered around the use of a new digital mathematics game site called Struggly, aimed at teaching mathematics in grades 1 to 8.

Struggly is an innovative digital platform designed to make learning mathematics both creative and enjoyable. Grounded in Mathematical Mindset research, Struggly offers a variety of low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that enhance number sense, conceptual understanding, and sense-making for students in grades 1 to 8. The platform’s primary goal is to boost students' confidence in tackling challenging problems. Struggly features three types of tasks: practice, challenge, and deep understanding. For educators, Struggly provides comprehensive resources for each task, including content explanations, observation tips, and insightful reflection and discussion questions. These tools are crafted to foster deep thinking, collaboration, and idea-sharing, enriching the overall learning experience.

The professional development activities followed a study-plan-teach-reflect-extend structure. Teachers studied and analyzed the digital mathematical tasks, integrated them into their lesson plans, reflected on their students' experiences and learning with technology, and extended their familiarity with the platform by teaching additional tasks and planning for varied uses. Data was collected in the form of lesson plans, teaching experiment videos, reflection journals, and extension plans, which were subsequently analyzed. Examples of Struggly tasks will be shared, along with results highlighting what teachers learned about digital mathematical tasks and the strategic use of technology.

We will conclude with a discussion on the implications of this study for enhancing professional development partnerships, aiming to help teachers use technology strategically and effectively in their mathematics instruction.

Keywords:

Mathematics Education, Strategic Use of Technology, Professional Development, Mathematical Tasks, Mindsets.