Lindsay+Senn

Welcome to Lindsay Senn's Homepage

__About me__
Hi! I am a double major in Secondary Education: Math and Mathematical Sciences. I am a senior Studying at Clemson University. My hometown is Rock Hill, South Carolina. After Graduation I plan on moving back home and finding a jog as a high school math teacher.

I believe that it is extremely important to use technology in the classroom to aid in mathematics learning. The world around us is getting more technologically advanced everyday, and each student should be equipped with the skills to succeed in a technologically advanced society. What better way to do this than by incorporating it into the classroom. It is an important tool to help students visually see the math the is happening. For example to use of a projected graphing calculator screen to shop visually how an equation is effected when you change the constants in front of the variables. I believe that technology is something that is underutilized in the school system and it must be changed.

When I was in math classed we used graphing calculators on a regular bases, we also sometimes used the tv to watch videos. We were not privileged enough to see lessons done using the smartboard.

I have learned to use Excel to be able to graph things as well as calculate large amounts of information. I am very familiar with using the Casio calculator to be able to graph equations as well as write programs. I have created a smartboard lesson in the past as well as used it to teach. I am familiar with geometer sketchpad and I am excited to be able to incorporate that into a lesson. In teaching experiences I have used tablets to project my writing onto the board as well.

** __Online Assessment Tool__ ** === media type="custom" key="10374406" width="120" height="120" align="center"

[|PollEverywhere] ===


 * What are the benefits and challenges for this technology? I believe that this requires students to have computers that they can access to be able to vote on the poll. I do think that it is a good tool but believe that there are much easier ways to poll answers. It is a good way for teachers to see if students have an understanding of the content.
 * Would you use this technology in your future classroom? Why? It would be helpful however to see other polls that professionals are doing to show reserach on a certain topic. Also It would be a good way for students to collect data of classmates to have data for a project. Maybe a project involing mean median mode and graphs. This would be an easy way that would not require class time.

** __Video Recording__ ** []

I believe that videos can be a very useful tool in the classroom. It may help students visually see how to solve a problem in several different methods as well as you can draw from experts on how to explain difficult topics. It aslo adds an element of excitment to the classroom when you use a video. The video I watched on slope was very informative as well as helped with the instruction of slope. This can be used as a tool for students who need extra help with a certain topic. They can find videos and get tutoring from the videos when they feel behind or lost in the material.

**__ Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 __**


 * Would you use the Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 in your future classroom? if yes, how would you use it? If not, whey not? I do believe that this program would be great to have in the classroom. It is an easy way to solve equations and see the many different approaches explained in a very detailed way. It also is easier to understand than a graphing calculator, so all students would be able to understand how to use this program to see a picture of the graph. This program would also be great when creating notes on processes instead of creating it from scratch myself.
 * Would you recomment your students to use this software at home as a homework supporter? Why or why not? This would be a great tool for students to use when doing their homework. They can plug in the questions and have the answer explained in detail. The only draw back to this is that students can just type in the question and get the answer and copy it down without really understanding the math. If it is used appropriately it can be a great tool for math homework.
 * What kind of mathematical views emerges from the Microsoft Mathematics 4.0? Assume that you are a high school student and you use this software at home or during some of your mathematics classes with the guidance of your teacher. How would you view or percieve mathematics in the light of this software? I believe that through independent exploration of this technology students would find interest in the math being used. Students would want to take ownership of their learning and be motivated to explore and make conjectures that would deepen their knowledge in the math content.

**__ Smart Exchange __** [|smart exchange lesson]

The Understanding Slope lesson that I chose from smart exchange is an Algebra 1 lesson for 9th graders with the state standard MA. 9-2 EA 5.7: apply concept of slope as a rate of change to solve problems. This lesson discusses types of slopes, how to find slope using a graph, as well as graphing slopes. It includes many fun features such as the pull tabs and the notes tab to hide information. Also it has unique pictures that add a fun element to the lesson. Included are teacher notes which gives helpful hints to teachers using the lesson. This is a great way to learn slope that will interest students. I traditional lecture would not be interactive like this lesson is designed to be. This lesson has students drawing on the smartboard and interacting with the problem. This lesson is different from math 4.0 because 4.0 seemed to have more mathematics included and smart lessons is more of a tool to how you present your information. 4.0 gives the explainations and in depth discritptions of the math behind the problems. The problem with these lessons are making sure the it is compatiable with all smartboards and will work in all of the schools. I can also see that some students might feel that this lesson is a little childish for high schoolers. Involving math 4.0 with this smart lesson might be helpful in teaching this lesson to students.

**__ Geogebra Reflection __**
 * What do you think about dynamic mathematics environment? Do they contribute to students' learning? How? I believe that the Geogebra software is a great tool to for students to use to explore the math content. It gives students a chance to visualize what is happening, and it is a fun way for students to be involved in their learning. It helps students make important connections among material that can not be easily taught in the traditional manner of teaching.
 * Compare GeoGebra with GSP regarding your experiences! Be specific with examples, tools, and design features both have!Both softwares can be very beneficial in the classroom. I however personally like GSP better. It was more user friendly and easy to pick up on how to use the tools. No explanation was needed to navigate through the program. Geogebra has a slight learning curve. It took me a good hour to play with the tools before I felt comfortable using the program. I do think that this software is more available since it is free and can be found almost anywhere on the internet.