What electronic tools are appropriate for the first two weeks in a trigonometry class?
The tools the teacher chooses for the classroom should result in an increase in student skills, both summative and formative. Consequently, the term "technical toolbox" may mean one thing to the teacher and another to the student. This page uses various tools to teach trigonometry to K-12 students, without listing the goals and objectives for a math course.
One desired outcome is that the student will have increased their skills and tools, including the non-math skills, in order to create items that can be installed or assembled into a greater product.
Two units of instruction is approximately two weeks. The "electronic drop box" for homework can be Blackboard, Moodle, or some other document exchange system. Each week of the class, or topic, is a separate page or unit on the electronic site. Links to the separate pages should be included in order on the main page. Students can work at their own pace, as long as their own pace is within the pace that the teacher sets for the class.
Although some teachers teach from memory or from their own body of work, trigonometry usually uses a textbook of some type, in addition to supplemental documents, presentations that are only available online, and in-person lectures. Vocabulary from the first 4-5 chapters of the text (or the Washington State K-12 Mathematics Learning Standards for the grade) is a requirement. When a textbook is not available, a Web site like quia.com can be used to provide student activities. Random quizzes, tests, and games can draw upon a data base of acronyms, formulas, terms, and definitions. This makes the math toolbox into a bridge between the textbook and the lecture. Students hear, read and explore the subject matter in a manner that supports several learning styles.
Hello and Welcome! Let us ensure we have all the technical resources to complete the class. After we introduce ourselves, we will begin to study sines, cosines, and pi. Although we will begin to share via electronic resources, the first week is primarily e-mail. Click on the link for the Mathematics Technical Toolbox Week 1.
This week we will continue studying sines, cosines, and pi. Click on the link for the Mathematics Technical Toolbox Week 2.
Week 2 includes the opportunity for the class to discuss their findings by using a blog. The link to the blog is the Week 2 blog.