Our “I Have Assistive Technology in my Classroom...How Do I Use it in Math?” project continued last week with our second learning community session. Teachers that are part of this project had the opportunity to explore Geometer’s Sketchpad and learn how they may use the features and tools of this program to support students’ mathematical reasoning skills.
Teachers looked at how to support their students in geometry through a variety of activities. For example, teachers learned how to construct polygons, specifically triangles, and then measure and demonstrate that the interior angles of a triangle always add to 180 degrees.
In addition, teachers learned how they can support their students learning of transformational geometry through performing flips, slides, and turns of polygons.
Finally, teachers had the opportunity to explore the multitude of pre-constructed activities as well as dynamic manipulatives available to use with lessons that involve student exploration of math concepts and problem solving using Geometer’s Sketchpad. Teachers even had time to begin developing a lesson that they could deliver to their students the next day.
By the end of our afternoon together, teachers left feeling confident that they could share what they had learned with their students and that their students would greatly benefit from the tools and features that Geometer’s Sketchpad has to offer. In the coming weeks, several teachers that are part of this project will be engaging in co-planning and co-teaching with members of our team and will be using this program in their lesson. We are looking forward to seeing the results!
