Thoughts About Paperless Math

Got some great ideas regarding paperless math resources. Check out the comments to yesterday's post (I'll get around to organizing them eventually... my goal is to make a description of each of the resources and apps I've learned about this summer available in the blog sidebar soon!)

One reader, however, did bring up a point which I feel should get broader attention (especially by new readers of this blog):

I'm currently at the point of saying that using technology for everyday use in math is using technology incorrectly. Please use it as a tool when it is the best tool. Don't use it just to "go green" or to "do more technology stuff." There are so many other things you can do if going green is your point. As much as I love technology in the classroom, it isn't ALWAYS the answer. - Brian Zollinhofer

Yup. I agree.

In fact, I posted related to this issue a few months' back and should haul the posts out of the archives for re-evaluation now.

First was the 'Why Do I Hate Paper' post from back in February. Here's a snippet (you can read the whole thing here):

I was asked recently why I am so against using paper in the classroom.

I'm not.

I'm into letting kids make paper airplanes. And construct buildings and mazes out of paper. And shoot hoops at the trashcan with paperballs. I'm into letting them draw on big pieces of paper with charcoal and having them get their hands dirty. I'm into dog-eared paperbacks creeping out of their pockets and I'm into letters and personal notes and thank-yous and miss-yous and get-wells scribbled on scrap-paper.

It's not paper I'm against.

I'm against the static idea of knowledge that paper so often represents.

The second was a response to a post on the Digital Ed blog at Ed Week back in March:

If you feel like you have to 'fit tech in' to your classroom practice, then you're quickly going to find yourself frustrated. You might as well be forced to 'fit in' a discussion about orange juice. Or sea lions. Or the Knights Templar. Or be forced to wear mittens while you erase from the chalkboard.

I think the worst thing we can do is to try to 'fit tech in' to our teaching. Rather, if we integrate tech into our lessons it is because tech is integrated into our lives and the process is natural -- obvious, even.