Thanks to GeoGebra (www.geogebra.org), a free multi-platform mathematic software my students are now able to explore a variety of algebraic and geometric concepts through the use of this hands-on technology. I have observed the benefits of using this software in my classrooms as it has enabled students to work through tough problems and reinforce understanding of a variety of mathematical concepts.
The only drawback I noticed as I worked with this software was that it is not as user friendly as Geometer’s Sketchpad and the graphics are not as neat. Yet, the benefits of this free software are numerous and GeoGebra is a great resource to be added into math classrooms.
I don't teach math so I guess I'll never use either software but I'm hoping that the math teacher in my school might be interested in incorporating it into the curriculum. Almost all of the students at my school have a real dislike for math. They have a lot of gaps in their education which obviously makes it nearly impossible to do well due to the sequential nature of math. Having something more hands-on would be really beneficial to them. I've heard of Geometer's Sketchpad before but not the free one. Is it something that students would work on independently on a computer or something the teacher projects or ??? Does it allow students to manipulate objects and variables? Are there any interactive whiteboard features? Thanks for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteSuzanne,
ReplyDeleteAs a semi-recovering math phobe, I can totally relate to trying to find anything to help students understand math better. This program sounds great. As a visual aide, I think allowing the student to manipulate the shapes and have hands-on capability is fantastic. If it also cuts down on manual drawing time, that is great too. It sounds like this program will help all sorts of learners. Perhaps if students feel more comfortable with math their self-esteem will improve and they will feel more comfortable in more challenging subjects. Thanks for sharing this neat tool!