ICT tools in teaching science and
realising eTwinning projects !
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Introduction - ICT in teaching science and
realising educational projects
Computer software and applications
There are two general ways in which pupils may
enhance their learning in science using ICT.
The first encourages creative ways of thinking by asking
'What if?' questions and predicting. Simulation software
allows pupils to do open investigations, choosing various
conditions, predicting outcomes and then running the program
to check the results.
The second benefit of using ICT in science improves pupils'
presentation of information, allowing them to demonstrate
their understanding of science.
The use of ICT in teaching the sciences can make the
teaching process more effective as well as enhance the
students’ capabilities in understanding basic concepts.
Using ICT can help pupils to:
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access, select and interpret information
recognise patterns, relationships and behaviours
model, predict and hypothesise
test reliability and accuracy
review and modify their work to improve the quality
communicate with others and present information
evaluate their work
improve efficiency
be creative and take risks
gain confidence and independence.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
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„HOT POTATOES”
„POLY”
„TESS”
„GEOGEBRA”
„CINDERELLA”
„C.a.R”
„WINPLOT”
„SKETCHPAD”
„MODELLUS”
„MATHJOURNAL”
OTHER APPLICATIONS
„HOT POTATOES”
The purpose of the Hot Potatoes is to enable us to create
interactive Web-based teaching exercises which can be
delivered to any Internet-connected computer.
The exercises use HTML and JavaScript to implement their
interactivity, but you do NOT need to know anything about
these languages in order to use the programs. All you need
to do is enter the data for your exercises (questions,
answers, responses etc.), and press a button. The program
will create the Web pages for you, and you can then upload
them to your server.
http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked
There are five basic programs in the Hot Potatoes suite
gap-fill exercises
matching or ordering exercises
question-based
jumbled-sentence exercises
quizzes
to create complete
crossword puzzles
units of material
The Jmatch program creates matching or ordering
exercises. A list of fixed items appears on the left
(these can be pictures or text), wth jumbled items
on the right. This can be used for matching
vocabulary to pictures or translations, or for
ordering sentences to form a sequence or a
conversation.
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JMatch
The JQuiz program creates question-based quizzes.
Questions can be of four different types, including
multiple-choice and short-answer. Specific feedback can be
provided both for right answers and predicted wrong
answers or distractors. In short-answer questions, the
student's guess is intelligently parsed and helpful feedback
to show what part of a guess is right and what part is
wrong.
JQuiz
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Quiz-solids
JCross
The JCross program creates crossword puzzles which can
be completed online. You can use a grid of virtually any
size. As in JQuiz and JCloze, a hint button allows the
student to request a free letter if help is needed.
JMix
The JMix program creates jumbled-sentence exercises. You
can specify as many different correct answers as you want,
based on the words and punctuation in the base sentence,
and a hint button prompts the student with the next correct
word or segment of the sentence if needed.
JCloze
The JCloze program creates gap-fill exercises. Unlimited
correct answers can be specified for each gap, and the student
can ask for a hint and see a letter of the correct answer.
„POLY”
Poly is a program for investigating polyhedral shapes. Poly
can display polyhedral shapes in three main ways:
• as a three-dimensional image,
• as a flattened, two-dimensional net, and
• as a topological embedding in the plane.
http://www.peda.com/poly
The three-dimensional
images may be
interactively rotated and
folded/unfolded.
Physical models may be produced by printing out the flattened
two-dimensional net, cutting around its perimeter, folding along
the edges,and finally taping together neighbouring faces.
Start „Poly”
„Tess”
Tess is a program for drawing symmetric
illustrations. While you draw, Tess will
automatically maintain the plane symmetry
group you have chosen; 11 rosette, 7 frieze,
and 17 wallpaper groups are provided.
http://math.exeter.edu/rparris/
We can use for example : rotational symmetry
translational symmetry, glide reflectional symmetry
Start Tess
New Heesch Tiling – we can use this window to choose a
Heesch tiling to use in a new illustration , we can explore
the possibilities of tiling by selecting it and editing its
edges.
Tilings and patterns
„GEOGEBRA”
GeoGebra is a mathematics software that joins geometry,
algebra and calculus. On the one hand, GeoGebra is a
dynamic geometry system. You can do constructions with
points, vectors, segments, lines, conic sections as well as
functions and change them dynamically afterwards.
GeoGebra has the ability to deal with variables for numbers,
vectors and points, finds derivatives and integrals of
functions and offers commands like Root or Extremum.
http://www.geogebra.org/cms
http://www.geogebra.org/en/upload
The geometry window shows points, vectors, segments,
polygons, functions, straight lines and conic sections
graphically.
To get an impression of GeoGebra’s possibilities,
let’s have a look at some examples !
Start !
In the File menu, Export you find the item
Dynamic Worksheet as Webpage (html).
Mandalas
„CINDERELLA”
http://www.cinderella.de/
html
Pythagoras Theorem
html
C.a.R.
Compass and Ruler
Construct and Rule
C.a.R. is dynamic geometry program
simulating compass and ruler constructions
on a computer.
http://zirkel.sourceforge.net/
On this website you can find various applications
and examples for C.a.R.
Dancing Triangle
„WINPLOT”
Winplot is a free windows based graphing program. The
software is unbelievably powerful and remarkably easy
to use.
That it is an ideal tool for 6th Form and university level
mathematics due to its dynamic nature, powerful plotting
routines and it's almost inexhaustible functionality.
http://math.exeter.edu/rparris/winplot.html
„ SKETCHPAD”
Dynamic Geometry Software for Exploring Mathematics
The Geometer's Sketchpad is a popular commercial
interactive geometry software program for exploring
Euclidean geometry, algebra, calculus, and other areas ...
With the Geometer's Sketchpad, you can construct figures
from simple textbook diagrams to working models of the
Pythagorean Theorem, perspective drawings, tessellations,
fractals, animated sine waves, etc. This program will let you
experiment with complex geometrical constructions.
www.keypress.com
„MODELLUS”
Interactive Modelling with Mathematics
Modellus is designed to
introduce students and
teachers in scientific
computation, namely through
the analysis and exploration of
mathematical models based on
functions, iterations and
differential equations.
http://modellus.fct.unt.pt
How to build a model?
1. Start by defining the functions that describe one or several
properties/quantities of the phenomenon or mathematical
object under study… For example, the equations highlighted in
the figure refer to the motion of a projectile when air
resistance is negligible.
2. It is possible to create objects in the workspace
to represent the variables of the model, either using
the icons or the right button of the mouse. For
example, a Particle may be created to represent the
projectile.
3. To each object of the workspace
it is possible to assign defining
properties. For example, x and y are
associated to the Particle as the
particle coordinates.
4. Since in the model the components of the initial
velocity are indicated by v0x and v0y, it is
possible to represent the initial velocity by a
Vector
5. Once the Vector representing the initial velocity is defined, using its
components, the tip of the Vector may be dragged to attribute adequate
values to the components of the initial velocity. Alternatively, these values
may be directly introduced in the Mathematical Model window or in the
Parameters ribbon.
6. The Play / Pause button starts the simulation of the projectile
motion.
7. In the example shown in the figure, it was also created a Pen to
trace the graph of y as a function of t in the workspace. Each object in
the workspace may have its own scale, independently of the other
objects, as well as other features (colour, etc.).
8. Each model may have as many objects as necessary to better
visualize the phenomenon, the physical quantities involved or the
corresponding mathematical objects.
The Modellus installation program includes many
examples and others are regularly added to the web
site http://modellus.fct.unl.pt.
Besides the Modellus files, the web site also contains
several documents for students and teachers from
basic learning levels to higher education. These
documents are regularly updated.
Model Newton's fundamental law using the Euler method and
interact with the sum of forces to put the ball in the basket
Chemistry
Biology- ecological balance between predators and victims
Capital investment in bank
„ MATHJOURNAL”
MathJournal is an interactive program for the Tablet PC that
provides a natural and intuitive environment for solving
mathematical and engineering problems.
Math students deepen their understanding by displaying
graphical, numerical, and symbolic solutions for their work.
MathJournal recognizes handwritten mathematical expressions, and
then displays a list of relevant solution types to the user.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
Examples
„Steffen Weber aplet”
17 groups of symetries
http://www.jcrystal.com/steffenweber/JAVA/jwallpaper
Kali
Graffiti Grapher
http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/eglash/csdt/subcult/grafitti/index.html
Virtual Bead loom
Yupik Pattern
Fractals
Fractal geometry has emerged
as one of the most exciting
frontiers in the fusion between
mathematics and information
technology.
http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/eglash/csdt/african/fractal/koch.htm
Rhythm Wheels
Information about Software
http://www.zso7.home.pl/art/
http://www.lo5.sosnowiec.pl/art/
GOOD LUCK
IN
TEACHING AND REALISING
ETWINNING PROJECTS !
Jolanta Grzywnowicz