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  • Number
    • Arithmetic >
      • The Four Operations >
        • The Four Operations (QQI)
        • The Four Operations (10QQI)
        • The Four Operations (QQI Count Down)
        • The Four Operations (QQI Relay)
        • The Four Operations (QQI BINGO)
        • The Four Operations (QQI Worksheets)
        • The Four Operations (Video)
        • Timestables Square (QQI)
        • Grid Multiplication (QQI)
      • Missing Numbers >
        • Missing Numbers (QQI)
        • Missing Numbers (10QQI)
        • Missing Numbers (QQI Count Down)
        • Missing Numbers (QQI Relay)
        • Missing Numbers (QQI BINGO)
        • Missing Numbers (QQI Worksheets)
      • Order of Operations >
        • Order of Operations (QQI)
        • Order of Operations (10QQI)
        • Order of Operations (QQI Count Down)
        • Order of Operations (QQI Relay)
        • Order of Operations (QQI BINGO)
        • Order of Operations (QQI Worksheets)
      • Powers of Ten >
        • Powers of Ten (QQI)
        • Powers of Ten (10QQI)
        • Powers of Ten (QQI Count Down)
        • Powers of Ten (QQI Relay)
        • Powers of Ten (QQI BINGO)
        • Powers of Ten (QQI Worksheets)
      • Decimal Operations >
        • Decimal Operations (QQI)
        • Decimal Operations (10QQI)
        • Decimal Operations (QQI Count Down)
        • Decimal Operations (QQI Relay)
        • Decimal Operations (QQI BINGO)
        • Decimal Operations (QQI Worksheets)
      • Rounding >
        • Rounding (QQI)
        • Rounding (10QQI)
        • Rounding (QQI Count Down)
        • Rounding (QQI Relay)
        • Rounding (QQI BINGO)
        • Rounding (QQI Worksheets)
      • Products and Sums (QQI)
      • Products and Sums (10QQI)
    • Fractions >
      • Cancelling Fractions >
        • Cancelling Fractions (QQI)
        • Cancelling Fractions (10QQI)
        • Cancelling Fractions (QQI Count Down)
        • Cancelling Fractions (QQI Relay)
        • Cancelling Fractions (QQI BINGO)
        • Cancelling Fractions (QQI Worksheets)
      • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions >
        • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions (QQI)
        • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions (10QQI)
        • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions (QQI Count Down)
        • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions (QQI Relay)
        • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions (QQI BINGO)
        • Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions (QQI Worksheets)
      • Fractions of Amounts >
        • Fractions of Amounts (QQI)
        • Fractions of Amounts (10QQI)
        • Fractions of Amounts (QQI Count Down)
        • Fractions of Amounts (QQI Relay)
        • Fractions of Amounts (QQI BINGO)
        • Fractions of Amounts (QQI Worksheets)
      • Fraction Arithmetic >
        • Fraction Arithmetic (QQI)
        • Fraction Arithmetic (10QQI)
        • Fraction Arithmetic (QQI Count Down)
        • Fraction Arithmetic (QQI Relay)
        • Fraction Arithmetic (QQI BINGO)
        • Fraction Arithmetic (QQI Worksheets)
    • FDP >
      • Fraction Decimal Conversions Drill
    • Percentages >
      • Percentages of Amounts >
        • Percentages of Amounts (QQI)
        • Percentages of Amounts (10QQI)
        • Percentages of Amounts (QQI Count Down)
        • Percentages of Amounts (QQI Relay)
        • Percentages of Amounts (QQI BINGO)
        • Percentages of Amounts (QQI Worksheets)
        • Percentage of Amounts (Video)
      • Writing Numbers as a Percentage >
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (QQI)
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (10QQI)
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (QQI Count Down)
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (QQI Relay)
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (QQI BINGO)
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (QQI Worksheets)
        • Writing Numbers as a Percentage (Video)
      • Percentage Change >
        • Percentage Change (QQI)
        • Percentage Change (10QQI)
        • Percentage Change (QQI Count Down)
        • Percentage Change (QQI Relay)
        • Percentage Change (QQI Worksheets)
        • Percentage Change (Video)
      • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage >
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (QQI)
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (10QQI)
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (QQI Count Down)
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (QQI Relay)
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (QQI BINGO)
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (QQI Worksheets)
        • Increase and Decrease by a Percentage (Video)
      • Compound Interest and Simple Interest >
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (QQI)
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (10QQI)
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (QQI Count Down)
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (QQI Relay)
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (QQI BINGO)
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (QQI Worksheets)
        • Compound Interest and Simple Interest (Video)
      • Overall Percentage Change >
        • Overall Percentage Change (QQI)
        • Overall Percentage Change (10QQI)
        • Overall Percentage Change (QQI Count Down)
        • Overall Percentage Change (QQI Relay)
        • Overall Percentage Change (QQI BINGO)
        • Overall Percentage Change (QQI Worksheets)
      • Reverse Percentages >
        • Reverse Percentages (QQI)
        • Reverse Percentages (10QQI)
        • Reverse Percentages (QQI Count Down)
        • Reverse Percentages (QQI Relay)
        • Reverse Percentages (QQI BINGO)
        • Reverse Percentages (QQI Worksheets)
        • Reverse Percentages (Video)
      • Mixed Percentages >
        • Mixed Percentages (QQI)
        • Mixed Percentages (10QQI)
        • Mixed Percentages (QQI Count Down)
        • Mixed Percentages (QQI Relay)
        • Mixed Percentages (QQI BINGO)
        • Mixed Percentages (QQI Worksheets)
    • Factors and Multiples >
      • Number Properties (QQI)
      • Product of Primes >
        • Product of Primes (QQI)
        • Product of Primes (10QQI)
        • Product of Primes (QQI Count Down)
        • Product of Primes (QQI Relay)
        • Product of Primes (QQI BINGO)
        • Product of Primes (QQI Worksheets)
      • HCF and LCM >
        • HCF and LCM (QQI)
        • HCF and LCM (10QQI)
        • HCF and LCM (QQI Count Down)
        • HCF and LCM (QQI Relay)
        • HCF and LCM (QQI BINGO)
        • HCF and LCM (QQI Worksheets)
        • HCF and LCM (Video)
      • 100 Square Multiples (QQI)
      • 100 Square Types of Numbers (QQI)
    • Standard Form >
      • Standard Form Conversions >
        • Standard Form Conversions (QQI)
        • Standard Form Conversions (10QQI)
        • Standard Form Conversions (QQI Count Down)
        • Standard Form Conversions (QQI Relay)
        • Standard Form Conversions (QQI BINGO)
        • Standard Form Conversions 2 (QQI BINGO)
        • Standard Form Conversions (QQI Worksheets)
      • Standard Form Arithmetic >
        • Standard Form Arithmetic (QQI)
        • Standard Form Arithmetic (10QQI)
        • Standard Form Arithmetic (QQI Count Down)
        • Standard Form Arithmetic (QQI Relay)
        • Standard Form Arithmetic (QQI BINGO)
        • Standard Form Arithmetic (QQI Worksheets)
    • Ratio and Proportion >
      • Ratio (Video)
    • Surds >
      • Surds Activities >
        • Surds (QQI)
        • Surds (10QQI)
        • Surds (QQI Count Down)
        • Surds (QQI Relay)
        • Surds (QQI BINGO)
        • Surds (QQI Worksheets)
  • Algebra
    • Algebraic Manipulation >
      • Collecting Like Terms >
        • Collecting Like Terms (QQI)
        • Collecting Like Terms (10QQI)
        • Collecting Like Terms (QQI Count Down)
        • Collecting Like Terms (QQI Relay)
        • Collecting Like Terms (QQI BINGO)
        • Collecting Like Terms (QQI Worksheets)
      • Expanding Single Brackets >
        • Expanding Single Brackets (QQI)
        • Expanding Single Brackets (10QQI)
        • Expanding Single Brackets (QQI Count Down)
        • Expanding Single Brackets (QQI Relay)
        • Expanding Single Brackets (QQI BINGO)
        • Expanding Single Brackets (QQI Worksheets)
      • Factorising >
        • Factorising (QQI)
        • Factorising (10QQI)
        • Factorising (QQI Count Down)
        • Factorising (QQI Relay)
        • Factorising (QQI BINGO)
        • Factorising (QQI Worksheets)
      • Expanding Quadratic Brackets >
        • Expanding Quadratic Brackets (QQI)
        • Expanding Quadratic Brackets (10QQI)
        • Expanding Quadratic Brackets (QQI Count Down)
        • Expanding Quadratic Brackets (QQI Relay)
        • Expanding Quadratic Brackets (QQI BINGO)
        • Expanding Quadratic Brackets (QQI Worksheets)
      • Factorising Quadratics >
        • Factorising Quadratics (QQI)
        • Factorising Quadratics (10QQI)
        • Factorising Quadratics (QQI Count Down)
        • Factorising Quadratics (QQI Relay)
        • Factorising Quadratics (QQI BINGO)
        • Factorising Quadratics (QQI Worksheets)
        • Factorising Quadratic Expressions (Video)
        • Factorising Four Term Expressions (Video)
      • Indices >
        • Indices (QQI)
        • Indices (10QQI)
        • Indices (QQI Count Down)
        • Indices (QQI Relay)
        • Indices (QQI BINGO)
        • Indices (QQI Worksheets)
      • Completing the Square >
        • Completing the Square (QQI)
        • Completing the Square (10QQI)
        • Completing the Square (QQI Count Down)
        • Completing the Square (QQI Relay)
        • Completing the Square (QQI BINGO)
        • Completing the Square 2 (QQI BINGO)
        • Completing the Square (QQI Worksheets)
      • Algebraic Fractions >
        • Simplifying Algebraic Fractions (Video)
        • Adding and Subtracting Algebraic Fractions (Video)
        • Multiplying and Dividing Algebraic Fractions (Video)
    • Coordinates >
      • Coordinates (GGB)
      • Coordinate Battleship First Quadrant (GGB)
      • Coordinate Battleship All Four Quadrants (GGB)
      • 3D Coordinates (AGG)
    • Equations >
      • Linear Equations >
        • Solving Linear Equations >
          • Solving Linear Equations (QQI)
          • Solving Linear Equations (10QQI)
          • Solving Linear Equations (QQI Count Down)
          • Solving Linear Equations (QQI Relay)
          • Solving Linear Equations (QQI BINGO)
          • Solving Linear Equations (QQI Worksheets)
        • Solving Equations with Algebraic Fractions (Video)
      • Quadratic Equations >
        • Solving Quadratic Equations >
          • Solving Quadratic Equations (QQI)
          • Solving Quadratic Equations (10QQI)
          • Solving Quadratic Equations (QQI Count Down)
          • Solving Quadratic Equations (QQI Relay)
          • Solving Quadratic Equations (QQI BINGO)
          • Solving Quadratic Equations (QQI Worksheets)
        • Solving Quadratic Equations by Factorising (Video)
        • The Quadratic Formula (Video)
        • Problems Involving Quadratic Equations (Video)
      • Simultaneous Equations >
        • Solving Simultaneous Equations >
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (QQI)
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (10QQI)
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (QQI Count Down)
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (QQI Relay)
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (QQI Relay Fixed)
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (QQI BINGO)
          • Solving Simultaneous Equations (QQI Worksheets)
        • Solving Simultaneous Equations Graphically (Video)
        • Simultaneous Equations by Substitution (Video)
        • Simultaneous Equations by Elimination (Video)
        • Simultaneous Equations - One Non-Linear (Video)
    • Sequences >
      • Sequences Activity (QQI)
      • Sequences Activities >
        • Sequences (QQI)
        • Sequences (10QQI)
        • Sequences (QQI Count Down)
        • Sequences (QQI Relay)
        • Sequences (QQI BINGO)
        • Sequences (QQI Worksheets)
      • Generating Sequences (Video)
      • General Term for Linear Sequences (Video)
      • Simple Quadratic Sequences (Video)
      • General Term for Quadratic Sequences (Video)
      • General Term for Cubic Sequences (Video)
      • Geometric Sequences (Video)
      • Common Differences (QQI)
    • Graphs >
      • Straight Line Graphs >
        • Drawing Straight Line Graphs (GGB)
        • Gradient of a Line (GGB)
        • Gradient of a Line 2 (GGB)
        • Parallel Lines (GGB)
        • Perpendicular Lines (GGB)
        • y = mx + c Activity (GGB)
        • Battleships 1 (AGG)
        • Battleships 2 (AGG)
        • Battleships 3 (AGG)
        • Find the Lines 1 (AGG)
        • Regions in Graphs (Video)
      • Non-Linear Graphs >
        • Drawing Curves (GGB)
        • Quadratic Graphs Activity (GGB)
        • Finding Quadratic Functions (Video)
      • Graphs with a Casio GDC (Video)
    • Graph Transformations >
      • Graph Transformations 1 (GGB)
      • Graph Transformations 2 (GGB)
      • Graph Transformations 3 (GGB)
      • Graph Transformations 4 (GGB)
      • Graph Transformations 5 (GGB)
      • Graph Transformations 6 (GGB)
    • Functions >
      • Functions Introductions (Video)
      • Function Graphs and Important Points (Video)
      • Solving Unfamiliar Equations Using Functions (Video)
      • Function Notation Revision (Video)
      • Composite Functions (Video)
      • Inverse Functions (Video)
  • Shape
    • Symmetry >
      • Reflection Symmetry >
        • Reflection Symmetry in Quadrilaterals (GGB)
        • Reflection Symmetry in Triangles (GGB)
        • Reflection Symmetry in Other Shapes (GGB)
      • Rotational Symmetry >
        • Rotational Symmetry in Quadrilaterals (GGB)
        • Rotational Symmetry in Triangles (GGB)
        • Rotational Symmetry in Other Shapes (GGB)
    • Area and Perimeter >
      • Polygons >
        • Perimeters (GGB)
        • Area of a Triangle (GGB)
        • Area of a Parallelogram (GGB)
        • Area of a Trapezium (GGB)
        • Area of Compound Shapes (GGB)
        • Perimeter and Area (GGB)
      • Circles >
        • Discovering Pi (GGB)
        • Circumference of a Circle (GGB)
        • Area of a Circle (GGB)
        • Running Tracks (GGB)
        • Circle Area Problem (GGB)
        • Circles and Squares (GGB)
      • Area (QQI)
      • Area (10QQI)
      • Tilted Squares (GGB)
      • Difference Between Two Squares (GGB)
    • Volume and Surface Area >
      • Volumes and Surface Areas (QQI)
      • Volumes and Surface Areas (10QQI)
    • Angles >
      • Guess the Angle (GGB)
      • Angles on a Straight Line (GGB)
      • Angles around a Point (GGB)
      • Angles in a Triangle (GGB)
      • Angles in a Quadrilateral (GGB)
      • Angles in a Regular Polygon (GGB)
      • Angles on Parallel Lines (GGB)
      • Striping Angles (GGB)
    • Transformations >
      • Reflection >
        • Reflections (GGB)
        • Reflection Challenge (GGB)
      • Rotation >
        • Rotations (GGB)
        • Rotation Challenge (GGB)
      • Translation >
        • Translations (GGB)
        • Translation Challenge (GGB)
      • Enlargement >
        • Enlargements (GGB)
        • Enlargement Challenge (GGB)
        • Other Scale Factors (GGB)
      • Challenges >
        • Which Transformation (GGB)
        • How Many Transformations (GGB)
        • Find Them All (AGG)
        • Ultimate Challenge (GGB)
      • Matrix Transformations (AGG)
    • Pythagoras Theorem >
      • Pythagoras Theorem Activities >
        • Pythagoras Theorem (QQI)
        • Pythagoras Theorem (10QQI)
        • Pythagoras Theorem (QQI Count Down)
        • Pythagoras Theorem (QQI Relay)
        • Pythagoras Theorem (QQI BINGO)
        • Pythagoras Theorem (QQI Worksheets)
      • Pythagoras Theorem (GGB)
      • Pythagorean Triples (GGB)
      • Pythagoras Proof (GGB)
      • Ladders up Walls (GGB)
      • Pythagoras in 3D (GGB)
      • Finding the Hypotenuse Example (Video)
      • Finding a Shorter Side Example (Video)
    • Trigonometry >
      • Right Angled Trigonometry >
        • Right Angled Trigonometry (QQI)
        • Right Angled Trigonometry (10QQI)
        • Right Angled Trigonometry (QQI Count Down)
        • Right Angled Trigonometry (QQI Relay)
        • Right Angled Trigonometry (QQI BINGO)
        • Right Angled Trigonometry (QQI Worksheets)
        • Discovering Trig Ratios (GGB)
        • Finding Lengths (GGB)
        • Finding Missing Lengths (Video)
        • Finding Missing Angles (Video)
      • Sine Rule (Video)
      • Cosine Rule (Video)
      • Sine and Cosine Rules (Video)
    • Circle Theorems >
      • Angle in the Centre vs Angle at the Circumference (GGB)
      • Angle at the Centre vs Angle at the Circumference (Video)
      • Angles in a Semicircle (GGB)
      • Angle in a Semicircle (Video)
      • Angles in Cyclic Quadrilaterals (GGB)
      • Angles in a Cyclic Quadrilateral (Video)
      • Angles in the Same Segment (GGB)
      • Angles in the Same Segment (Video)
      • Tangents (GGB)
      • Tangents (Video)
      • Alternate Segment Theorem (GGB)
      • Intersecting Tangents (GGB)
      • Intersecting Tangents (Video)
      • Intersecting Chords (GGB)
    • Vectors >
      • Vectors and Scalars (Video)
      • Vector Notation (Video)
      • Resultant Vectors (Video)
      • Resultants of Column Vectors (Video)
      • Scalar Multiplication (Video)
      • Magnitude of a Vector (Video)
    • Miscellaneous >
      • Squares (GGB)
      • Tangrams (GGB)
      • Euler Line (GGB)
      • Geoboards
  • Statistics
    • Probability >
      • Probability (QQI)
      • Probability (10QQI)
      • Probability Tools (Flash)
    • Averages >
      • Averages Activity (QQI)
      • Listed Averages >
        • Listed Averages (QQI)
        • Listed Averages (10QQI)
        • Listed Averages (QQI Count Down)
        • Listed Averages (QQI Relay)
        • Listed Averages (QQI BINGO)
        • Listed Averages (QQI Worksheets)
        • Averages From Lists of Data (Video)
        • Quartiles and Interquartile Range (Video)
      • Averages from Frequency Tables >
        • Averages from Frequency Tables (QQI)
        • Averages from Frequency Tables (10QQI)
        • Averages from Frequency Tables (QQI Count Down)
        • Averages from Frequency Tables (QQI Relay)
        • Averages from Frequency Tables (QQI BINGO)
        • Averages from Frequency Tables (QQI Worksheets)
        • Averages From Frequency Tables (Video)
        • Averages From Grouped Frequency Tables (Video)
      • Averages With A GDC (Video)
    • Statistical Diagrams >
      • Cumulative Frequency (Video)
      • Scatter Graphs and the Mean Point (Video)
      • Scatter Graphs and Linear Regression on a GDC (Video)
      • Correlation and the Correlation Coefficient on a GDC (Video)
  • Post 16 Topics
    • Binomial Expansion >
      • Binomial Expansion (Video)
      • Binomial Theorem (Video)
      • Binomial Coefficients (Video)
      • Binomial Applications (Video)
    • Coordinate Geometry >
      • Coordinate Geometry (QQI)
      • Coordinate Geometry (10QQI)
      • Equation of a Circle (AGG)
    • Differentiation >
      • Differentiating Polynomials >
        • Differentiating Polynomials (QQI)
        • Differentiating Polynomials (10QQI)
        • Differentiating Polynomials (QQI Count Down)
        • Differentiating Polynomials (QQI Relay)
        • Differentiating Polynomials (QQI BINGO)
        • Differentiating Polynomials (QQI Worksheets)
      • Finding Gradients of Curves (QQI)
      • Finding Gradients of Curves (10QQI)
      • Finding Turning Points of Curves (QQI)
      • Finding Turning Points of Curves (10QQI)
    • Trigonometry >
      • Radian and Degree Conversions >
        • Radian and Degree Conversions (QQI)
        • Radian and Degree Conversions (10QQI)
        • Radian and Degree Conversions (QQI Count Down)
        • Radian and Degree Conversions (QQI Relay)
        • Radian and Degree Conversions (QQI BINGO)
        • Radian and Degree Conversions (QQI Worksheets)
      • Trigonometric Exact Values >
        • Trigonometric Exact Values (QQI)
        • Trigonometric Exact Values (10QQI)
        • Trigonometric Exact Values (QQI Count Down)
        • Trigonometric Exact Values (QQI Relay)
        • Trigonometric Exact Values (QQI BINGO)
        • Trigonometric Exact Values (QQI Worksheets)
      • Graphs of Trig Functions (GGB)
  • Starters, Puzzles and Enrichment
    • UKMT Random Question Generator
    • @mathschallenge Random Questions
    • School of Hard Sums Random Questions
    • Random Starter of the Day
    • Mathematically Possible (QQI Starter)
    • Adding Challenge (QQI Starter)
    • Date Starter (QQI Starter)
    • Name That Number (QQI Starter)
    • Matchstick Random Questions
    • Choose 3 Numbers (QQI Starter)
    • What's The Question (QQI Starter)
    • Mathematical Words (QQI Starter)
    • Number of the Day (QQI Starter)
    • Anagrams and Missing Vowels (QQI Starter)
    • Missing Vowels and Word Jumbles (QQI) >
      • Missing Vowels and Word Jumbles Simple Numbers (QQI)
    • Tables (QQI)
    • Target Boards (QQI)
    • Missing Signs (QQI)
    • Random Activities >
      • Exploding Dots
      • Easter Date
      • Easter Tangrams (GGB)
      • Zeller's Algorithm
      • Batman Equation (AGG)
      • Templates
    • Mathematical Videos >
      • Fermat's Last Theorem (Video)
      • Pi Song (Video)
      • Monty Hall Problem (Video)
      • Symmetry, Reality's Riddle (Video)
      • Music of the Primes (Video)
      • Folding Paper (Video)
      • Nature by Numbers (Video)
      • Inspirations (Video)

TSM 2013

14/7/2013

1 Comment

 
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the TSM Conference at Keele University, hosted by the wonderful Douglas Butler and the Autograph team. The conference is a 3 day residential course, where the focus is on using technology in the classroom to aid in the teaching of mathematics. This is done through two 6 hour workshops, each focussing on different things. The two workshops that I chose were "Laptops and Mobiles" and "Autograph in the Classroom".
Nothing can compare with actually going to this conference, and the number of ideas I picked up was amazing. In this post, I am going to run through some of the ideas that jumped out to me the most.
The Other Parts
I opted in for the optional session on becoming an Autograph Trainer, which included lots of little tips on how to use Autograph to its best, and also how to run a training session. For a two hour session, there were so many ideas that it certainly got me thinking straight away. Some of the most useful buttons (some of which I didn't know about before, and others that I hadn't realised the full potential of) are shown below:
  1. Default Scale the Default Scale button will adjust the scale to fit the graph as best as possible.
  2. Whiteboard Mode the Whiteboard Mode setting, which makes all the lines a little thicker, and allows you to select multiple items by just clicking on them one at a time.
  3. Keyboard the onscreen Keyboard which pops up and allows you to not only enter equations from the board, but also has symbols for many common mathematical symbols which can be used in any program. This can also be opened independently of Autograph from the Start menu.
  4. Slow Plot the Slow Plot function, that can be used to plot a graph slowly, starting from negative x values.
  5. Constant Controller the Constant Controller which allows you to adjust constants in equations to see what happens.
  6. Scribble the Scribble pen which allows you to write all over the Autograph screen, and easily mark predictions.
Picture
The full Autograph Keyboard has many common mathematical symbols that can be easily input to any document.
There are a lot of Autograph resources and links for those who want to learn more, including a huge amount of video tutorials, available at the TSM website.
Although the conference was mainly focussed on the two workshops we did, there were other smaller talks that were fantastic.
We had a fantastic talk from Colleen Young (of Mathematics, Learning and Web 2.0) on blogging as a maths teacher, and she gave a really good insight to why she blogs, and what she gets out of it, as well as some of the highlights of her blog. She of course beat me to it with her own blog post on the conference as well.
There was also a session called the Delegate's Forum, where we got a chance to talk about some technology we have used. Highlights from this included: the fantastic Wolfram Alpha which can answer pretty much any mathematical problem (check out Mr Barton's Widgets); the flipped classroom (see Episode 7 of the TES Maths Podcast); a site full of STEP solutions and other high ability resources.
Laptops and iPads: Putting them to Work for Mathematics!
Session 1
With the introductions over, we were thrown into the first 2 hour session for our chosen workshop. Before we had even started, our tutor (David McGee) had asked us to make sure we were signed up to several services: wix.com; dropbox; google drive; Edmodo. These would prove to be hugely beneficial in our sessions for sharing things we had done easily and quickly. Throughout the sessions we used dropbox and Edmodo to get at files that David had made available in these two areas, and it certainly saved times from emailing it everybody.
We started the session using a Vernier Go! Motion sensor, which records displacement, velocity and acceleration of an object. This data can then be exported as a CSV file, and opened up in MSExcel. We did this for a swinging pendulum (shown below), which gave us a large amount of data.
Picture
Vernier Go! Motion recording data for a swinging ball.
Picture
A sample of the data recorded from the swinging pendulum.

With this data, we can plot the displacement-time graph in Autograph by copying the two columns of data (Time and Position), and using the XY Data Enter XY Data Set.. button in Autograph, pasting the data in the table that appears.

Picture
The plotted data of the swinging pendulum.

Since this looks something like a sine graph, we can now approximate it with the graph of y = asin(bx+c)+d and then use the Constant Controller Constant Controller to adjust the values of a, b, c and d to get it to fit over the data.

This could be extended with the velocity-time or even acceleration-time graphs in the same way, and could be used to look at: transformations of graphs; the relationship between displacement, velocity and acceleration; simple harmonic motion.
We also used the Go! Motion to record the displacement of an individual, and got them to walk backwards and forwards in order to plot different graphs. These included y = x, y = x - 1, y = sin(x), y = ln(x) and so on. This could be used to really get students thinking about the shapes of graphs, and how they relate to real world situations, and I really love this idea, as it can be used throughout the whole secondary age range to engage.
Along the idea of fitting curves to graphs, we also had a go at fitting a quadratic to a volcanic eruption, and there are lots of good examples of images that you can import to Autograph on the TSM website.
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Using Autograph to fit a quadratic to an image of a human canonball.
In this session, we also talked about using wix.com to set up a simple website (although I personally prefer Weebly, which is how I create this site) to share things with pupils easily. We also discussed and indeed used Edmodo to set up a class to which we could all post documents and ideas to share. This has great potential in my mind, as you can set up a class, add all the students, and then make available to them to download any materials you use in class, post any homework tasks, allow them to ask you questions, and many more things. Edmodo is definitely something I shall be trying out with one of my classes next year.
Session 2
In the second session we looked using wireless tablets (or an iPad) to control what was happening on the screen. An excellent addition (or alternative) to an interactive whiteboard, you can carry a wireless tablet around the room, and even stand at the back of the room whilst writing on the board. You can also then pass it around the room for students to annotate what is on the board. Of course, sometimes you want to get them out of their seats and writing at the actual board, but to have the ability to have them show their solution on the board whilst still sitting at their desk is excellent. The best tablet to buy is the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch, with the additional wireless kit. There are apps for the iPad as well, and these were discussed more in Session 3.
We also talked about GeoGebra as an alternative graphing package to Autograph, and the different stengths it has. As with Autograph, there is an excellent "Export to Webpage..." option, which allows users to create an activity and upload it to their own site for students to play around with. The benefit of doing this is that students don't always need to spend ages setting up the activity in the first place, and this way, they can always quickly get back to the starting position. There are many activities for both Autograph (AGG) and Geogebra (GGB) on my site.
One of the major benefits in using Geogebra is that you can have the graph displayed at the same time as the Algebra, and also if you want you can include a spreadsheet. These elements are all related to each other, and changing one changes the others too. This allows for students to really see the connections between graphs, algebra and data. GeoGebra also benefits from the fact that it is freely available to use online, and also, for those that want to, it can be programmed using some javascript or geoscript.
The final thing we covered in this session was using iBooksAuthor to create interactive books for use on iPads, which include descriptions, interactive GeoGebra files, videos and other information. Although a very time-consuming process, the end result that we were shown was very cool, and provided an excellent introduction to differential calculus. Something I might have a play around with at some point in the future.
Session 3
In the third session we focussed on two completely different aspects, both of which intrigued me.
We started by looking at some interesting and useful apps for the iPad (at David's school they have rolled out a one-to-one programme, so every student has an iPad). The uses of iPads broke into 3 distinct types:
  1. Controlling the whiteboard and what is shown;
  2. Allowing students to connect and work collaboratively in the classroom;
  3. Mathematical Apps that are engaging or useful in some way.
For the first of these, although there are many alternatives, we were shown Doceri. It was easy to set up with a computer, and intuitive to use. It basically serves as an alternative to the tablets I mentioned above, but with the distinct advantage that you can see what you are interacting with on the iPad screen itself. You can then hand the iPad to students who can write their solutions easily on the iPad to appear on the board. Or why not use the iPad camera to take a photo of their work to show, so they don't need to write it out again. Even better, the whole process is automatically recorded, so any edits you make are recorded. If a pupil is missing from the lesson, you can send them the link to the original lesson, and they will see everything you did in class.
For the second type of app, we saw several different ones, with slightly different approaches. SyncSpace is an infinitely large whiteboard that multiple users can edit at the same time. Assign each student or group an area of the whiteboard to work in, but they can all review what the others are doing at any point. BaiBoard similarly allows multiple users to edit a document, whilst also seeing what others are doing. The difference here is that you can have multiple pages, so can assign a page to each group. You can then easily flick to any page to see what each group is doing. InfuseLearning allows you to pose a question to the whole class, and have their results dynamically displayed as they come in. You can then review their response, and send it back to them with a comment, or bring particularly good examples up on the board, or examples that demonstrate specific misconceptions.
The third aspect of apps we looked at included some of the big hitters in actual mathematical content. The TI-Nspire is a fantastically powerful handheld calculator, with massive computing power and a brilliant CAS system. Unfortunately, the device is very expensive, and the CAS version is not allowed in exams. However, the TI-NSpire app is a fifth the price (at £20.99), and has the full CAS capabilities. The Minds of Math app is a free download and has an extensive amount of information on the history of the subject, with lots to explore. Think 3D Free is an excellent and intuitive app for looking at plans and elevations of 3D shapes.
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An image of the TI-Nspire app.
The second part of this final session was on Google Docs, and their uses in teaching mathematics. The ability to share documents easily is becoming more and more important in the world, and Google has provided a fantastic set of applications that can be used online. There is a word editor and a spreadsheet application, that are very good, and rival Microsoft Word and Excel in their usefulness (though they do not yet have the full functionality of these more established products). You can easily create a document, and invite people to collaborate on it in realtime. So you could have the information on the screen, and as pupils input their information it appears. This could be fantastic for the Average Student project I have blogged about previously.
The real power (in my mind) is with Google Forms. Within the same constraints as the other Docs, you can make a form to collect any information you want: it could be ten quick questions on a topic; collecting data for analysis; or any number of other uses. It provides templates, so all you have to do is select the type of question (text answer, multiple choice, on a scale, etc), and type the question. You can then send this out to your students, and their responses are automatically stored in a new Google Sheets document for you to look at. I will be blogging again soon about some of the other cool things I have since found you can do with the Forms.
Overall this workshop was jam packed with loads of different ideas. In fact there are more than I could possibly try, but there were enough exciting ones to keep me interested and looking further in to them. The ones I will certainly be taking further are: Edmodo; some form of tablet to interact with the board; Google Docs. These are the ones that I can see myself making the most out of. I would also be interested in the Go! Motion device, but need to save up a bit more first!
Autograph 3.3 in the Classroom
The second workshop I attended was using Autograph in the classroom, with the fantastic Mr Barton. These sessions were all run in a similar way, where we were shown some ideas, and then given plenty of time to think about and play with Autograph around the main theme of the session. They were split into themes for the sessions: geometry and shape; statistics and data handling; number and algebra. However, although we were introduced to lots of amazing things you can do with Autograph, I am going to focus on the pedagogical points that came up, as well as some types of activities that Craig showed us.

Pedagogy and Autograph
There are two main ways to use Autograph in the classroom. It can be used to demonstrate or it can be used to investigate. The former of these is a passive activity for the students, whilst the latter is much more active. So the question is, how can we make the demonstrations more engaging, and actively involve the students in them. Here are the main pointers:
  1. Always get the students to predict what they think will happen. This is probably the single most important aspect of using Autograph (or any other software). This gets the students to think about what will happen, rather than just blindly look and accept. Never forget this.
  2. Get students to write their answers down. This could be on a mini-whiteboard, the back of their books, or a scrap of paper, but it gets them to formalize what they want to say, and use mathematical notation.
  3. Get students to justify their thoughts and explain their reasoning to each other. You should not only ask for justifications from the ones who get it right, but also those who get it wrong.
  4. Use the "wiggle test" by grabbing a particular point and moving it a little bit to show what happens in the image (particularly useful for transformations).
  5. Use the software to follow the natural progressions that students follow. If looking at something in 2D, why not extend this to 3D.
  6. When using the Constant Controller Constant Controller, start by using concrete numbers (eg y=x, y=2x) then change to the constant (y=ax). However, before clicking OK, go to "Edit Constants" and change the constant to the value it currently has (in this case 2). When you then click OK, nothing will change, and you can ask for predictions when you change the constant.
  7. Make use of the Slow Plot Slow Plot and Scribble Scribble functions on Autograph.
  8. Give students a chance to change their mind. This allows them to feel like they are in a safe environment, where they can make mistakes, but learn from them. It is so important that students feel safe, and allowing them to correct themselves will give them confidence to try.
If you are using Autograph to investigate properties, then think about creating the file before the lesson, rather than wasting time with students creating it themselves. You can then export this as an Autograph Activity and upload it to your own site, or find a collection of premade activities on this site, or from Mr Barton.
Diagnostic Questions
A new project that Craig told us about early on in the sessions is a website he is setting up that will be full of Diagnostic Questions. He described these as multiple choice, closed questions, where each of the three possible incorrect answers reveals a misconception. The theory behind these is that as a teacher you can very quickly identify not only who got it wrong, but why they got it wrong. This also allows you as a teacher to target the students who need the most help, as their misconceptions are the worst.
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An example of a diagnostic question. An answer of A shows they have not halved the diameter. An answer of C shows they haven't converted the 2m to 200cm. An answer of D shows they have just multiplied the numbers by pi. So an answer of C is less worrying than an answer of D.
The idea is that Craig is collating a huge selection of these questions, which he will make available in a searchable site, by topic. He currently has around 1200 questions, and he asked us to help by making any more questions for him to add. If you have any excellent diagnostic questions, then I am sure he would gratefully receive them.
Collective Memory
One of Craig's favourite tasks is a collective memory. The idea is that each team has to recreate an image they are shown for only a limited amount of time (and he explains how to run one in more detail on his site). The important aspects for the learning is that you go through any talking points before revealing the image to the class for them to check. He also suggested printing out a copy of the complete poster for each student, which they can annotate with notes and stick in their books. However, the real power of the examples that he showed use was that they all came from an original Autograph file. So once the activity is done, you can open up the file, and use it to further investigate the properties (remembering to get students to predict outcomes).
Data Collection
Mr Barton loves data handling and statistics, and he does not hide this fact. He talked about many ways to collect interesting data to analyse, with one important underlying message: it must be relevant to the students!

One simple way to do this is to show a slide with a number of dots on it for a second, and ask students to estimate how many there are. This is best done if they write their answers down (perhaps on a form using Google Forms), so they are not changing their mind as they see others answers. With all this data, you can then put it into Autograph as Raw Data Raw Data, and create any number of statistical diagrams, such as a Box Plot Box and Whisker Plot. Now you can discuss the features of the plot. After this, get them to have another guess at the total (without showing them again), and again collect the data. Ask them to predict how the Box and Whisker Plot will look with the new data, and then input the data, and check their predictions.

Some other ways to collect data that is relevent to the students is: get them to play some online games for homework, and record their best score; use Census at School data, and collect the same data from them (using a Google Form); get them to do an experiment.
One final thing to mention under data handling is the Guardian Data Blog. This takes news stories and creates some fantastic visual data representations which can be used to start lessons, and get students thinking about what the images and charts mean (some of the best examples are below). Even better, most of the stories come with the data available to download, so you can analyse the data using standard methods too.
Overall the TSM Conference was the best course I have ever been on. There were so many amazing ideas shared by everyone, and a real atmosphere of people wanting to find out more. Everyone there was interested in using technology more, and being better teachers. It is an experience I would recommend to every Maths teacher: you will not find any better CPD!
1 Comment
Iris Kelley link
13/9/2023 12:36:37 am

Much appreciate you sharing this.

Reply



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    Dan Rodriguez-Clark

    I am a maths teacher looking to share good ideas for use in the classroom, with a current interest in integrating educational research into my practice.

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