Technology for Secondary Mathematics

Douglas Butler
Oundle School

This is a summary of the software demonstrated in a talk given at the Conference organised by the Mathematics Panel of the Northern Ireland Educational Support Unit, held at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, on 9th November, 1996.

Music:

    An example from another discipline of the potential of computer-aided teaching.
    Sibelius-7 Music Processor (Sibelius Software, UK)
Spreadsheets:

    The basic tool for mathematical IT -- available on all platforms and all spreadsheet programs work in much the same way.
    Excel (Microsoft, USA)
    Eureka (Longman Logotron, UK)
Graph plotters:

    Wide variety of programs in this category, with very different standards for equation entry.
    Coypu (Shell Centre, Nottingham)
    Omnigraph (SPA)
    Autograph (Oundle School)
Geometry:

    Many new opportunities for demonstrating and exploring geometrical concepts.
    Cabri Géomètre-2 (Université Grenoble, France)
    Geometer’s Sketchpad (QED Books)
    Geometry Inventor (TAG)
Symbolic Algebra systems:

    This category contains the most radical new tool for the mathematics educator, both a threat and a challenge.
    Derive for Windows (Soft Warehouse, USA)
    MathPlus (Waterloo Maple, USA)
    Mathematica (Wolfram Research)

Mathematical Typesetting:

    TechWriter (Icon Technology)
Mathematically Live Desk Top Publishing:

    A new way to set up DTP that does the mathematics "in situ".
    StudyWorks (MathSoft, USA)
    MathCAD (MathSoft, USA)
Interactive Learning Systems:

    CDs that present a learning programme -- a rapidly growing area.
    Transmath (Leeds University, UK)
    (also: PLATO, Successmaker, Global Maths, Learning Expedition, Algebra Tutor, Number Tutor, ScreenActive Mathematics )
Statistics:

    A computer represents a natural tool for the statistician, but the challenge is to find statistical software that is also useful to the statistics educator.
    DISCUS project (Coventry University, UK)
    Autograph (Oundle School)
    World Data (Uniworld Software, UK)
    (also: MiniTAB, StatView, SPSS, First )
CDs:

    Another new and rapidly growing medium.
    Escher interactive (QED Books, UK)
    (also: Art and Mathematics, Shape & Space, The World of Number, Encarta)
The Internet (World Wide Web):

    Hard to predict where this is taking us, but already there is a wealth of data and other information for the mathematics educator to use.

As the above list demonstrates, there is an explosion in innovative software and electronic communication media designed to support the teaching of mathematics in a wide variety of ways. Keeping in touch with the diversity of products and the complexity and pace of developments is a demanding task. Oundle School has been in the forefront of using technology in education since the early days of the BBC micro, and has developed the use of a classroom computer using a TV display to teach mathematics. The school’s expertise and experience in the field is disseminated through the organisation Technology for Secondary Mathematics (TSM), which has hosted three conferences at Oundle attended by teachers from all over the UK.

The Oundle School Web pages can be visited at
http://www.argonet.co.uk/oundlesch

The software package Autograph listed above was developed at the school. It has programs in pure mathematics and statistics, and includes what is arguably the world’s most useful school-level graph plotter. Used in hundreds of schools, principally in the UK and Australasia, it is best known for being teacher-friendly and uses true-notation inputs and intelligent default entries throughout.

The Autograph WWW address is:
http://www.acorn.co.uk/developers/autograph

USEFUL ADDRESSES
Mathematics Dept., Oundle School
Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4EN
Tel: 01832 272254 Fax: 01832 273564
email: maths.oundlesch@argonet.co.uk
MicroMath
c/o Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM),
7 Shaftesbury St., Derby DE3 8YB
Tel: 01332 346599 Fax: 01332 204357
Teaching Statistics
c/o Centre for Statistical Education,
University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD
Tel: 0115 951 4962 Fax: 0115 951 4951
Acorn Products
Autograph, Eureka, Sibelius, Win-Logo
Eastmond Publishing Ltd.,
33, West Street, Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4EJ
Tel: 01832 273444 Fax: 01832 272760
Cabri (PC and Mac), and Derive (PC)
Chartwell-Bratt Ltd.,
114 High Street, Belmont Village, Bolton BL7 8AL
Tel: 01204 811001 Fax: 01204 811008
MathPlus (PC)
Robinson-Marshall, Nadella Building, Progress Close,
Leofric Business Park, Coventry CV3 2TF
Tel: 01203 233216 Fax: 01203 233210
Transmath (PC)
Dr. Amanda Kelly, Dept. of Applied Math. Studies,
University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Tel: 01113 233 5174 Fax: 0113 242 9925
DISCUS Project (PC)
Dr. Neville Hunt, Stats/OR Dept., Coventry University,
1, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB
Tel: 01203 838 978 Fax: 01203 838 585
World Data
UNIWORLD Software,
PO Box 10363, London NW2 2ZN
Tel: 0171 831 3844 Fax: 0171 831 1746
QED Books
1 Straylands Grove, York YO3 0EB
Tel/Fax: 01904 424 381

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