Functions and Equations with GSP Blog Post

I have never used Geometer’s Sketchpad before, so I did not know any of the technology techniques or tools it had to offer. When I first thought of using Geometer’s Sketchpad for functions and equations I was not too sure how we could be able to do that. It makes sense of how to use this technology for geometry based lessons, but not so much algebra based lessons at first. However, after I started following the activity and seeing how they used all the tools in Geometer’s Sketchpad to demonstrate different algebraic techniques it made more sense, and I was very impressed. One of the things I liked the most was using the different sized boxes that represent x^2, y^2, x, y, xy, and 1 to build a unique model for each set of binomials, which helps find what the trinomail is. This makes the introduction of these ideas to students a lot easier for them to wrap their minds around since it is hands-on and more tangible than just multiplying and adding numbers.

I think these techniques can be used best in Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 classes, which would be anywhere from 8th grade to 11th grade. A type of lesson I would use these technologies in these types of classes is learning how to solve one-variable equations. By using the “scale model” with “weights” and “balloons”, you can make this brand new idea more tangible to the students. Sometimes algebraic concepts like “moving” numbers from one side of the equation to the other can be a difficult for students to grasp because it is so foreign to them. However, by using this scale model it will make these concepts more visual for the students. It shows them some techniques you use while balancing and solving an equation, while also being able to see if the equation is staying balanced.