Digital technologies for learning mathematics

Spreadsheet algebra is a very powerful tool that can be used to teach algebra to students of all abilities and all ages. The major reasons for this are: It is a genuine example of how algebra is used in the outside the mathematics classroom It reinforces the concept of a variable It reduces the likelihood of numerical errors obscuring the underlying mathematics It emphasises the importance of correct syntax Many students do not see the ‘point’ of algebra. However, they are aware that they may need to use a spreadsheet after they’ve left school and entered employment and so may be more willing to learn mathematics in format that they perceive as more relevant. Many students do not fully understand the concept of a variable. The use of x as the unknown is alien to many students and can produce misunderstandings. This is not helped by the fact that many students’ first experience of algebra is to solve equations. The result is that they see x as an unknown quantity whose value shoul

I’ve been playing with the Euclid iPhone app this week.  It’s a fantastic app and very addictive.  The basic idea is to turn the process of ruler and compass geometric constructions into a game.  You start with some basic constructions, such as midpoint, and as you progress you get set more difficult ones, such as square roots. The progressive levels of difficulty, as you would expect with a game, works really well and contributes to a sense of achievement when levels are completed!  A particularly nice feature is, as you would expect for something based on Euclid’s Elements, is that when you have completed some of the constructions, such as perpendicular bisector, this then gets added as a tool you can use. It’s really pleasing to see maths envisaged in a puzzle game format in this way – I’ve certainly learned some geometry from playing it – and would be interesting to know if any teachers have used this with students.  The app can be downloaded from:  http://itunes.apple.com/gb/a