The power and ease of use of the free open-source software GeoGebra is simply incredible! My freshmen and sophomores were in the computer lab today and they created several GeoGebra files to help them with their homework in the future.
They took to the software like a duck takes to water. After a few simple directions, they created the four different forms of a linear equation with sliders to animate the graphs. Several students went even further and created the standard and vertex forms of a parabola with animation. It was quite nice to have all students on task and no discipline or motivation problems.
I’ve uploaded a file used in Geometry called the Varignon Parallelogram; it’s used to show that the midpoints of any 4-sided figure, when connected with straight lines, form a parallelogram.
This is a fully interactive app for you to play with. Just grab a corner of the 4-sided figure (A, B, C, or D) and move it. You’ll notice that other parts of the figure move in response to your changes – this is called dynamic software.
There are two check boxes used to hide or show the diagonals of the original figure. The proof that the inside blue figure is a parallelogram is done in Geometry, so I won’t go over the details here.
One of the other nice features of GeoGebra is the Construction Protocol – it allows the user to see how the original construction was made. If you click on View/Construction Protocol you can see all the steps I used. At the bottom are controls showing you the construction step-by-step in real time.
Click on the following link to bring up the GeoGebra file The Varignon Parallelogram in a new browser window. Depending on your internet connection, it may take a few moments to appear.
You will need Java installed on your computer to run this app; most computers already have this installed. If you need to install Java, visit the Java website to download a copy. It’s free and available for all computers. And if you want more information about GeoGebra, visit the GeoGebra website.
Enjoy the journey, and let me know how you like it. Comments and feedback are always welcome.
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