By Bill Lombard on 12 August, 2009
GeoGebra, the award-winning free software that math teachers are raving about, now has even more neat features: A Spreadsheet – numbers in a different view! Automatic animation – your graphs come to life! Statistics functions and graphs! Matrix and complex number support! . . . and more! Find out about all the details in the [...]
Posted in GeoGebra | Tagged brain food, free software, functions and graphs, GeoGebra, spatial visualization, spreadsheet, visual modeling, Website Resource |
By Bill Lombard on 12 August, 2009
Here’s another computer tool to bring alive 3D geometry in your classes – you may even encourage students to explore a career in design, construction, architecture, or landscaping! You can use Google SketchUp to create, modify and share 3D models. It was designed to be easier to use than other 3D Computer Assisted Design (CAD) [...]
Posted in Website Resource | Tagged 3d geometry, Computer-aided, construction architecture, design construction, geometric figures, geometry, resources for teachers, spatial visualization, visual modeling, visual thinking |
By Bill Lombard on 17 May, 2009
Here’s a neat problem recently under discussion in our school district: “Four kids, each with their own lunch, go on a trip. When it’s time to eat, the four identical-looking lunches are mixed up and the kids randomly choose one. what is the probability that exactly one kid gets his own lunch?” This problem is [...]
Posted in Pedagogy | Tagged intriguing puzzles, logical reasoning skills, marilyn vos savant, monty hall problem, probability, Problem-Solving, visual modeling |
By Bill Lombard on 16 May, 2009
Isosceles Triangles can make a square, as we all know, but here’s a way to do it with seven different size triangles. Measurement, the Pythagorean Theorem, and color make this a nice project for any class, and particularly for a geometry class. The video gives complete directions for the classroom. Pause it at any time [...]
Posted in Mr. L's Videos | Tagged geometry, math video, powerpoint slides, pythagorean theorem, spatial visualization, visual modeling |
By Bill Lombard on 30 March, 2009
Ask people the following problem, and almost all of them will get it wrong: “If a car goes up a hill at 20 m.p.h. and comes down the same hill at 30 m.p.h., what is the average rate of speed for the whole trip?” The “obvious” answer is 25 m.p.h., but that would be wrong. [...]
Posted in Math Activity, Mr. L's Videos | Tagged intriguing puzzles, logical reasoning skills, Problem-Solving, visual modeling |
By Bill Lombard on 29 January, 2009
Friday Afternoon Lifesavers are exactly what they sound like: at the end of the week when you and your students are running out of gas, these activities come to the rescue. They are mathematical, engaging, fun, and give the teacher a much-needed break. Here’s a puzzle that works anytime, but works especially well if your [...]
Posted in Puzzle | Tagged Friday, lifesavers, Puzzle, pythagorean theorem, visual modeling |
By Bill Lombard on 30 December, 2008
This post features a video and some excerpts from the article “Lebanon schools turn algebra into child’s play”, by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian. While most high schools in Oregon and across the nation struggle to get freshmen to pass algebra, one school district is trying something very different. Lebanon, which educates 4,000 students in eight [...]
Posted in Pedagogy, Website Resource | Tagged algebra one, intuitive sense, math classroom, math instruction, mathematical reasoning, numerical reasoning, teaching math, visual modeling |
By Bill Lombard on 27 July, 2008
Edward Tufte wants to “change the way people see,” and he certainly did with this landmark book, which is said to be “pictures of numbers.” He wants data to speak for itself with as little ornamentation as possible. He has a lot to say (and show!) about how teachers can help their students display information. [...]
Posted in Website Resource | Tagged edward tufte, visual modeling |
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