I think technology is very important when teaching children math. There are so many programs out there that will graph lines and measure angles so the students can see similarities quickly without having to graph them all by hand. I just finished working out two of the lessons in Geometer's Sketchpad that I think will benifit many of my students. These lessons allowed students to manipulate lines and look at (and compare) slopes. I am not sure if Geometer's Sketchpad is downloaded on the computers at Wes-Del or not, I am hoping they are. This is the first time I have worked with the program and am so far pleased with what I have seen. Currently I am using a program called "Green Globs" that allows student to graph lines but not move them around or compare slopes.
As far as the other program we are using in MATHS 641, Logo Works, I have not been as impressed. I am not sure how this program will help students understand Geometry. I am hoping that by the end of the semester it will be clear and I will want to use the program more.
Amy
Let me know if your school has a license for Sketchpad and if you can use it with students. I use Green Globs and find it useful as well. We have that program on the machines that we are using, so we might try it out sometime (as an in class activity only). Thank you for keeping an open mind with Logo.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I use a couple of different website for graphing. However, I am not sure that you can move them around like you are talking. The websites are as follows.
ReplyDeletewww.fooplot.com
www.math.com/students/graphing.html
and I use the following for inequalities, especially systems of inequalities.
http://www.ronblond.com/M11/LinProg/index.html