Archive for WolframAlpha

Summer Projects for Visual and Interactive Math

May 20, 2011 Algebra, Camtasia, education, GeoGebra, GeoGebra, HyperStudio, Interactive Projects, Livescribe, Livescribe, Math Projects, Mathematica, Photoshop, Teaching, TechFriends(Geeks), WolframAlpha 3 comments

Visual Interactive Learning
I have been sitting here staring at my computer for the past week since I got back from an amazing time with a room full of extremely innovative teachers in San Francisco as part of the Livescribe Educational Advisory Board.

I keep staring at it not being able to decide where to start!  I have so many new ideas that I want to implement for the Fall, and now I have even more resourceful people to guide me when I get stuck!

Some of the big ones on my list I have already started working with, but I want to dig deeper and create projects for my students to interact with, and also projects for them to create:

Hyperstudio5 (Roger Wagner will be at ISTE this summer, so that will be fun!)
GeoGebra
Camtasia
Livescribe (new cool stuff coming next week!!)

The newest application I want to learn:

I have been playing with WolframAlpha for the past year, but I recently purchased Mathematica and I am excited to see what I can create with it! My goal is to create visual and interactive materials for Algebra and Geometry.    I will post as soon as I start building!  I am still watching the video tutorials for now.   I want to look further into the following links as well:

Wolfram Research STEM Initiative

Wolfram Faculty Program

Lastly, I NEED to learn Photoshop.   My oldest son currently creates all of my artwork for my projects, but in a few years he will be off to college and won’t be around to help me!

Hopefully between spending time with my family and attending ISTE and HI-TEC this summer, I will be able to dig deeper and create some projects for next Fall using some of these great interactive applications!

 

An Inspirational Teacher

October 21, 2010 online tools, Teaching Online, Technology, WolframAlpha Comments Off on An Inspirational Teacher

I wanted to take a moment and share a little bit about an individual who has been a HUGE inspiration for me on my journey to teaching a more interactive math class that includes technology and making learning fun for students (and teachers!).

(These ‘images’ of Maria are taken from her blog)

Her name is Maria H. Anderson and she writes a wonderful blog called Teaching College Math.

I met her in person last year when she came to my college to give an all day Saturday workshop.  It was incredible!  She inspired me to start writing a blog to share my own resources and ideas.

Maria is a college math instructor at Muskegon Community College (in Michigan). and wears many other hats as well, including CEO of Andersen Algebra Consulting LLC, an educational consulting business, through which she does consulting work for textbook companies, educational software companies, and speaking engagements at conferences and workshops.

She recently wrote Algebra Activities, a 1000-page Instructor resource binder of activities and teaching guides for algebra :

As if she wasn’t REALLY busy already, did I mention she is working on her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership ?!  Truly an amazing and inspirational woman and math professor!

I want to share one of her recent blog posts on WolframAlpha because I really thought it was exceptional:

Shifting Assessment in a World with WolframAlpha

I love using Wolfram Alpha not only for math, but any type of search engine (there is even some humor involved – type in “what is the meaning of life?”).

The next generation is growing up in a world where information is available at the touch of button on their computer, their iPad, and even their smartphone!   There are websites out there that can do anything they need, and answer any math problem they can think of (or that we give them!).  Her article has some great ideas about ways to change the focus of what we want our students to learn in this new technology, and information-rich environment.

Try out WolframAlpha (after reading her article) and see how amazing it is for yourself!

Clip to Evernote

 
 

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