Billy Bug was the first one I played because it was the first one on the list and I enjoyed it myself so I know my students would too. It is a neat way for students to learn their coordinate points and it is interactive which I feel like helps students a lot. Billy Bug 2 I thought the same of and could be used in collaboration with Billy Bug. The teacher could use Billy Bug to teach coordinate points and then when teaching about quadrants she could introduce Billy Bug 2 because the students are already familiar with it. When playing Catch the Fly I enjoyed it as well. I found it to be like Billy Bug 2 in teaching points and quadrants. I did not really enjoy the building blocks game because even I got confused on some of the questions it was asking. I feel like students may have a problem with this but maybe if it is something they have just been introduced to they would be able to do it. Stock the shelves is a neat game I would like to use in my classroom too when teaching about coordinate planes. I found it to be fun as well as educational.
I really enjoyed going through and playing with all of the different applets because I like interactive learning tools that are fun. I advantages of using these computer activities for students are that: students tend to really enjoy them, they are fun, interactive, and usually very helpful in teaching students the content in which you want them to learn. The only disadvantage I could really think of in using these activities is the amount of computers at hand. A lot of schools only have enough computers for all students in their computer labs which are generally occupied with other classes.
For further discussion:
*A fellow teacher says that he cannot start to teach any geometry until the students know all the terms and definitions and that his fifth graders just cannot learn them, what misconceptions about teaching geometry does this teacher hold?
Many teachers believe that to learn materials you need to know all the terms, definitions, and background information before you can teach them a lesson. That is not true. The teacher in this case is wanting his students to do this as well. The misconception he is having here is that students can learn as they go. Many students learn a term better by seeing it first and then being told what it is. For example: the teacher could show the students a picture of a coordinate plane and then tell them that it is a coordinate plane instead of hitting them with a definition and they have no idea what it will even look like. Students learn better when they are not being forced to learn a term or definition but yet have something to relate these words to.
Now that you've had some time to explore the world of geometry, how has your view of the
key ideas of geometry that you want your students to work though changed?
I can not say that my view has necessarily changed when thinking about they key ideas of geometry but I can say that I feel like I even more about the key ideas of geometry than I did before. Through this module I have learned from my own experiences that it is easier for the student when you show them something in relation with a term or definition that just making them memorize words. I also believe that when teaching about shapes it is a good idea to show examples and non-examples. For example: when teaching about what a circle is show students circular objects and non circular objects and have them to classify which one is a circle and which one is not. I am sure as I continue to learn more about geometry that my view will probably change on some things.
I also really liked the games. I liked how there were two verisons of the BIlly Bug game. Once students could just do the first quadrant, we could have them play Billy Bug 2 with all the quadrants. I think interactive computer games like this are good as well so students are doing something fun to learn a math concept. Would you use these games in your classroom? Would you incorporate into a lesson or would you use it as a reward for good behavior?
ReplyDeleteI agree with students learning as they go. I feel like geometry is one of those subjects that you have to learn the definitions as you come across them. It is easier to learn as examples and non-exampels. How would you teach items in geometry like the coordinate plane without just throwing the definition to the students?
I remember being taught examples and nonexamples for geometry once we began talking about it. Do you think you will use this? Do you think it is easier for students to understand shapes if we teach them in this way?
I would definitely use these games in my classroom. I enjoyed playing them at 22 and I am sure my students would as well being in the elementary level. I would incorporate it as a smart board lesson and allow the students different turns to come up and participate in the games. I would show pictures of the different geometrical ideas and then tell students their term and definition. I will definitely use examples and non examples in my classroom. I feel like it allows the student to learn better. I believe it would be much easier for students to learn the shapes in knowing what to look for and what not to look for when teaching them.
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