The 4th-graders are divided into six teams named after continents. Each team has a Mobi tablet, a hand-held mobile device, which interfaces with a whiteboard in front of the class. On the whiteboard is a pie chart, divided into segments marked with shapes. Each team has been assigned a shape to figure out probability for that shape, then corresponding fractions and percentages. They work in groups, discussing, and marking on their Mobis. The pressure’s on; the work is timed.
After giving students five minutes to work together, teacher Martin Campos unlocks one Mobi at a time so teams can explain and demonstrate their work on the board. The data from each Mobi comes out in a different color, so it’s easy to keep track. “You have five minutes on the board, Team Europe starts,” says Campos.
The team shows that the heart shape had one chance out of 12, a probability of 1/12 or 2/24, and a percentage of 8.3. “Why did you want an equivalent fraction?” asks the teacher. “Show how you got the percentage.”
Team Africa marks a line graph on its Mobi, which shows up on the screen, so the results from each group can be shown. The students mark 0%, 50%, and 100%, with equally spaced lines between. “We put benchmarks on the line so it’s easier to put the shapes in,” explained one student. That led to a rousing debate among classmates. Some thought there should be 12 segments, others 13.
Campos lets each side demonstrate its reasoning. “You have the Mobi to prove or disprove. Can you use the Mobi to illustrate the point?” As students take turns writing on their Mobis, Campos says, “I can see where each of you is going.”
James shows his work on the whiteboard and explains his reasoning. “Is his rationale a possibility, or is it wrong?” the teacher asks the class. “It’s a possibility,” replies a student. “Then ask him a clarifying question,” says the teacher.
After rousing banter, the students come to one conclusion. “I think you both were seeing the same thing, but you were using different words to describe it,” Campos says. “That was an excellent conversation.”
The class breaks for lunch, and Campos is smiling. He’s pleased with the morning session, particularly when it turned into a debate. “The energy level went up,” he said. “The learning doubles and triples.”
Campos got the Mobi tablets for his class at the start of this school year. Now they are integral to student learning experiences. “It’s amazing how adept they’ve become at using the Mobis,” he says of his students. “Their cooperation and discussions with one another have increased. I can’t imagine teaching without the Mobis now.”
