Making a crossword

Solving crossword is a brainstorming activity. In teaching of mathematics,this strategy could be utilised effectively. But there is a scarcity of good crossword puzzles. Now, it is not a problem.By just a click of your mouse, you can make interesting and challenging crosswords for the students.

EclipseCrossword is an easy, fun way to create crossword puzzles. And the program is completely free.
This freeware is easy to use.
You simply enter a list of words, along with clues to go with each. Then, EclipseCrossword gets to work turning those words into a crossword puzzle.
EclipseCrossword comes with a tutorial that will have you creating crossword puzzles in no time. The simple interface makes the program easy to use, and there are many options and features that will help you get your crossword puzzles just the way you want them.
Once your crossword puzzles are completed, you can share them with others in a variety of ways. You can print them out. Or you can post them online in either in printable form, or as interactive crossword puzzles. A JavaScript or Java applet allows visitors to your website can solve online.
Create and print out crosswords or save them into either a web page, Microsoft word or text file. ...Try it

http://www.greeneclipsesoftware.com/eclipsecrossword/download.html

A sample Crossword created

Across

2. has famous theorem for a right triangle
4. meaning measuring earth

Down

1. a branch of mathematics
3. tool for solving a mathematics problem
5. father of geometry

Solution

Info Rapid Knowledge Map

InfoRapid KnowledgeMap is a free mind mapping program and knowledge management system. InfoRapid KnowledgeMap can be used to draw knowledge maps, organizational charts, decision trees and work breakdown structures, taking down your ideas when brainstorming, or generating structure diagrams from XML files. Knowledge maps can be published on the Web or your intranet, can be added to WinWord, Excel and PowerPoint documents, and can be printed in almost any size you choose. The program contains a complete Knowledge Management System suitable for use at home, at work or on the company intranet. Its intelligent KnowledgeMap server analyzes text document content and integrates it with a knowledge map. The Private Edition is not functionally limited in any way and does not expire after any certain number of days. However, unlike the Professional Edition, the program displays a small reminder in the diagram that it has been created with InfoRapid KnowledgeMap. This bit of advertising is intended to acquaint a wider audience with the capabilities of the program, and is your contribution for using the program at no cost.

http://www.bestsoftware4download.com/download/t-free-inforapid-knowledgemap-download-clkrjyal.html

Mathscribe Lite

Mathscribe Lite is a free dynamic graphing and mathematical modeling program. It solves and graphs equations involving standard functions found in algebra, trigonometry and precalculus classes. You can also use it to mathematically model scientific data, either by typing in the data from scratch, or simply pasting it from a spreadsheet or other program.

http://www.mathscribe.com/mathscribe_lite.htm

C.a.R ...a geometry software

C.a.R. is a very useful geometry exploring program. It simulates compass and ruler constructions on a computer. The main screen of this software is shown below, having various tools which would help teachers as well as students to explore on geometrical facts.

I feel that whatever is not possible manually in a classroom can be easily done by using this software. Its my personal experience, that this tool has provided lots of opportunities for self exploring on various math facts which are not there in our text books but are utilised for various research projects .We are able to visualise them by just clicking the mouse button.

Some features....

1. Ruler and compass constructions can be changed by dragging one of the basic construction points. Immediately,it shows the construction on the screen by which one can check the correctness of the construction . It helps the students to gain new insight.
2. Tracks of points and animated constructions can help to understand geometric relations. Tracks can be used as new objects to explore.
3. With the macros of C.a.R. very complicated constructions become possible. Macros are also a way to organize the geometric thinking.
4. Hiding construction details and using colors make constructions clearer to read. In C.a.R. lines and circles can also be reduced to the relevant points.
5. Arithmetic computations, numerical solutions, curves and functions go beyond classical constructions. It is even possible to construct in 3D using advanced macros.
6. Other geometries, hyperbolic or elliptic, can be explored.C.a.R. is a Java driven program running on all modern platforms. Constructions and assignments can be embedded into web pages easily. It can be used free of charge.

To know more about it

http://www.z-u-l.de/doc_en/index.html

Cam Studio...technology in education

Technology is playing a great role in the betterment of education process. Today we are not restricted or bound to follow the traditional methods of teaching in the classrooms. We are provided with innovative methods of teaching which are very interesting to first learn by the teachers and then used for teaching in the classrooms for the students. There are abundant resources available on the web. A correct guidance and skill to use them effectively is only required. Earlier, monetary constraints were bothering the schools to use only the proprietry softwares, but now due to the explosion of open source ,the problem has been solved. Now, only great thinking mind and a group of like minded people are required to fully utilise them to improve upon the education in India.

CamStudio is a free software by which you are able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs) .
You can use it to create demonstration videos for any software program and share it with your friends and students.
You can create video tutorials for your classroom teaching.
You can use it to record a recurring problem with your computer so you can show technical support people.
You can even use it to record new tricks and techniques you discover on your Favourite software program, before you forget them
Download it from
http://www.camstudio.org/

Watch this video for installation procedure.

http://www.camstudio.org/video/install/

Geogebra...a great open source math tool

Geogebra, I must say is a very good tool for learning geometrical facts and lot more. It is an open source tool . Many of the mathematics teachers all round the world are using it and recommending to others for using it.

To know more Go to www.geogebra.org

Mind maps

A pedagogical tool for better learning…
Mind mapping…
Mind maps are self created helpers which promote logical thinking .They are like a guide map which could help our mind to memorise the content of a chapter in a systematic manner. Ever since I came to know about this technology evolution, I am working on its utility in mathematics learning. From the internet I came to know about various open source mind mapping tools which the people all over the world are using in various occupations. Its application is not restricted to business or public/private sectors, but people are using this tool in education field also.
This technique focuses on starting the map with a centralized concept/ idea and then emerging from it are various branches which are related to the main concept.It trains our mind to start from a main idea and then to generate suitably the upcoming nodes, linking with each other in a structured manner explaining about the whole idea.It is like a help which is mapping knowledge for remembering a concept for future reference. In a mind mapping tool we have a freedom of using lines, colours, arrows, branches or some other way of showing connections between the ideas generated on the mind map. There are lots of symbols available which helps us in making a structured mind map from a central idea to its evolving branches.Mapping may be seen as a type of brainstorming.For the students it can act like a master tool for preparing for the contents of a subject during the examination time..
Watch a video about Mind Mapping with Tony Buzan

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~charles57/Creative/Mindmap/
Make online mind maps .

Go to http://www.mind42.com/

Freemind is an open source tool for making mind maps.

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Read more about mind maps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Mapping

Geometry master 3.0

I am using Geometry Master 3.0 , which is a very useful software to enhance the geometrical learning skills of the children.

• It has in it, drawing tools, geometry terms & shapes.
• This software runs on all Windows systems .
• It has multiple Drawing Tools, Color Fill Options and Custom Shape Tools.
• It also can save the images in GMT, JPEG or BMP format. The output Image can also be printed out to the Printer.
• It is free!

The Screen of this software is shown below...


Go to http://www.caltrox.com/products/geometry.htm
to know more about it.

Roadkil's Graph

Know about a freeware graph tool

• Roadkil's Graph is a freeware application that draws graphs from algebraic formulas entered by users.
• Functions such as sine, cosine, tan, log, log natural and powers can be used.
• The x and y range displayed on the axis can be altered to zoom in and zoom out on the graph.
• Grid lines and value labels are displayed on the graph for easy reading.
• Graphs can also be printed on any standard printer.

Go to http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Roadkils-Graph-Download-44235.html

to download it.

This is the main screen of the tool.

You just have to write the function and click on draw, graph will be obtained. I am using this tool ,just to visualise the shape of the graphs of various functions.

Using Graph 4.2

I am using the open source tool Graph 4.2 for teaching plotting graphs and analysing them further. This is a very useful tool. With the help of this tool we are able to plot the functions on a coordinate plane in very less time and are able to analyse various plottings on the same graph by making small changes in the functions.
Example 1

• Ask the students to plot the equations y=2, y=5, y=-3 and y=-5 simultaneously using this tool.
  
• The following graph will be obtained.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• It is clear from the graph that all these lines are parallel to the x-axis.
  
• The students will observe this fact themselves and they will note down the observation that the general equation of a line parallel to x- axis is y=+k or y=-k where k is any real number.

Example 2

• Ask the students to plot the graph of x=2, x=6 and x=-3 using the tool.
  
• The following graph will be obtained.

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• It is clear from the graph that all these lines are parallel to the y- axis.
• The students will observe that the equation of a line parallel to the y-axis is x=+k or x=-k, where k is any real number.

The best part of this tool is we can plot y=0.5, y=-6.7, x=7.9 etc equations which otherwise in a classroom are not usually done.

Example 3

• Plotting linear inequalities in one variable x>2, x<5,>4 etc

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• Plotting linear inequations in two variables 2x+3y>6 etc.

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• Like this we can plan various graph excercises for the students.
  
  Your suggestions are welcome. Add a comment.