Name of Tech Tool: Illuminations - Pattern Blocks
Brief Description of Tech Tool: From site: "This applet demonstrates ways in which students begin to create a "unit of units" or a grouping that can be repeated, and begin to relate two patterns in a functional relationship. When students create and describe their own patterns, teachers are better able to learn what students are thinking. Using pattern blocks, students might create a pattern like that in figure 4.3." Link to Tech Tool or Tool homepage:
Description of Learning Activity Students will be practicing the "unit of pattern." This tool supports the learning of how some units can contain other units. This idea eventually leads students to understand place value. Students can also be assessed using this tool on their understanding of patterns and predicting what comes next. 1. Learning Activity Types
2. What mathematics is being learned? NCTM Standards
3. How is the mathematics represented? The type of representation is symbolic and virtual manipulative. This representation links to algebraic understanding of patterning and when linked to numbers can lead to the understanding of place value, odd/even, repetitive numbering, etc. This tool does not allow students to just place random blocks like the wooden manipulative. This can be helpful for students who have not yet grasped the concept. 4. What role does technology play?
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Name & Link to Tech Tool or Tool homepage: Turtle Pond
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=3534 Description of Learning Activity Students are able to plan the path of a turtle to get to a pond using a coordinate grid and angle directions. Students must use knowledge of degrees, direction, distance, and location on coordinate grids. For those using Investigations, this is similar to the angle game used in both Unit 5 and Unit 8. 1. Learning Activity Types
2. What mathematics is being learned? This tool is can be used to help students practice spatial relationships on graphs and how angles change the position and direction of a moving object. NCTM Standards
Proficiency Strands (Amiie Muscoe)
3. How is the mathematics represented? This tool uses visual graphics to help students practice manipulating different graphing and geometric tools to help the turtle reach the pond. Students also practice reasoning and problem skills. 4. What role does technology play? This technology helps students practice graphing skills while being able to reset, add and subtract directions, and change difficulty by adding obstructions. 5. How does the technology fit or interact with the social context of learning? This tool can be used alone or students could work together in small groups or on a smart board for whole group instruction. 6. What do teachers and learners need to know? This site is pretty simple to use and the only knowledge needed is for students to have a basic understanding of how coordinate grids work and be able to learn from the experience to make connections between degree angles and direction/location of an object. |