Frustrated

Right now I am extremely frustrated with Geometer's Sketchpad. I have been trying for a few days now to create custom tools and still cannot get it right. When trying to create a tool that will make a regular hexagon, all I can get to tool to do is draw a line segment. I thought I followed the directions from the help menu but simply keep coming up with line segments. Ahhhhh!!!! I'm about ready to give up the struggle except making tools would probably be useful in the future. With a full arsenal of tools, I'm sure I would be able do more in sketchpad. Plus, it would probably be something very useful to show my students when they use the program. So for now at least, I guess the battle continues. If it's not settled this afternoon, the situation might escalate into a war!

Vocabulary

I've always felt that mathematics is one part language and one part science. Geometry is no exception to the rule. Vocabulary plays an essential role in geometry. Students can easily get confused if they aren't up-to-date with the vocabulary. Concepts in geometry usually build on previously learned vocabulary. Trying to teach students about 3 space is difficult if they do not first understand the number line and coordinate plane. By using vocabulary at higher level than all students understand, it can make learning extremely difficult for students (as we read in the van Heile text). By using vocabulary at a lower lever than is appropriate, students won't be able to properly discuss geometric topics. Teachers must toe a fine line with making the vocabulary sufficiently challenging yet accessible for all students.

Technology

Technology has become a way of life. People are much less likely to turn to a newspaper to get the days headlines than they are to turn to the internet or TV. We are constantly flooded with information thanks to the technology that is available. Because of this, students are harder to reach the the old tried-and-true ways of teaching mathematics. I will admit, I was the same way in high school. I remember always having to bring my geometry kit with me to class. It included a straight edge, compass, and protractor, among other things. And while I remember being forced to carry it back and forth to my locker, I don't remember actually using it in class. However nine years later, I still remember using geometer's sketchpad to discover what it meant for a graph to have a "hole" and what a limit truly was.

Logo can be just as influential in teaching students about the basics of angles and lines that teachers often take for granted. So often angles are taught as a rotation of a ray from standard position to its terminal position. Because of this, it seems like many students don't really understand angles. And students are able to connect as much with the material because of the techology gap. Logo can give students a chance to test there ideas and get immediate feedback as to whether or not they are correct. Rather than having to wait to get homework or tests back, they can instantly see their mistakes and triumphs. They also get to make mistakes in a very safe environment. There isn't a buzzer or big red checkmark when they make an error. If things don't work out exactly as planned, they can simply start an new sketch and try again. These features make Logo a very useful tool that I hope to employ in my classroom.