The lesson I chose was on classifying triangles, according to their sides and angles. When I saw this lesson, I knew using an online activity sheet was not doing it justice. Right away, I got the idea to use Geometer's Sketchpad, which would benefit the students’ learning greatly. They would be able to create different triangles, measure their sides and angles, and then describe them according to the properties.
The goals of the lesson aligned with the strategies, and technology, but the lesson needed more excitement. The students simply worked on a worksheet and then discussed their foundings, after which the teacher demonstrated the different triangles in the online activity sheet. The students do not gain anything from a lesson like that. They would walk away, not knowing why or what they have just learned. Incorporating the Geometer’s Sketchpad, gives the students a more hands on activity, where they will learn by discovering on their own.
I believe this particular technology is very beneficial to the students. They will learn how to construct certain triangles by using circles. For example, a circle holds the key to building a triangle that stays isosceles no matter how you drag it. Constructing an equilateral triangle is similar to constructing an isosceles triangle, but two circles are used instead of one. In addition, they can draw any triangle by simply connecting three segments and adjusting the measures. Students are also able to change the color and appearance of the objects that make up the triangles such as, points, segments, and polygon, and label them.
Spreadsheet
Hi Anita, I really like your addition of using the Geometer's Sketchpad in the lesson plan. Having used it before, I know how convenient it is to allow students to visualize shapes and perform various manipulations on them. It also takes away the many inaccuracies that can be found when constructing triangles by hand. The measurements of angles are done automatically for the student and if it is able to be hooked up to a smart board, it will be even more beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea about using Geometer's Sketchpad (as did Ariel). It is a great program that allows the students to visualize the different shapes and the attributes of each shape. It helps students understand how to construct the different lines, shapes, and the angles involved. Students need this hands on approach so they leave the class learning something and not wondering what they learned.
ReplyDeleteJust like Ariel and Anthony, I also agree with your addition of Geometer's Sketchpad to this lesson. I used the same lesson plan in my interactivity, and thought that the use of the worksheet was inferior to using an interactive piece of technology like Geometer's Sketchpad. Worksheets in math classes tend to be used by teachers too often in my opinion, when other ways to teach the content can make math much more fun and hands on. By using Geometer's Sketchpad, the students can get a much clearer grasp on geometric theorems, rules, etc.
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