Feb 8 2014

Dilbert and Mathematics

Dilbert on WolframAlpha

An accidental discovery today when I came across information on a favourite character of mine on one of my favourite websites! This actually came about because I have completely reorganised and added to the series of pages on WolframAlpha which I hope makes the information here on WolframAlpha easier to find. Note the new slideshow on Statistics; WolframAlpha is useful for calculating normal probabilities for example and illustrates queries with diagrams. I like many teachers I am sure always advise students to sketch diagrams when answering questions on the normal distribution.

Back to Dilbert and we find that associated characters such as the Pointy-Haired Boss are also there!

The Dilbert site may amuse you if you have not seen it before. It is possible to search the site; using a keyword of Statistics returns these strips. Related to Statistics we have made up numbers (I do like that second entry!) or data or try Math. How’s this for a job title? Mordak is the Preventer of Information Services!

Perhaps I’d better get back to some work!

Dec 21 2013

Desmos, WolframAlpha & handwriting recognition!

December 2014 – Note that MyScript (formerly Vision Objects) now has apps for iPad and Android tablets.

Reviewing popular posts and checking for correct links caused me to revisit my post on handwriting recognition and LaTeX. The original post has now been corrected (in case people have it bookmarked). I have also reproduced the post below.

Web Equation by Vision Objects

A consistently popular post on this blog is that on online whiteboards. If I want to communicate mathematics online to answer a student query for example I find it quicker to use a graphics tablet and an online whiteboard.

I do keep an eye on various LaTex generators, one that has come to my attention is Web Equation; from MyScript. What I like about this is that handwriting is turned into LaTex (only one line at a time). The handwriting recognition is impressive and I found it easy using my graphics tablet to enter expressions accurately; see the quadratic formula below for example.

Web Equation by MyScript

So you scribble an expression and it get turns into LaTex for you – it works:

$x^{2}+y^{2}=25$

$\dfrac {-b\pm \sqrt {b^{2}-4ac}} {2a}$

Note that if you want to copy / edit the Latex then just select the LaTex expression and you will have the opportunity to copy or edit it.

But I must confess I was just as excited to note that now you can immediately see a graph where appropriate, powered by my favourite Desmos graphing calculator (it appears the scales are fixed) and by the option to ‘Compute with WolframAlpha’! (see above image).

..and finally if you wish to be distracted by some more fun applications there are some other great demonstrations from VisionObjects. Try Web Shape or example and turn your sketches into vectorized shapes. This should work well on the interactive whiteboard.

Improve your scribbles!

Apr 21 2013

Hwb Resources….and more on Mini-Tests!

A collection of resources are available from Hwb (the all Wales Learning Platform, note this now includes all the material from the NGfL Wales website). Select Find and Use to explore the resources. The resources are also hosted on TES. (Note that the echalk resources such as the excellent transformations interactives are no longer free).

This on Developing Mathematical and Thinking Skills is authored by Melanie Blount. The resource can be used online or it is possible to download a zipped file. The concept cartoons would display very well on the interactive whiteboard and perhaps provide a useful starter activity.
Resources in this set I particularly like include Large Numbers and True Sometimes. Large numbers consists of a set of 20 questions (with the option to show answers) with big answers! With questions such as ‘How many mobile phones are in use in the world?’ this would make a very engaging lesson activity and would be ideal to use when teaching standard index form. The True Sometimes resource is a set of 10 statements; students must decide if the statements are always, sometimes or never true. (There are links to some Always / Sometimes / Never questions from other sources in the Rich Questions post.)

Week Thoughts
Mini-Tests
Last week, writing on revision I wrote about my use of ‘mini tests’. I have used several this week with a variety of classes, with Year 12 I started with some basic calculus in one lesson and trigonometric equations in another. Watching them mark and correct their work confirmed my belief that these mini-tests are very useful; concepts and ideas we may think of as basics are not always as secure as they might be. I have started making a note of questions to ask them as I notice any misconceptions.

Coming up to examinations I often use a timed exam question as a starter which could be just a few minutes, I work out the marks per minute rate for the exam for timing.

I recently set a homework for my Year 11s to look at some specific topics and let them know they would have 35 minutes in class to answer exam questions. We then went through the questions straight away, they marked the paper and I collected their work to see how they did; I always tell my classes I am looking at their careful marking and corrections as much as their original answers. I was amused to see that one of my students had headed her paper ‘Mini-Mock’.

I have started a new page under resources for these mini-tests in case they are useful – just four there at the moment but more to come.

WolframAlpha – Handwritten!

: WolframAlpha: Handwritten style plot y=(x-2)(x-1)(x+3)

Reading the WolframAlpha community newsletter recently I was amused by their April fool on the introduction of the WolframAlpha Handwritten Knowledge Engine. It seems this has proved rather popular so what was originally intended for an April fool has now been made generally available. I really like the look of these diagrams, I suspect they will appeal to students and teachers, look at this number line for example.

WolframAlpha: handwritten style number line

Aug 7 2011

Words with WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha can be used for vocabulary, for example, try typing ‘plus’ into WolframAlpha.

Note that WolframAlpha has assumed plus is a character but you can choose to refer to a mathematical definition or a word (or an internet architecture topic). Choosing word will not only give definitions but a wealth of other information that you would not find in a dictionary such as the first known use of the word, frequency of use, rhyming words and much more!

Other sites of interest for Mathematics vocabulary can be found on the Reference page. If you are interested in the first known use of mathematical words then try Jeff Miller’s ‘Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics‘.