Educational Technology, Elementary Mathematics, Math Software, Uncategorized

Cross Number Puzzles

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We live in a golden age of number puzzles. Sudoku is probably the most famous of all modern-day number puzzles, but there are many Japanese puzzles that are also gaining popularity, such as KenKen and Menseki Meiro. In this post, I'd like to introduce a number puzzle for young learners that predates … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Geometry, Math Software

Enhancing Web Sketchpad

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As a longtime Sketchpad fan, one of the most interesting features of Web Sketchpad (WSP) for me is the way its behavior can be customized. WSP makes it possible to add JavaScript to a web page in order to interact directly with objects in the sketch. For instance, a JavaScript function could use the locations … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Elementary Mathematics, Math Software

Exploring Multiples on a Dynamic Number Grid

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What would it take to build a better number grid for young learners? A typical number grid contains 10 columns with the numbers progressing from 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 and so on, from row to row. We decided to upend this tradition and make a dynamic number grid with Web Sketchpad that allows students to choose … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Geometry, Math Software

Digging Deep Into Varignon’s Theorem

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In the interactive websketch below (and here on its own page), ABCD is an arbitrary quadrilateral whose midpoints form quadrilateral EFGH. Drag any vertex of ABCD. What do you notice about EFGH? The midpoint quadrilateral theorem, attributed to the French mathematician Pierre Varignon, is relatively new in the canon of geometry theorems, dating to 1731. Mathematics educator Chris Pritchard … Continue Reading ››
Conferences, Educational Technology, Geometry, Math Software

Function Dances at NCTM

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At the 2017 NCTM Annual Meeting I was invited to do a short Wednesday-afternoon presentation on Function Dances in the NCTM Networking Lounge. (Here's the handout from the presentation.) The idea of function dances is to get students (or in this case teachers) moving around, acting as the independent and dependent … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Geometry, Math Software

Revisiting the Isosceles Triangle Challenge

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In my last post, I presented a lovely geometry problem from Japan that was ideally suited to a dynamic geometry approach. Below is a new problem whose construction is nearly identical to the original one. The text says, "Five isosceles triangles have their bases on one line, and there are 10 rhombi. One length of the rhombus … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Geometry, Math Software, Uncategorized

A Geometry Challenge from Japan

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Here is a wonderful geometry problem from Japan: The five triangles below are all isosceles. The quadrilaterals are all rhombi. The shaded quadrilateral is a square. What is the area of the square? I wondered at first whether the English translation of the problem was correct because with so many side … Continue Reading ››
Elementary Mathematics, Geometry, Math Software, Professional Development, Uncategorized

Creating Animated Factorization Diagrams

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Last year, I had the pleasure of co-organizing a geometry-focused coaching collaborative led by Metamorphosis, a New York-based organization that offers professional content coaching to transform the mindset and practices of teachers and administrators. I had so much fun that I decided to do it again! My workshop partners were Metamorphosis staffers Toni Cameron, Ariel Dlugasch, … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Geometry

The Varied Paths to Constructing a Square

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The November 2016 issue of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School features the article Leveraging Interactive Geometry Software to Prompt Discussion by Priya V. Prasad. The article focuses on how the use of dynamic geometry technology can encourage students to think abstractly about geometric objects by having them construct those objects from their definitions. For example, … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Elementary Mathematics

Make Your Own Fractions

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In my very first Sine of the Times blog post from January 2012, I wrote about the paucity of fractions that young learners typically encounter in their math classes. While they might construct visual representations of 1/2, 2/3, and 8/12, it's unlikely they'll create models of 7/31, 36/19, or 5/101. That's a shame because without … Continue Reading ››

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