Category Archives: Educational Technology

Common Core, Educational Technology, Math Software

Discovery by Dragging

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A few days ago I led a webinar on the Common Core and Sketchpad for Sketchpad beginners, and I showed four Sketchpad activities aligned with both the Content Standards and the Standards for Mathematical Practice. I mixed it up a bit by showing two … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology, Math Software

Learn to Multiply Like No Bunny’s Business

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It started with an unassuming bunny that hopped along a number line. Jump AlongIn 2011, our team at KCP Technologies released Sketchpad Explorer for the iPad, making it possible for teachers and students to interact with desktop Sketchpad models on their iPads. We were thrilled to bring the iPad’s … Continue Reading ››
Common Core, Educational Technology, Math Software, Uncategorized

What Does Rowing Have to Do with Teaching Mathematics?

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DSC_5782
Harry congratulates a rower after sweeping Yale for his last time.
Harry Parker died this summer, two weeks after coaching the Harvard rowing team to yet another sweep of all four races (varsity, JV, freshmen, and spares) against Yale and two days after accompanying his 1980 Olympic … Continue Reading ››
Common Core, Educational Technology, Geometric Functions, Math Software

Starting with Sketchpad Activities on Day One in High School

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In my previous two posts, I listed some of the new Dynamic Number project activities (for grades 2-5 and grades 5-8) that engage students in manipulating and investigating dynamic mathematical objects from day … Continue Reading ››
Common Core, Educational Technology, Math Software

Starting with Sketchpad Activities on Day One in Grades 5-8

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In the Dynamic Number project, one of our goals has been to create activities in which students actually experience mathematical objects by creating them, manipulating them, and investigating them. (George Lakoff and Rafael Núñez describe, in Where Mathematics Comes From, how students' abstract mathematical concepts are grounded in … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology

Starting with Sketchpad Activities on Day One in Grades 2-5

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As an 18-year veteran teacher in Philadelphia public schools, my initial reaction when I first saw Sketchpad was “This would have completely changed the way I taught geometry.” I phrase it differently today: “This would have completely changed the way students experience mathematics.” a perspective that differs in two important details. First, I now understand that the … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology

Pass the Candy! Sweetening the Study of Probability

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As part of our guest blog series, we bring you another post from Kathryn Shafer. A former middle school and high school math teacher, Kathy is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Ball State University, Indiana. She's done a variety of … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology

Exploring the Law of Large Numbers with TinkerPlots

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As part of our guest blog series, we bring you a post from Kathryn Shafer. A former middle school and high school math teacher, Kathy is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Ball State University, Indiana. She's done a variety of work for Key, including presenting webinars, moderating online courses, and … Continue Reading ››