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Mathaholic
Inside this issue:
Use of technology in Mr. Shens
integrated classroom.
Page 1: Geometers Sketchpad, an
appealing graphing software program
Page 2: Khan Academy, an attractive
online self-study website
Geometers Sketchpad: from abstract imagination to visualized figures
Geometers Sketchpad is a user-
friendly computer software
program designed to help users to
learn Euclidean geometry better. I
love this program because it not
only allows students to virtually
draw objects, but also solve some
problems related to geometry. After
creating geometric figures
accurately in this program, students
can have a clearer view of plane
figures as well as solid figures that
are harder to imagine. Starting next
week, grade 11 students in Mr.
Shens math classroom will use the
Geometers Sketchpad program to
C Angle A is a right angle, i.e. = 90
A =
explore the world of trigonometry by
drawing different triangles and then
discover the relationship between
sides and angles in different triangles.
Each student can check out one iPad
that is installed with Geometers
Sketchpad from our library for free so
that they can use this program after
school as well. These iPads are
encrypted, so students cannot
download any games or other
programs that are not related to this
course. Besides iPads, all the
Windows computers and Macs in our
electronic reading room are also
installed with this appealing program.
Some students may have already used
Geometers Sketchpad before, which
is good. Dont worry if students use
this program for the first time because
Ill explain how to use this program in
detail by demonstrating using it in
class. I have strong confidence that
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Fall 2017, Issue 9
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Tips for Parents
It would be great if you could support
students by:
1. Asking students how they feel
about using Geometers Sketchpad
and what they have learned weekly.
2. Using the program to create figures
with students and think of the
measure of angles and sides.
3. Sending email or text message to
me if you have something to share
with me. (My contact information can
be found at the bottom of next page.)
every student in my class can master
using this program and solve
problems correctly after
understanding trigonometry
thoroughly because this program is
attractive enough for my students
who already have experience using
some technology to explore using
different functions. In fact, I keep
learning from my students every year
when they find something interesting
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about this program.
Mathaholic
Khan Academy
At A Glance
1. Online courses: The concepts
explained in the courses are clear.
Students can also learn from the
comments of other people. They can
also ask questions and get help from
online teachers and learners.
2. Practice problems: students can
finish online practice and check the
answer immediately.
3. Mission: Students can set goals for
themselves, review concepts they
have mastered, and practice what
they have not understood.
Khan Academy teaches students in an
encouraging way. For example, if
you do one problem correctly, it will
tell you it is a great work and keep
going. If you make a mistake, you
can try again, get help or move on. If
you correct your answer, it will
always congratulate you.
Topics using Geometers
Sketchpad and Khan Academy
this semester:
1.Trigonometry with right triangles
2.Trigonometry with general triangles
3.Unit circle and trigonometric
functions: sine, cosine and tangent
4.Graphs of trigonometric functions
5.Trigonometric equations and
identities
Mr. Kuan Shen Boston College High School
shenku@bc.edu 150 William T Morrissey Blvd
(617) 817-9207
Fall 2017, Issue 9 2
Khan Academy: Self-study and practice after class
Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org/) is a non-profit knowledge sharing
website that allows anyone to study online courses of different subjects from
kindergarten to college. I regard this website as a good supplement of my
course and will start using it next week in my trigonometry class. To start
with, students need to connect Khan Academy with a Google account or
register for an account, and its totally for free. Then, students can use the
three powerful sections: online courses, practice problems, and missions. In
the online courses session, students can learn and review concepts and
theorems by either reading the words and figures or watching videos made by
professional teachers. After students feel confident in understanding the
concepts, they can start to finish the practice problems session and test
themselves. They can check their answers immediately to see if they
understand everything correctly. If not, they can always go back to the
courses session and learn further. The most useful session in my mind is the
mission session. It helps students to make a plan for their own study and
notifies students through email everyday if they do not finish their target
work. Notably, this studying plan is specific and unique for every individual
student. I believe that students are the main actors of their learning process
and should find appropriate ways of studying with the support of teachers and
parents. So you as parents could also study with learners sometimes, check if
they finish their learning plan every day and help them to find good ways of
learning not only trigonometry, but also other topics and subjects.
Tip: Who is Khan?
Salman Amin Khan is an American educator who
founded the Khan Academy. He is also the founder
of Khan Lab School in California, US. Another
famous people named Khan was Genghis Khan,
also known as the Great Khan. He founded Mongol
Empire and his son Kublai Khan established the
significant Yuan Dynasty in Chinese history around
a thousand years ago. The Khan family believes that
students should learn different subjects. And they
Boston, MA 02125 emphasize the importance of self-study and
integrated development of people. 2
(617) 436-3900