Desmos - By Samiyah Chowdhury
After attending a webinar hosted by Tom Button and Natalie Vernon, I have certainly understood their excitement in using Desmos in the classroom. Technology is the way for this generation, and is a great tool that can enhance student learning and engagement in the classroom. It transforms the way students understand mathematical concepts and the way mathematical concepts are visualised.
What is Desmos?
During the webinar we were first asked if we had used Desmos before and what for. If I was to ask the question again to you I am sure you would mention graphs somewhere, just like the rest of us attendees in the webinar. However, Desmos can be used for statistics and probability too! The dynamic use of Desmos shows us how we can use it in a range of different Mathematical topics. Desmos provides an excellent scaffolding tool for teachers so that students can understand complex concepts and is accessible to all year groups.
Classroom Applications
Desmos is known for its use in graphing. Student’s can use Desmos to plot dynamic graphs and understand translations of the graphs. By showing that graphs can be translated, student’s can understand why and how the graph has changed when looking at the value of c in the equation of a line. This also acts as a prompt for specific and challenging questioning from teachers to get student’s thinking and checking for changes to the graph.
Furthermore, Desmos can be used for statistics and probability. Teachers can use functions to plot box plots, histograms, etc., and calculate the mean, median, mode, and range. This is an interactive and engaging way students can understand and visualise different data sets.
The fun part of this is that we can format our graphs and data the way we want. Changing colours and formatting to make teacher talk clear is an important way to keep students from being confused and engage them with the tasks. Teachers could also set activities where students are able to end up with an image like the pumpkin below, making a perhaps monotonous topic exciting!
Student Learning And Engagement
When it comes to teaching, the significance of it is to keep students engaged in their learning. Using technology, such as Desmos, is a great way to keep lessons interactive. It helps to remove any negative disruptions and so keeps the focus on the lesson. It may take time, but it is definitely time being used efficiently. Therefore, this use of scaffolding can ultimately support students in attempting more challenging questions with confidence. Desmos has a range of classroom activities that can be used during the lesson.
Summary
Desmos is more than just a graphing calculator, it is an interactive and empowering tool for teachers and students. It helps to scaffold different topics and promotes fluency in Mathematics. As technology evolves, Desmos is a great tool to keep the new generation of learners engaged. Desmos is therefore, your go to for a student’s Mathematics journey and a chance to get students actively learning!
By Samiyah Chowdhury
You can follow Samiyah on LinkedIn here.
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