Reflection for Presentations on 4/4

I was impressed with Seth, Heidi, and Stephanie's Manipulation Presentation, mostly in part because they were ready to present, and they showed me something I didn't know. I liked the Explore Learning website in which students can manipulate objects in three dimensional space. This helps them better understand a figure rather than trying to draw it on a flat chalkboard. Their ideas were presented clearly without confusion, and the tools that I was aware of are great tools. For example, Seth explained Geometer's Sketchpad clearly, and someone who did not know what that is would most likely have gotten a good idea about it.

Reflection for Presentations on 4/4/07

I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation on the manipulation websites. I found a lot of resources from the team's Wikki posts as well as their tutorials through the various sites. The team was very knowledgeable on their topic and had a very organized presentation. I could definitely see myself using manipulation devices in my classroom -- especially Geometer's Sketchpad. The team offered some useful tips on how to use the devices as well as how to implement them into the classroom. Since their presentation I have tried out some of the websites on their Wikki post and found them to be very easy to navigate through and have come up with some ideas on how to use them in a lesson.

Reflection on Presentations

The manipulation group did a great job of demonstrating the use of different sites and ways they could be integrated into the classroom. I really liked them because, not only do they have representation of mathematical symbols, as well as pictures and graphs to help students make connections and build understanding. One idea I had was going to the computer lab for manipulations once every other week or so. This will give students a chance for a change of atmosphere, and keep them more engaged. Also, by using the computers sparingly students will be more engaged than if they were being used every day.