Much like calculators increased problem-solving exponentially for businesses, homes and classrooms years ago – interactive technology is taking mathematics to greater heights for today’s generation of math students in Hazelwood high schools.
A software program used in college by advanced algebra teacher Jennifer Baker is now used to make sometimes difficult concepts interesting for her students at Hazelwood West.
“The Geometer’s Sketchpad is meant to be a geometry program, however it has become much more advanced and it can be used all the way through calculus now,” Baker said.
“It has an interactive graphing calculator that is useful in any class from kindergarten through college.”
Students appear eager to take the opportunity to explain and solve problems using the portable SMART Board and interactive screen.
“The kids love it. It is totally student-friendly,” Baker said.
In addition to improved grades, Baker said the hands-on approach, use of a laptop and a projector has real-time practical advantages.
“It shows you the entire calculator and it shows the kids which buttons are being pressed,” Baker explained. “I am pressing the button as it is actually happening.”
The program is connected to the SMART Board and to the Internet. “Anything on the Internet, I can bring it in,” Baker said. “There are not many math classes where you hear kids say, ‘Hey, this is so cool.'”
“Graphing calculators are another educational tool that we have available in all of our high school math classes,” said Cathy French, district math coordinator.
In Michele Odle’s algebra classes at Hazelwood Central, high school students use graphing calculators as visual tools when learning about such things as quadratic equations and to create programs.
“In terms of the classroom, it’s really helpful to visualize the things that we are doing algebraically, to be able to get a picture of that – and it helps to see patterns faster,” Odle said.
“I’m introducing programming in my honors advanced algebra class, and the calculator programming is very similar to programming that you do on a computer, and it introduces a whole new world of careers to these students.”
Using graphing calculators, Odle’s honors students write equations that create images of popular animated characters, which are posted in her classroom. Likenesses of Kermit the Frog, Mickey Mouse, Huey Freeman and Hello Kitty and others are on display. The students downloaded them to computers and printed them out.
Odle described how one student wrote equations to turn his graphing calculator into an entertainment venue.
“One of my kids last year actually wrote a game, and we all played it in class – just from the programming project,” she said.
Eric Dettmer, math department chairman at Hazelwood East High School, said the SMART Board made its way into the classroom a couple of years ago and the graphing calculator is a familiar tool for math students.
“I use graphing calculators extensively in upper level classes,” he said.
Dettmer said math teachers are also taking advantage of United Streaming, provided through Cooperating School Districts.
“That’s an on-demand video system where you can search by subject level, grade level or by Missouri content standards,” Dettmer said. “Teachers can get quizzes, worksheets, articles and things like that.”
