I have been working on assembling links to some good online math games to put on the computers that the students use at Centers time. We already have KidPix, Logo, and a couple of installed math games on the computers. The links will expand the choices.
As I evaluate which games to use, I found an online article that has been helpful. It was posted by NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and discusses math games and how to evaluate the many online games to finds ones that support students’ learning of math concepts in an interactive way. Here is a link to the article, which includes links to some games that they recommend: http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=27612
I follow the Free Technology for Teachers blog which features a wealth of resources for teachers available online. Richard Byrne, who writes the blog, periodically includes math resources, including games, in his post.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Turtle Fun
Catching up on activities from November and December:
One focus was learning about a simple computer programming language called LOGO that was developed at MIT as an educational aid for children. In Logo the cursor is a “turtle” who moves across the screen creating graphics based on the commands given by the children. We learned some basic Logo commands, and students then worked on writing out programs (a series of commands) which they could type into the computer to see the results. This project has generated a good deal of excitement in our group. Initially the students worked in partnerships, helping each other as they learned. Then each student had an opportunity to work on a laptop solo. Logo helps students develop their spatial/geometric sense as well as providing good problem solving experience, as they try to figure out how to make the turtle create the drawings they want.
One focus was learning about a simple computer programming language called LOGO that was developed at MIT as an educational aid for children. In Logo the cursor is a “turtle” who moves across the screen creating graphics based on the commands given by the children. We learned some basic Logo commands, and students then worked on writing out programs (a series of commands) which they could type into the computer to see the results. This project has generated a good deal of excitement in our group. Initially the students worked in partnerships, helping each other as they learned. Then each student had an opportunity to work on a laptop solo. Logo helps students develop their spatial/geometric sense as well as providing good problem solving experience, as they try to figure out how to make the turtle create the drawings they want.
Dreidel Probability
In December we did a probability study with dreidels. We talked about the tops used for the traditional Hanukkah game of dreidel and what we would expect with a fair dreidel. Students said that each of the four sides should have an equal chance of coming up. A few talked about how they want gimel to come up the most. Then we speculated about why one side might come up more than the others. Students thought about how they were made, about whether the letters were painted on or were on the side in relief, and about how the dreidel behaves when it is spun. I shared that to get an accurate picture we needed to have a lot of spins. In our study we compared plastic and wooden dreidels to see if one kind was more consistently fair than the other. Students spun the dreidels in class and at home for homework. Then each student recorded the results in a spreadsheet. Here are our results:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
