Lesley+Sweat

= __**About Me**__ =
 * Hi. My name is Lesley Sweat. I am a senior Secondary Education Mathematics major at Clemson University. I am from Summerville, South Carolina. I am very passionate about teaching and cannot wait to start my career as a teacher. I believe that it is important that all students receive a quality education. In addition, I feel that all students should be given the chance to succeed. **


 * I believe that technology should be implemented in the classroom. Technology is beneficial to the learning process for students. Technology in math helps students see what is actually occurring. Technology in the classroom does need to be monitored. In my classroom, I plan to use the SmartBoard to teach students. I also plan to use calculators to represents graphs and special features, but I do not want my students to become dependent on a calculator. In other words, I do not want my students to use a calculator to multiply 2x2. In all, the process of technology is very beneficial in a math classroom. **


 * In high school, my mathematics teachers used the SmartBoard. The lesson plans that were used on the SmartBoard were interactive and required student interactions. In addition, my teacher also used calculators to show the students graphs. We also used calculators to enter data. In addition, my teacher had a program in which she would poll the class to see what answers the students received for the problem. **


 * I use the computer on a daily basis. I have also used programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Internet websites, GoogleSites, Blogs, SmartBoards, TI calculators, and Casio graphing calculators. In my teaching experiences, I have used the SmartBoard, Casio calculators, and have some experience with Geometer's Sketchpad. In addition, there are various components to the calculator that I have explored through the education department at Clemson. **

=**__Online Assessment Tools__ **=

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[|Math Poll]


 * //Reflection// **
 * a. What are the benefits and challenges for this technology? **
 * This technology is beneficial because it is a quick assessment of knowledge. It also is beneficial because it is a free website. Because it is a website, cell phones or the internet need to be available for all students. This may cause a conflict in the classroom. **


 * b. Would you use this technology in your future class? Why? **
 * I would use this technology in my class because I think that it is a good and easy way to access what the students are learning. In other words, a quick poll will help me see where students stand on certain issues. I also feel that the polls would be a quick way to get data from students. In other words, if you were asking students to conduct an experiment, then you could see the outcomes they reach. **

= __Video Reflection__ = [|Simple Equations]
 * I watched the above video. This video is about solving simple equations. The video walks students through the process of writing simple equations and then solving them. The video is very descriptive and requires students to think about why you are creating an equation. The instruction describes that 7x is the same as x+x+x+x+x+x+x. By doing this, students are able to see the process that is actually occurring when you solve the equation. This video would be beneficial for students who were absent from my class. In addition, this video would be helpful to show the class if I was absent and students need to learn about solving simple equations. **

= __Microsoft Mathematics 4.0__ =


 * I plan to use Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 in my future classroom. I feel that this program will be extremely useful in the classroom. The program will allow students to picture graphs and will also be beneficial to help students solve equations. Complex issues will be presented in clearer ways using this program. The program can be used as an aid in the classroom for instruction. I would use the program to graph equations and find solutions to the equations. It is also a quick way for students to see the process that is used to solve a system of equations. Using the software will help students develop a deeper understanding of the mathematical content. **


 * I would recommend that students use the program as an aid to help them deepen their understanding. I would not recommend this software for simple equation solving. This software will be good for complex material presented in the math class. At home, this software will help students see what they did wrong if they are getting the incorrect answers. In other words, the software will allow students to check the answers to their homework. I would not want students to use this software for every question. Students need to attempt to solve the problem first before using the software to check their solution. In addition, all students do not have access to a graphing calculator. For that reason, this software can be beneficial to those who have access to a computer. **


 * There are many mathematical views that emerge from this software. Students can see what happens graphically to a function. Students can also determine the shape of a graph. In addition, students can see how to solve an equation or system of equations. This software will allow students to see the main concepts. This software can be an aid to the mathematics classroom and will help students develop an understanding of the material. **

=** SmartBoard Math Tools **= [|Slope Intercept Equation]

__** Standards: **__
 * EA-5.1 Carry out a procedure to graph a line when given the equation of the line. **
 * EA-5.2 Analyze the effects of changes in the slope, m, and the y-intercept, b, on the graph y = mx + b. **
 * EA-5.3 Carry out a procedure to graph the line with a given slope and a y-intercept. **


 * The lesson I viewed was on slope-intercept form. In the lesson, students learn that the slope of a line is represented by the variable m and the y-intercept of a line is represented by the variable b. Students also learn that slope-intercept form is y = mx + b. To see what the variables in the equation represented, students were able to play with a tool on the SmartBoard that allowed the slope and the y-intercept to change. From this equation, students are then able to determine the slope of the line and the y-intercept value. Given a graph, students are then taught how to write an equation for a line in slope-intercept form. The lesson teaches students how to write an equation in slope intercept form and also teaches students how to identify the slope and y-intercept from a graph. **


 * Using the SmartBoard for this lesson, made the lesson different than the traditional approach. With the SmartBoard, students are able to visualize what is going on within the graph. With traditional lecture, students are just told that the slope is m and the y-intercept is b. Here, students were given the chance to explore the concept of slope-intercept form. **


 * The tool used in this lesson is quicker than using Math 4.0. This is because you can change the slope of the line by clicking one button. With Math 4.0, you have to enter a new equation every time. With the SmartBoard, instruction will be quicker and students will be able to see how to do things. In Math 4.0, the solution is given to the students, where as with the SmartBoard, students still have to solve the problem on their own. **


 * In this lesson, students may need a good bit of time to explore what is happening to values as the graph is changed. Because of this, it is important to give students the opportunity to explore the relationships between the variables. This problem can be fixed by allowing students the appropriate amount of time to see the changes. In addition, each student does not have a SmartBoard and cannot individually change the values of the slope and the y-intercept. To fix this problem, calculators can also be used to graph various equations at the same time so that students can see the differences. **

=** GeoGebra Reflection **=
 * 1. What do you think about dynamic mathematics environment? Do they contribute to students' learning? How? **
 * I think that GeoGebra is a great program that promotes student learning. I think that this programs allows students to visually see what is occurring during a process. I think that students are able to use this program to arrive at a conjecture and then test the conjecture before being given the formal definition or formula. Overall, I think that dynamic mathematics is beneficial to student learning because it will help them visualize concepts and develop a deeper understanding for the material. **

**2. Compare GeoGebra with GSP regarding your experiences! Be specific with examples, tools, and design features both have!**
 * I like both programs. The more I played with GeoGebra, the better I got at it. From my experiences, I like GSP better than GeoGebra. This is because I feel that GSP is more user friendly. It is also easier to figure out what operations need to be used and how to type them into the program. GeoGebra is a free program which is beneficial. It is also easier to create dynamic text using GSP than GeoGebra. GeoGebra is more beneficial for statistics and graphing. I also like the slider tool that can be added to a GeoGebra applet. In all, I think that both programs are successful and great resources for the classroom. Personally, I prefer GSP because it is easier to use. I also used GSP prior to using GeoGebra. **