I often use Desmos.com to deliver instruction to my students. This platform really takes the teaching out of my hands and puts it in the hands of the software. Using Desmos, students can explore ideas that are graphical in nature by hypothesizing ideas and testing them using the platform. I will provide an activity my team and I have created to teach equations and graphs of circles that I have used in my classroom as evidence. In the activity, students explore how to write equations for circles by examining the relationship between graphs of circles and their accompanying equations. Throughout the activity, students must articulate their findings to make conclusions about the properties of circles and their equations. At the end of the lesson, students apply their newfound knowledge of equations for circles to create their own artwork. From start to finish, I can see their responses and provide feedback immediately in class. Another benefit of Desmos is that students can learn at their own pace, and I can spend more time with students who need my help.
How does this address the standard?
Element D:Using Desmos.com integrates technology thoughtfully in my classroom, allowing students to learn at their own pace and create something relevant to them at the end of the assignment.
Element E:The activity requires students to develop knowledge, rather than consume it through traditional teaching methods. This is evidence that my instruction is planned for critical thinking and problem solving.
Element G:The feedback that I provide to students as they work on the activity demonstrates my high expectations for their ability to communicate their mathematical ideas using effective language.
I would encourage anybody viewing this to try out the activity to get the experience from the student's perspective, but here are some screenshots of the activity.
I would encourage anybody viewing this to try out the activity to get the experience from the student's perspective, but here are some screenshots of the activity.
Here are some student EXAMPles of creating their own designs following the activity