FrontPage > GeoGebra Blog > Using GeoGebra - Ready-to-Use vs Construction

Last updated: 4 October 2009

It is important to realize that there are basically 2 different ways to use GeoGebra resources in the classroom.

One can use GeoGebra as a ready-to-use applet or one can actual construct models or simulators with GeoGebra.

Ready-to-use: Here the goal is to use a ready-to-use applet to experiment and see the process.

Here the teacher or student opens an “applet”, that is, a small interactive program and changes parameters to observe the process. 

    Sample GeoGebra experiment ready-to-use activities:  

         Little ones: http://www.mathcasts.org/gg/student/angles/angles/angle_meas1.html

         Linear Equations: http://www.mathcasts.org/mtwiki/InterA/CarRace

         Physics: http://www.mathcasts.org/mtwiki/InterA/MotionV

         Calculus: http://www.mathcasts.org/mtwiki/InterA/BoxFolding

Benefits:  The user (teacher or student) does not need to know GeoGebra. One does not even need to install GeoGebra. It is a quick way to illustrate process.

The applets can be made as simple or sophisticated as the developer desires and has skills. If properly prepared by the developer, there will be a sample guided interactivity with good questions, the applet will come with various resolutions that can be used with a video projector, laptop, desktop, etc.

Drawbacks:  The user is not involved in the construction and as such does not "own" the process . Also, in order to cover a wide range of uses, the construction is frequently complex and/or uses advanced programming skills to do the interaction and thus re-construction/adaptation/translation is not possible even by a more sophisticated user of GeoGebra.

Construction: Here the goal is to get the student either to view or do an actual constructing and experiment with GeoGebra worksheets.

By construction, we mean the teacher and/or student actually construct a dynamic math worksheet in class or at home and use it to answer good questions.

One can call this “modeling” or “building simulators”.

    Sample GeoGebra construction activities:

         Basic: http://math247.pbworks.com/4th+Grade+Mathcasts+-+Teaching+with+GeoGebra

         Compass & Straightedge: http://www.mathcasts.org/mtwiki/InterA/ConstructSegmentCopy

         Simulator Kit: http://math247.pbworks.com/Simulator%3A-Soccer-Goal-Sim1#ggb 

If done properly, constructing requires "owning" the process. Thus, in order to be effective, the resource requires a guided step-by-step interactivity that involves (a) thinking about the process, (b) thinking about the process in a "programming" way, (c) constructing, (d) parameters for testing the construction and a sample guided interactivity with good questions and answers.

Constructing does require the teacher to know how to use GeoGebra. It requires GeoGebra be installed. (So clearly to get teachers and students to use constructions, we also need tutorials - see below.)

Sample GeoGebra Tutorials:  Step-by-Step screencasts with written directions

         GeoGebra for Beginners: http://math247.pbworks.com/GeoGebra-for-Beginners

         Learn and Use GeoGebra: http://math247.pbworks.com/Learn+and+Use+GeoGebra

LFS