Page 5th Grade Teacher Incorporating Technology to Teach Students Mathematics
Chuck Serventi Utilizes Video Blogs and Podcasting to Help Students of All Ability Levels Excel in the Classroom

PAGE, Ariz. – Jan. 17, 2008 – Classroom stress isn’t a problem faced only by students that have forgotten their homework or neglected to prepare for an exam.  Page, Ariz. 5th grade teacher Chuck Serventi found himself experiencing stress firsthand several years ago while attempting to help students of varying ability and intelligence levels keep up with a challenging mathematics curriculum.

For Serventi, a 2007 Arizona “Teacher of the Year” candidate, peace of mind over the past two years – as well as increased academic success for his students – has come through incorporating digital technology into his teaching methods.  Mathematics help for Serventi’s students is now a mere click away – at any time of the day or night students can review any lesson as well as receive help with daily homework assignments by logging on to Serventi’s video blog and playing the video of any lesson.

Serventi says the incorporation of digital technology has helped him overcome numerous teaching challenges including limited daily instructional time, a classroom full of diverse learners, increased demands to improve test scores based on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and new laws under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to include students of varying abilities.

“I was looking for a way to avoid losing valuable classroom time that was being spent on repetition and reinforcement of previously learned lessons …and save free time spent on additional tutoring to address individual needs…,” Serventi said. “I realized the latest digital technology offers effective tools for engaging today’s students, and that visual tools are the best way to help students retain information.”

Serventi says the easy-to-use technology has helped his students receive “…significantly better grades.”  He adds the technology has also greatly aided parents.

“By viewing the videos of concepts that their children are struggling with,” Serventi explained, “parents have a powerful tool to help them take a more active role in their children’s academic progress…”