This paper focuses on how to construct and use an instructor's web page to add an historical perspective to your math instruction, how to get students to further explore the topics and people you are discussing in class, and how they can process the concepts related to these topics through reading and writing. You may also be inspired to show your students the racial diversity of mathematicians down through the centuries. Math has been developed in thousands of places over thousands of years! As the title of my web page says, "Math is Marvelous". You may view "document source" at the above web address to view the HTML program and the valuable hyperlinks used which you can easily borrow and change to make a web page of your own.
Promoting Reading and Writing in Algebra Via an Instructor's Web Page:
The History of Math
(Constructing, Maintaining and Using a Beginner's Web Page)
Gathering Technical Information
Knowing nothing about web page technology, I attended the 1997 Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference in Murfreesboro, TN. I did know that I wanted to introduce the use of a web page into my teaching, and I had come to the conference to find out how. From attending several sessions, Larry Summary's and others, I saw what was possible and decided that I could make my own web page. This was in April, 1997. In June, I took beginning HTML at the University of Memphis Information Systems Training Center. This course was very understandable, and I followed it up by taking Advanced HTML at the same Center. They taught me the simple programming language, and how to use an HTML writer program which makes web page construction somewhat simpler. Be aware that there are numerous programs you can use which will make web page construction easier. I just chose to learn HTML and use HTML Edit. Your school's training center might teach you to approach it some other way.
History of Math Content Decision
Armed with some technical knowledge, I began to consider what I would put on my faculty web page. One idea I had was to outline each math course I taught, put the outline on my web page, and hyperlink the topics to sites which would give the students more information about the topic. Then I came up with the idea that I decided to pursue seriously, the history of math from 3000 BC to the present. It has always concerned me that all I do in math is teach computation. If I could work a reading and writing component into my classes, I might be able to enhance the students' understanding of and interest in algebra. The second NCTM standard suggests that students "be able to reflect upon and clarify their thinking about mathematical ideas and relationships, and to express mathematical ideas in writing" (p. 140). By incorporating reading and writing activities into regular algebra course work, students are able to process math topics in more depth and are able to connect isolated topics into the entire framework of the history of math from 3000 BC to the present. It humanizes mathematics and adds interest to a "dry" subject as students study the diversity of peoples and the great diversity of cultures from which all of math has developed. This holistic approach, computation, reading, and writing will hopefully impact student motivation and content understanding. Since I teach mostly freshmen, this impact can happen "early on" in their college experience, so that they may be more interested and more comfortable in subsequent math courses. The history of mathematics is valuable, but it is only offered as a senior-level course on the University of Memphis campus. Most students never take a 4000-level math course.
Getting the Information onto the Web Page
To get started, I loosely outlined a history of math textbook and typed this information into my web page program using HTML Edit and saved to disk in "a" drive. Then I did searches on the Web using Hotbot and other search engines typing in each time period and topic to find links which I could hyperlink to the information on my page. As I found a good link I chose "edit" from the tool bar at the top of the web page and chose "copy". Then I went back into my program in the HTML Edit and did "edit", "paste" to put the hyperlink where I wanted it in my program. This is how I put in all the hyperlinks I have. It saves you typing each long URL address. I also put some relevant pictures from the web onto my page. I borrowed from sites which were not copyrighted. (Right click on a picture you want. You will get a list. Choose "save image as", and put it onto a disk in "a" drive or in "my documents" on "c" drive. You can get it from there and put it into your web page program using an IMG SRC command.) I placed a "form" on the page into which the students typed their reviews of the sites they chose to explore. Also, I placed an e-mail link on the page, so that they could just click and be able to communicate with me. They could do everything by using my web page as their homebase. They would access the web page, choose a topic, do a review, and submit it to me all from my web page. After I completed my web page program inside HTML Edit on a disk in "a" drive, I used WS-FTP to put it onto the U of M server. The Information Technology people on your campus can help you with this.
How Students Use My Web Page (http://www.people.memphis.edu/~brveteto)
In the Fall, 1997 semester, I did not require each student to use my web page. I held voluntary training sessions in computer labs on a drop-in basis to train the students. Then each student could do as many as five reviews on math history topics during the semester for bonus grades of two points each. They could get up to a total of 10 bonus points for the semester which was about one point of their overall course averages. I received sixty-four reviews during this Fall semester. In the Spring, 1998 semester, I am requiring each student to do at least one review of a site on the web page for a ten-point quiz grade. They may also do other reviews for small bonus points if they choose. I took each class to the computer lab to train them during class time this semester which worked better than holding voluntary, drop-in training sessions. Most of my students have not known how to use the internet.
Planned Pilot Project for Fall, 1998
Two "treatment" sections of elementary algebra will be taught incorporating the use of my web page into the usual lecture-discussion method, and two "control" sections of elementary algebra will be taught the same material by the same teacher using the lecture-discussion component only. In the two "treatment" sections, students in collaborative groups will be trained to access my web page, to choose math topics or persons from our text to research, to send their review to me via the form on the web page, to do searches using search engines on the Net on their same topics, and to use a class newsgroup to discuss current classroom topics with their teacher and with other classmembers. One report from each collaborative group along with a picture of that group will be placed on the faculty web page. This will allow students in subsequent semesters to see examples of student work. These technology skills will be incorporated into the regular elementary algebra curriculum by meeting in a computer lab for class as necessary for initial training provided by me. The project goals for the "treatment" groups are: students will study elementary algebra to gain computational competency in order to pursue their chosen major which is the usual course goal; they will study cultural mathematics to add depth and interest to the subject; they will learn the technology involved in this project as Freshmen which will become a life-skill; they will learn to feel connected to their teacher and to each other during classtime and by communicating with each other via the web newsgroup. A research component will be implemented. The two "treatment" sections will be compared with the two "control" sections using an ANOVA in SAS or SPSS to test the following hypotheses: 1. There is no significant difference in the course grade averages of the treatment and control groups. (The treatment group has attained at least the same computational level as the control group, and they also mastered the technology components.) 2. Using a Likert-Scale instrument to test the attitudes of the students in the treatment group toward the use of technology, there will be no significant difference in mean survey scores early in the semester and scores at the end of the semester. (I would hope to be able to reject this hypothesis.)
As time allows, I plan to put my syllabus, class notes, homework assignments, practice tests and other course-related materials on my page. Also, I will eventually use my original idea of outlining each course I teach and hyperlinking information to each topic. I will certainly continue working on the history of math section until each topic is hyperlinked to related material out on the web. A web page is a life time project which is really interesting to me and hopefully valuable to my students.
First, get to know the people in your Information Technology Training Center. Find someone you can understand and who is people friendly; use that person as a frequent resource; give them credit for helping you. My "person" has been extremely helpful. I go to see her, e-mail her, or call her when I get stuck. Second, use as a resource anyone in your department who knows more than you do. One such person in my department last semester was a student worker. His vast knowledge was astounding, and his helpful attitude was unparalleled. Third, learn HTML with a colleague who is a beginner. My office mate and I have taken the training together and have each made a web page. I couldn't have come this far without her constant help. Fourth, don't be intimidated by someone who is an expert. Remember they were a beginner at some point. Now, go for it! You can do it!!
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