[Maths-Education] review of interactive geometry software

[Dave Hewitt]

Hi Douglas. My feeling is that reactions as to whether something might seem 'magic' (which is a good point to raise) depends upon the way in which the software, or any other resource, is being used as well as, of course, the students themselves. So, for example, for some students the fact that a plot happens at all can appear magic, wheterh slow or fast polot. "How did the computer work out exactly where that line/curve went?" for other students they fel more confident with the process of plotting a function and so their attention is more with accounting for the particular slope/shape adn the plotting itself does not feel at all magical. anyother example, is that I might create a file in sketchpad where a single button triggers a multitude of other (unseen) buttons which results in a 'film' happening. In this case, I, as a teacher, am not so intersted in students being concerned with the software details about how that film was created. Instead I might be interested in them working on some mathematical features which struct them whilst watching the film.

Dave.

Dr Dave Hewitt
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4824
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4865
________________________________
From: Douglas Butler (Argonet) [debutler at argonet.co.uk]
Sent: 13 August 2010 12:08
To: 'Mathematics Education discussion forum'
Cc: j.h.mason at open.ac.uk; 'Kate Mackrell'; d.p.hewitt at bham.ac.uk
Subject: RE: [Maths-Education] review of interactive geometry software


Kate, John and Dave



An interesting thread, and it will be fascinating to read Kate's conclusions.



I know Autograph is not really a DGS system, so not really in this frame, but I would like to explore David's point about action buttons.  He makes a good case for them, but I have never really felt the need. I worry that that some students might see them 'magic', performing operations that they have not been involved in setting up. I can see that it may well be time for a rethink.



The Autograph approach is quite different, expecting the teachers, with full interaction from the students, or the students themselves, to set up each situation from the bottom up, with judicious use of the slow plot and scribble tool.



If anyone reading this would like to see the latest version of Autograph (MAC or PC) just send me an email and I'll set you up. Or have a browse through some items I have done recently for ATM and NCTM:

   www.tsm-resources.com/videos.html<http://www.tsm-resources.com/videos.html>



Good luck with the project, Kate

Douglas



== from Douglas Butler < debutler at argonet.co.uk<mailto:debutler at argonet.co.uk> > ==

Director, iCT TRAINING CENTRE (OUNDLE)

PO Box 46, Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4EJ, UK

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www.tsm-resources.com<http://www.tsm-resources.com>    www.autograph-maths.com<http://www.autograph-maths.com>



-----Original Message-----

From: maths-education-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk [mailto:maths-education-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of John Mason

Sent: 12 August 2010 08:10

To: Mathematics Education discussion forum

Subject: Re: [Maths-Education] review of interactive geometry software



Hi Kate,



I have been using cabri since it started, at least once every two or three days. Recently I have started using Cinderella, because it has a scripting language which enables me to make applets where the Mac version of Cabri is a bit weak.  I haven't used Sketchpad for some time, largely because I found the macro-construction clunky (it has probably

changed) and talking to NickJ in Brazil, it sounds as though Sketchpad is the most innovative and powerful of them all. That said, the macro construction in Cinderella is similar: it decides what is input and what is output; but I am still learning how Cinderella works.



I am like DaveH in that I use DGS for plenary work, displaying a phenomenon and then getting people to make sense of what they have seen.

So I too am using lots of buttons.  I aim to offer images, what Gavrial Salomon called 'supplanted imagery' to enrich people's example spaces.



Cinderella is not nearly as sophisticated as Sketchpad in being able to move to different worksheets. Nevertheless I like being able to access all the objects, as in Geogebra, to change the names and the labels, and so on. Geogebra I use only when I need something for people familiar with it.



I think you definitely should have some demo files like Dave's. I am developing one on eigenvalues but am not yet happy with it.  There is a set of simple ones called Langrange & Tangents on my website (http://mcs.open.ac.uk/jhm3; go to Applets; look under Chordal Studies).



Is this part of the review that Ros Sutherland is involved in?



Cheers



J



On 11/8/10 23:33, Kate Mackrell wrote:

>

> Thanks Dave.

>

> I wonder if perhaps instead of or as well as solving a problem in each

> software I should design and make a pre-prepared file such as Dave

> suggests?

>

> Kate

> On 11-Aug-10, at 6:39 PM, Dave Hewitt wrote:

>

>>

>> Excuse quick response.... I choose Sketchpad originally mainly due to

>> the power of the buttons. The buttons enable me to construct

>> pre-prepared files which are designed to use as a teaching resource,

>> mainly with an interactive whiteboard. I am not sure whether the

>> description I have just written makes it clear enough as to how I

>> tend to use sketchpad as a teacher and so I offer an example attached

>> along with reference to an article which gives a brief indication of

>> how I might use it in a classroom (Hewitt, D. (2007), 'Canonical

>> images', Mathematics Teaching, 205, pp. 6-11.). The fact that you ask

>> the second question you have in your email adds to my sense that few

>> people seem to consider the opportunities sketchpad, in particular,

>> offers as a teaching resource by way of carefully constructed

>> pre-prepared files where the teacher might control what happens with

>> the file initially as part of a whole class interactive engagement

>> with mathematical questions which can lead quite directly towards

>> some desired mathematical content. In the literature I tend to read

>> about students being given a problem/task and using the software as a

>> tool to work on that task. This is, of course, one powerful way of

>> using such software. however, personally I have found it particularly

>> powerful to use sketchpad as a pedagogic tool working with a whole

>> class, and this seems to be rarely discussed in the literature.

>>

>> Hope this makes some sense!

>>

>> In haste,

>>

>> Dave.

>>

>>

>> Dr Dave Hewitt

>> School of Education

>> University of Birmingham

>> Edgbaston

>> Birmingham

>> B15 2TT

>>

>> Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4824

>> Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4865

>> ________________________________________

>> From: maths-education-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk

>> [maths-education-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Kate

>> Mackrell [katemackrell at sympatico.ca]

>> Sent: 11 August 2010 18:02

>> To: maths-education discussion forum

>> Subject: [Maths-Education] review of interactive geometry software

>>

>>

>> I am currently writing a comparative review of Sketchpad/Cabri/

>> Cinderella/Geogebra and would love to hear from anyone on the list

>> concerning:

>>

>> a. their reasons for choosing to use a particular interactive

>> geometry software.  Don't necessarily limit yourself to the ones

>> above - I would possibly be open to including other softwares in the review.

>>

>> b. any geometry/algebra tasks that would provide a useful basis of

>> comparison for the softwares.  I have a number of ideas, but I'm

>> worried that I will automatically choose a task that works best with

>> my own favourite software, which would not be quite fair!

>>

>> Thanks

>>

>> Kate Mackrell<Rotating dot.gsp>