Alex

To get started, click on your name, go to your page. Explore "Editing" functions by clicking on "Edit" and adding content to your page. Wikis provide some formatting options and a capacity to add multimedia content.


 * REMEMBER TO SAVE often**! You also can cut-and-paste content from Word or a google doc, but you need to be aware that the formatting might need adjustment once you do.

After you have played a bit with the editing function, explore the website or digital tool on your page. Click on your tool link, explore what's it for and how it works, and return to your Wiki page to add details about the tool. Include the following:

1) How it works

This site is fairly simple to use. You simply open the site and click on whichever section you are looking for. One section is titled Lessons, which provides several different lessons on numerous topics that can be used for teaching different subjects in math. One lesson, for example, is titled Birthday Paradox. This lesson allows students to work with and get to know their graphing calculators better in a fun way. The lesson also shows students how by generating random numbers, you can end up with more than one different birthday even though the list isn't long enough to give every possible birthday. Also, there is a game section. This section has a whole bunch of games, some that are fairly simple, and some that may take a reading through of the directions first for a bit of clarification. These math games are designed to help students learn about different topics on a deeper level. One game in particular is about fractions. There are two players. The first player chooses a fraction out of given numbers. Then, player two has to choose a fraction from their given numbers that is either smaller or larger than player one's fraction. If player two is successful in choosing such a fraction, they are given all of the points for that round. If they are unsuccessful, player one is given the points. Finally, if player two's fraction ends up being equal to player one's fraction, the points are split half-and-half between the players.

2) Why you'd use it for student learning

I would use this for student learning for many reasons. First, the lessons are very creative and interesting while still being productive and beneficial to the students to help them learn the content. Also, these games are very fun, but also prompt students to really think about math on a deeper level than some other math games I have encountered on the internet. Not only do the students need to think harder and understand the material a bit more to be successful in these games, but the website actually helps students understand why something is correct or incorrect. For example, on the fraction game i previously mentioned, after player two enters a fraction, a button comes up that says 'show me why', as in show me why this fraction is larger (or smaller, depending on the case) than player one's fraction. This helps both player one and player two understand how to tell which fractions are larger or smaller, so that even if they completely guess and put down two random numbers, they are still learning about fractions.

3) Try to find examples within the site showing how it has been used for teaching and learning. Or, create an example. Add hyperlinks within your Wiki page to help readers of your page explore the features of your website/tool that you found interesting. **Be ready to introduce the site/resource to our class.**

NCTM Illuminations