CIESE Top Ten Software List - Clime Connections, fall/Winter 1995

10. Interpreting graphs (Apple II, DOS - Sunburst)

An intriguing little program that attracts teachers and students. The most popular part of this program (Relating Graphs to Events) offers three possible graph candidates for a given event and asks the student to pick the best one. For example, the choose the best graph for a candle burning over time. Though fairly trivial and limited, this piece of software spurred some curriculum integration work. One of my favorite extensions is the Disappearing Mississippi River Problem (inspired by Harold Jacob's wonderful book Mathematics: A Human Endeavor) which has students examine the flaws in Mark Twain's prediction that at some point in time the river will only be 3/4 of a mile long! (A future favorite lesson). They have incorporated lesson plans that borrow from the Janson mathematics program Concepts in Algebra: A Technological Approach that use real world problems and graphs. Some of our teachers are planning to add some of the creative lessons developed by EDC in Tom Snyder's recently released program Graph Action. Another program that looks very exciting that ties in with this idea is Measurement in Motion from Learning in Motion (see their website - http://www.learn.com) There you can actually graph a candle burning brought to the screen through Quicktime movies!

9. Geometry Inventor (Windows, Macintosh - Logal & Sunburst)
One of the now growing list of geometry conjecture software programs. It is mostly used by our middle school teachers because they find it a little easier to use than the Geometer's Sketchpad.

8. Statistics Workshop 1.0 (Macintosh - Sunburst)
This is a set of computer tools for understanding and exploring fundamental concepts of data analysis. It includes four type of plots (histograms, bar charts, box plots, and scatter plots) which can be set up as subplots. What makes this program special is that you can manipulate (1) the regression line by dragging and observing a fit meter and (2) ÒstretchyÓ histograms which allow graphic manipulation of the shape of a distribution. The program is easy to learn and use.

7. MATH EXPLORATION TOOLKIT or MET (DOS only - Eduquest)
An oldie, but goodie. This program is very powerful, extremely versatile and not an easy piece of software to learn. But once mastered, it is excellent for both demonstration and laboratory sessions. It allows you to do a lot of algebraic processing as well as the usual graphing. This is version one point oh. 2.0 never happened. Instead, Eduquest developed something called Toolkit for Interactive Mathematics (TIM) which had a very different design and feel. Though reviews were favorable, none of our MET-using teachers switched. One reason was that TIM was Windows based while MET was DOS and many of the teachers only had DOS. But I doubt the teachers would have switched even if they had windows. The simplicity of MET (which also limits whatÕs possible) outweighed the steep learning curve of TIM. Their reaction to comparable programs like F(G) Scholar and MacNumerics was luke warm at best. They tried them, but kept returning to the old reliable workhorse - MET. (Our focus in the project was on grades 7-10, so there was little interest in higher-end programs like Derive and Mathematica.)

6. Microworlds Math Links (Windows, Macintosh - LCSI)
This is Logo Computer Systems Inc. latest Logo program. In addition to programming the turtle, one can program and create buttons for hypermedia links, make intelligent sliders that control visual effects, create music via an editor, etc.. Math Links includes a set of activities like: polygons, repeating patterns, and transformations. Now there is a version 2.0 in the works. It will include access to QuickTime movies, photo banks, sound clips, etc. Our teachers like the program, but use it only minimally in their classrooms. No time for project development they say.

5. Tabletop (Windows, Macintosh - TERC & Broderbund)
A fascinating data analysis program that uses mobile icons as data points which can be arranged into Venn diagrams as well boxplots, histograms, etc. but no line graphs! It's a great visual show and wows most audiences. Great for turning teachers on to using computers. Some teachers are reluctant to try it in their classroom, because data analysis has not caught on yet in their buildings.

4. Green Globs & Graphing Equations (Apple II, DOS, Macintosh - Sunburst)
Another oldie, but goodie. In a class by itself. The Green Globs game is one of our favorites and has initiated many Great Green Globs Contests. This program has four parts. Part 1 is Equation Plotter in which you can plot most functions and analytic geometry relations on a grid. Part 2 is Linear and Quadratic Graphs in which you are tested on your recognition of standard linear and conic graphs. Part 3 is Green Globs, a game in which the more globs you can hit with equations, the higher the score. Part 4 is another game, but much less popular. And COMING IN DECEMBER - the MACINTOSH version! Contact Sunburst for more information.

3. Algebra (DOS & Macintosh - Broderbund)
One of our teachers' favorites. Algebra is a complete first year algebra course comprising of ten chapters. Each new concept in a chapter is introduced in a tutorial section. Some of the pages are "hot" and offer some interactive explorations and practice problems. Very easy to use. Great for in-service sessions. Teachers immediately see its value in teaching the traditional Algebra curriculum. Broderbund also has an equivalent geometry program which has not caught on with our teachers. Why? Our teachers have a strong commitment to the Geometer's Sketchpad and its open-ended style.

2. Spreadsheets - Clarisworks, Microsoft Works, and the Cruncher! - Davidson & Assoc. (Macintosh & Windows)
Spreadsheets have been a surprise hit in our project. Not only have the teachers been interested in learning to use them, but they have also developed many lessons that they have taught both at the middle and high school levels. In one sense, spreadsheets have become the Geometer's Sketchpad for the pre-algebra and algebra lesson development.

And, now the number one piece of software in our project is:

1. Geometer's Sketchpad (Windows & Macintosh - Key Curriculum Press)
No surprise that this is the favorite program. Our teachers can never get enough of it. Though there is the Cabri program (Texa Instruments) out there, no one here has broken their allegiance to Sketchpad. With version 3 comes some algebraic tools. I'm anxious to see what teachers will do with these new tools.

Other popular software worth mentioning Math Blaster, Math Blaster plus, Math Blaster Mystery, The Factory, How the West was One, Math Shop Series, Geometric Golfer, Math Connections: Algebra I

Despite the fact that I am not enamorate of the Blaster software, I do have to acknowledge their popularity with some of our teachers. They see these programs as a fun way to support their curriculum objectives which include mastery of computational skills and simple problem solving skills. These same teachers do use the other programs as well. We have discovered that for some teachers are just not ready to jump in with both feet and use the more complicated programs. So these more lightweight programs make it easier for them to get more comfortable with teaching with computers.

Your comments and questions are welcome. Post them on the discussion board.... http://mathforum.com/epigone/math.teaching.technology

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