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**Welcome to the EDF 425 - Fall/2011 Wiki Page ** This wiki page was created to open a resource- and discussion-based forum among Clemson students who registered for EDF 425 course in Fall/2011. The emphasis for this course will be on the recent digital technologies that are beneficial for secondary math classroom applications. You will learn how technology can be utilized to support the instruction of a particular area of mathematics.

Main themes/applications for this course throughout the semester will be:


 * Wikipage
 * Online Assessment Tools
 * Regular and Virtual Graphing Calculator
 * Interactive White Boards
 * GeoGebra
 * Google Sketchup
 * Web Resources

Each of you will have a wiki page in this wikispace. Through these pages, you will upload your assignments for each theme/application. Most assignments will be assigned during the class hour, and you will be expected to complete them during that time*. You will be evaluated according to


 * Your Wiki Pages
 * Smartboard Slides
 * Geogebra Applet
 * Web/Lesson Plan Evaluation
 * Technology-Integrated Lesson Plan**

‍1. Wiki Page
Your wiki page will start with your personal introduction, a professional picture you have. I would like to have your reflection on these three questions as well:


 * 1) //What are your current beliefs concerning the use of technological aids in the teaching of mathematics?//
 * 2) //How did your teachers use technological aids when you were learning mathematics?//
 * 3) //Please give me a brief summary of your experiences using technology – i.e. in what aspects have you used the computer and/or other technology devises? Be sure to include any technology you used in teaching experiences as well as personal experiences.//

For each theme, you will open a heading in your page as you see here. These headings will include your assignments for this course, your reflections on some digital technologies and their instructional use for math classes. There will be a separate page called Unit Plans for your unit plans/lesson plans that are prepared for EDSEC 426 course.



There are several online assessment tools that enhance formative and summative assessment. Poll Everywhere is one of these tools giving teachers an opportunity to assess students' comprehension of a math topic through a real time voting on web-based platform. In this activity, you will create a poll by using Poll Everywhere website, display it on your wiki page, and vote for some polls others created. The activity will be a group work such that you will only vote for polls of people in your group. Each group will consist of 2-3 students. Therefore, after you created your poll, and display it on your web page, the next duty will be to vote for polls of 1-2 students in your group. Finally, you are expected to write reflection on poll everywhere:


 * 1) // What are the benefits and challanges for this technology? //
 * 2) // Would you use this technology in your future class? Why? //

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The composition of media and technology in today’s culture shapes the way we access and process knowledge and how we learn about the world and surrounding issues. Expecting students only read from printed words would not be enough. In this respect, images, videos and audio resources became a major component of today’s classroom. Teachers use prepared images and videos to demonstrate concepts, to visualize a phenomenon or a model and to take students’ interest. The following website links include wide variety of videos that can utilize mathematics instruction:


 * [|Khan Academy]
 * [|Math TV]
 * [|Cosmo Learning]

As the first part of this activity, you are expected to find a video by exploring one of these websites, to watch it, and write a reflection as a wikispace entry on your student page on //whether you would use this video in your classroom, if yes how you would use it during an instruction, if not, why you would not use it//.

Sometimes, finding a proper resource could not meet the needs and objectives of your class you prepare. Accordingly, capturing and editing has to be a part of teachers’ technological knowledge.

As the second part of this activity, you will be familiar with video recording, video capturing and editing. In //groups//, you will make a video interview for five to ten minutes in which you will investigate your friend’s views of mathematics and technology integration in terms of education. After you imported your video to a PC, you will prepare a DVD including this piece.

Microsoft Math is a set of mathematical tools that can help students works done quickly with a deepened understanding. The Free software comes with several tools as graphing calculator, equation solver, triangle solver and a unit conversion tool. It has a known formula and equation library for algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, and geometry. Users can write a quadratic equation, find its roots, follow the steps to learn different strategies to find the roots, graph it and trace a point on this graph to make sense the connection between algebra and its geometrical representation. In other words, the software provides a visual interactivity for users.

You could download the Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 from [|here]. It is free!!!

In this class activity, you will perform some mathematical tasks to be able to familiar with Microsoft Mathematics 4.0, its interface, and experience its advantages as well as possible disadvantages. The end product for this activity will be an new entry (with a new heading called Microsoft Mathematics 4.0) to your wiki page :


 * The Word document for Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 Worksheet
 * The picture of the graph from one of mathematical tasks
 * Aswers to three questions below, one paragraph for each question:


 * 1) //Would you use Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 in your future classroom? If yes, how would you use it? If not, why not?//
 * 2) //Would you recommend your students to use this software at home as a homework supporter? Why or why not?//
 * 3) //What kind of mathematical view(s) emerge(s) 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 perceive mathematics in the light of this software? Explain it.//

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Smart Board is an interactive whiteboard technology that enhances students' participation and their learning in their classroom. The technology comes with several software. The most known software is Smart Notebook Software that enables users to prepare lesson activities that activate learners and enable their enggagement to the instruction. Smart Notebook include lesson activity toolkit and gallery essentials in which you can find activities, multimedia resources, games and quizzes specifically for math classes. Smart Notebook Math Tools are adds-on tools onto Smart Notebook Software that allows teachers and students to make math related operations and activities through measuring, graphing and equation tools.

In this class activity, you will be familiar with Smart Notebook Math Tools through some math examples. For more examples and lesson plans, you might use [|Smart Exchange]website that enables you to upload and download several Smart Notebook Documents according to subject, topic, grade, and standards relevant for your state. As an assignment due for next class meeting (11th of October, 2011), I expect you to browse this website to find a Smart Notebook lesson activity related to your unit for EDSEC 426, explore and review it, and write a reflection onto your wiki page considering some questions. For more information, use the following document.



Secondly, you are expected to prepare a lesson activity and teacher guide sheet due for 25th of October, 2011 as a pair work. Some groups might include three people. Each pair will also present the product briefly for 5-6 minutes during class meeting on 25th of October, 2011. For more information, use the following document.



6. GeoGebra
GeoGebra is a dynamic geometry software which combines computer algebraic systems with dynamic graphing utilities. What is advantageous about GeoGebra is that it is a FREE software. Users find it more user friendly compared to GSP. The new version of GeoGebra, GeoGebra 4.0, has capabilities to graph functions and polynomials, to represent geometrical shapes both algebraicly and on coordinate system, to demonstrate probabilities on normal curve as well as curves for other types of distributions. Availability of spreadsheet also allows users to grapsp concepts in statistics in a better way. To understand and have an experience with GeoGebra, follow the link to download it to your PC or Mac (//Webstart//):

Download GeoGebra

Download the following word document for the class activities on GeoGebra:



Download the following word document for the assignment due next week (11.08.2011). Please submit three GeoGebra files you prepared on BB.



Download the following word document for the class activities 2 on GeoGebra:



Here, you can download two samples for statistics classes: dynamic histogram and box plot.



Download the following word document for the class assignment 2 on GeoGebra:



‍7. Web Resources
The World Wide Web is a content of all formats and standards that might facilitate students’ and teachers’ specific needs. It is not only an information database, but a wide platform for communication and sharing. However, excessive information production without monitoring and evaluation brought about overload of useless resources. In this respect, both teachers and learners need to have guidance while they are searching for or using classroom resources. The following document includes useful websites for secondary math teachers.



In the following attachment, you will find guidelines for web evaluation assignment and a sample:




 * Extension might be given if it is needed!
 * You are supposed to prepare some lesson plans for EDSEC 426 course. One of these lesson plans would be counted as valid for the evaluation in this course if you can integrate a digital technology discussed in this class! In other words, if you already have such a technology-integrated lesson plan for EDSEC 426, this will also be legitimate for this course as well!

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