Middle School makes the most of math technology

Several Voorheesville School Middle School math teachers are using technology to help students understand concepts through interactive programs.

The Geometer's Sketchpad, is an interactive geometry software program that helps students visualize a variety of geometric relationships and ideas, seventh-grade math teacher Allysa Sebert said. It allows students to create, explore and analyze mathematics.

"For the students, it helps them explore not only the topics in geometry but also other mathematical ideas in algebra, trigonometry, and even calculus," Sebert said.

Seventh-grade students have been using the GSP program to learn about the relationships of angles in a polygon, and have been able to identify the relationship between the number of triangles a polygon has with the number of degrees the polygon contains, Sebert said.

In addition, seventh-grader math students have also used GSP to identify acute, obtuse, right and straight angles in a variety of polygons.

"The dynamic interaction that GSP offers, gives learners the power to explore, analyze, visualize and understand mathematics with confidence," Sebert said.