For the next few entries, I want to focus on Math applications. I'm desperately trying to tear my students away from their textbooks. The ones we have in our class are from the mid-nineties. They still have money questions with pennies and word problems about buying DVDs. At the same time, I think that it's very important that students have the opportunity to practice the math concepts we learn together numerous times to make sure that they're able to internalize the processes. I stumbled upon GeoGebra. It seems to be a collection of smaller programs and activities all under one large umbrella. This might be a good site to have my students explore for me. Give them all one period to try to find a worthwhile activity for the class to try. Have them categorize them into strands. I promise, having students do my research for me is more for them than it is for me. My students love to be the ones to recommend something to the class. They love the opportunity to lead the group...
Wow, I can't believe it, a video game just pulled me in and kept my attention for over 3 hours. If my wife hadn't just come home from work there is no doubt I would still be playing The Witness . The Witness is a beautiful and complex puzzle game that was both meditating and incredibly stimulating. It stands in stark contrast to the violence, gore, flash and mindlessness of a lot of modern video games. The Witness pulled me in and had my mind working, but not racing. It had my attention, but not through explosions or overly complicated storylines. Often times my students ask if they can play video games if their work is finished early, I tend to try to redirect them to different activities like chess if they are in fact completely done every task that I set in front of them. The Witness reminds me of chess. I felt smart after playing it, a very different feeling then what I get from playing Grand Theft Auto. I highly recommend this game! The Witness is available on gaming...