Math education and Wolframalpha.com
As many math teachers know, http://www.wolframalpha.com/ is a search engine for finding anything you want to know that can be calculated.
At http://demonstrations.wolfram.com , interactive illustrations created by Mathematica users around the world illuminate concepts in science, technology, mathematics, art, finance, and other fields.
http://www.wolfram.com/cdf-player/ is a free download that allows access to a library of demonstrations that explain math & science principles.
At http://got.im/4PGN , in a thought provoking TEDTalk (transferred to SchoolTube so you can watch in school) Conrad Wolfram maintains “we have a real problem with math education right now,” arguing that the role of calculating is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, and should therefore be wholly computer based. As he puts it, “Math ≠ Calculating, Math >> Calculating”. He’s optimistic that “we have a unique opportunity to make math both more practical and more conceptual simultaneously,” and to get people to “really feel math”.
Finally, at http://www.wolframalpha.com/educators/ , there are lesson plans on topics ranging from quadratic equations to creative writing.
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Filed under: Math, Teacher Resources, Tech tips & tricks, Web 2.0
