The first session of Math Through Technology took place last Thursday and the participants were up to the task: everybody had their laptops open and were eager to get going learning to solve hard math problems using their computers. We used Geogebra to graph functions and find derivatives, all to help Galileo prove the acceleration of dropped objects is constant.
They were all capable of finding patterns in the algebraic equations for slopes of lines and curves, so they easily found the pattern for all polynomials.
Next week they'll be looking for the pattern for finding areas under lines and curves. This group is so bright I think I'll stand aside and let them do the exploring.
Recently I talked to an engineer who said it's a problem for his firm that the college interns show up not knowing any of the engineering software that's used daily in an office. They know all the theoretical stuff, but they have to learn the practical, technological side on the job. I told him I'm trying to help him!
