GSP

GSP is a very easy software to manipulate. I like to have more challenging activites for the students. This software lends in itself for students to be able to explore beyond what that can do without it. Also I like the lessons that students will achieve just by being able to do the constructions. Just making the constructions reinforces the lessons students learn about certain shapes. They also may find new ones. The speaker from yesterday, Mr. Pinkerton, seems to enjoy the GSP because he can get "on time" evaluation of student's understanding. Also he does not think it makes the students "dumb/lazy" because the students have to make constructions. I found it interesting that he mention that there is a gap between the classroom and the computer room. The kids seem to be interactive in the computer room, but when they get back to the classroom they clam up. I was curious that maybe the activites with GSP should be mixed up a little. Have the activites with GSP but also have the students see how to relate it without the use of GSP. Like Mr. Pinkerton stated that they could not go to the computer room one day and they were trying to make a conjecture of perpendicular bisector of a triangle. They were curios if the intersection point of the perpendicular bisectors of a traingle will always meet inside the triangle. He stated that this is when the students appreciated the use of GSP. They could easily manipulate it on GSP, but left by their own means it would be tedious and troublesome. Maybe after they did find the answer on GSP, they should go back and do it by hand. Basically have the activity on GSP but then see how they could of done it without it.
I'm thinking that maybe I should try to find activities that lead the students by the use of GSP but then also lead them to think without it. Basically allow the students to learn with GSP but reinforce what they learn from GSP by their own means.