Application Review: Geogebra

Application Review: Geogebra
Reference: http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

Review/Summary:  This open source software is a wonderful tool for use in any middle or high school math class.  The software is designed to be a replica of a paid software called Geometer’s Sketchpad. The application allows for the manipulation and development of two major area of mathematics: Geometry and Algebra.  For geometry, this tool is useful for creating all sorts of shapes and develops theorems and basic understanding of a concept.  For algebra, this tool is useful in displaying all sorts of functions and other equations.  In addition, the program can be used to create data charts for the equations as well.

Reflection:  Having used this software in class, I can attest to the power it has.  The software is an excellent tool for developing the students understanding of more abstract concepts like similarity of triangles and their theorems.  In addition to its power with geometry, the software very easily lends itself to graphing equations and making function tables.  This helps to drive home the meaning behind terms like directly proportional and linear as well as nonlinear.