[Maths-Education] review of interactive geometry software

[Kate Mackrell]

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:

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> 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
>
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> 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>