Week 2 Reflections

After week 2, I am really feeling comfortable with using TinkerPlots and how to create activities using the program. By sitting in on Professor Roebuck's class, I feel like I have figured out a few of the minor details that I was having with TinkerPlots. One was figuring out how to change the values of the x and y axes and the bin numbers on those axes. I also learned about how I can use the count button along with learning how I can use the Label Key, and also learning how to move and adjust that key on the graph. I also benefited from learning about the differences between categorical and numerical data, and how that affects the color in the data key.
I really feel like observing Professor Roebuck was beneficial to deepening my understanding of how to use TinkerPlots. Completing activities and watching tutorials are very helpful, but seeing things in person and getting in depth explanations of how to do things. This is how I benefited in Professor Roebuck's class because he took his time explaining things, and since it was being taught to students in MATHS 202, it was slow paced enough for me to pick up on things that I may not have otherwise. One thing that I hope that I can communicate to my future students if I do use a program like TinkerPlots is how the program can be applied in a classroom in a more useful way. I did notice that the class was pessimistic when using the program because they did not see the point in why they should use the technology in the classroom. I think this is due to many elementary education majors having a negative view of mathematics, and it is one of their least favorite things to teach in many cases. One thing that is really important for not only elementary education majors, but secondary majors, is the importance of technology in the classroom when using mathematics. Many students struggle with mathematics (including many non-math education majors), and using technology when using mathematics can be a break through for some students who struggle or do not relate to how mathematics is used. Many students benefit so much from calculators and mathematics computer programs, and I think the more educators understand the importance of technology in the classroom, the better things will be.
I also really enjoyed the reading for the week because it showed me examples of how to use Sketchpad in my future classroom. I never thought too much about displaying proofs on mathematical computer programs, and so seeing specific examples of how to do these proofs is very beneficial to myself. I also really liked how it was almost completely student lead because it allows students to learn and benefit from the good and bad things that they do in their specific proofs. So overall I really enjoyed what I learned about this week, and I just hope that I can continue to learn more and more as the weeks go on!

After week 1, I would lie if I said I did not feel somewhat overwhelmed. 8 to 10 hours in one class is a lot with my busy schedule, but I have done my best to complete my work to the best of my ability. I began by going to class and then I emailed Professor Doug Roebuck the next day to find out when I would be able to observe his class to learn more about TinkerPlots. I then went ahead and created my Google document, and also sent in my email address on Blackboard so that everyone can contact me if need be. I took the electronic assessment quiz, which was not too hard based on the knowledge that I gained from taking statistics last semester. I created a powerpoint slide with a picture of myself, and then I completed the week 1 reading, which really helped improve a lot of views that I had on technology. Before I thought of something that may be somewhat inconvenient for me to use in the classroom, but after reading that article I began seeing the use of technology as a necessity to reaching all of the students that I will have in my classroom one day. 

  I then began my search for improving my knowledge of TinkerPlots. Other than using it a few times in MATHS 202, I had no other previous experience with it. So I had a decent understanding of the program. The first thing that I did was watch 30 minutes of tutorials going through different things that TinkerPlots can do when evaluating data. I learned some really important information from those, especially when it came to learning how to insert data into a card from other programs. After completing that, I spent some time opening up Fetch so that I could put my files in my ilocker. I then went through and spent some time working on activities using TinkerPlot. I have found that I understand most information that TinkerPlots displays, and I learned some new things too. I learned how to use the fuse circular and fuse rectangular icons on Tinkerplots, as well as how to use the reference lines to mark certain measures of data such as mean, median and mode. I also learned how to put a key on the graph and how to evaluate that. It was also really important to learn about how to measure categorical and numerical data by looking at the color shades listed in the data information table. The "Cats" activity that I did was the most useful activity that I did because of how indepth it went with using TinkerPlots.

  Because I wanted to try to reach a distinguished level of evaluation this week, I started looking for information on how to learn how to use Geogebra. I watched two tutorials, one in which went through the basics of Geogebra (points, lines, parallels etc.), and after I watched that tutorial I did an activity that I understood fairly well. I then watched a video that showed me how to use Geogebra to make a line that moves on a graph that can be posted on the internet. I never knew how to post something on the internet through a mathematical program like this, but it showed me how to do that in this video by using the export button. I enjoy Geogebra, but it has a little more depth to it then TinkerPlots does. Geogebra requires knowing the syntex if one plans to use advanced knowledge on an activity.

  So after week 1, I feel confident about my abilities to learn how to adjust to new technologies that I will encounter in the future not only as a pre-service educator, but in the near future as an educator. Although I am somewhat stressed about the amount of time that I spent this weekend working on all of this material, I feel better after getting a week under my belt because I DEFINITELY plan on starting earlier on the material next week to make things easier on myself, and also so I can do an even better job on my work. I am also looking forward to getting positive and negative feedback on the material that I have presented so that I can understand what I need to continue doing, and so that I can see what I need to improve on. Overall, I am excited about what I will learn this semester!

Week 1 Reflections