Parent

Connection
Newsletter
September 2015

Issue 1: Technology in the Classroom

Khan Academy: Education

for everyone, everywhere.
Inside
Khan Academy
A non-profit organization
creates micro-videos so
students have the power to
learn anything.

Geometers Sketchpad
How does this software
helps teachers teach and
students learn?

One guarantee with a class of 25 students is the fact

that the classroom is filled with diverse learners. No
one student will process and understand the material
the same way, at the same pace with the same style.
I will be introducing Khan Academy to students as a
supplemental tool they can use to
advance and assist their
comprehension of the
curriculum. Khan Academy is
an online resource that offers
personalized learning
opportunities through practice
exercises and instructional
videos. These media clips lead
students step-by-step through

Parent Connection Newsletter

topics that align with those that we are going through

in class. Our next unit will discuss special properties
and parts of triangles, which is exactly one of the
categories that Khan Academy includes. Although I
will be going through all the material I expect students
to learn and master, I anticipate students needing some
help with the homework problems. I will be showing
students exactly how to get to the needed section on the
website so that they can use this tool at home. In
addition to using this site for homework help, it will
also be very valuable for studying for unit tests.
Students will receive study guides with topics they will
need to know for the test. If there are particular areas
that they are having trouble with, they can go on this
site to receive additional instruction. One part of the
site that will be especially beneficial in regards to this
is the step-by-step instructional videos that the site
provides that will guide students to understanding
specific topics. Students can pause the videos, replay
certain parts as they wish to make these tool as
personal as they want.
I am very excited to introduce this tool to
students. Beyond this unit, I envision students using
Khan Academy for all future lessons if they need
additional help. I hope you will encourage your child to
use this tool if you notice they are having trouble with a
homework
assignment. I still
welcome students to
come to me with
questions during
the school day,
however, for the
times that I am not
available, Khan
Academy is a great
option for students.
2

Issue 1: September 2015

Using Khan
When should I use
Khan Academy?
1

Homework. Use
Khan to help you
with topics on
homework problems.

Tests. Review test

topics by watching
step-by-step videos.

Other classes. Khan

Academy has videos
for other academic
subjects too!

Parent Connection Newsletter

Issue 1: September 2015

Parent Connection Newsletter

Issue 1: September 2015

Geometers Sketchpad:
Extending Instruction with
Visual Learning
It seems like in todays world, technology has found a
place in almost every aspect. Mathematical instruction is
certainly one of those areas. Geometry is a very visual
field of math, so including visual aids in class is very
important. Using Sketchpad will allow me to enhance my
instruction, and make the material easier for students to
grasp. Students will be able to create mental models of
the geometric shapes and the properties of these figures.
I anticipate this will be very beneficial for students
overall progress in this class.

Questions?
Comments?
Let me know!
Ms. Guidoux
guidoux@bc.edu
(408) 203-9634

I plan to have my students take an active role in

their learning this year. One way I see this happening is
to have them use this tool themselves, and not just me.
One way to enhance comprehension of the material in
geometry is by understanding the proofs of many of the
theorems and propositions. Sketchpad will be a great tool
for students to use to construct proofs for the problems in
class activities. This software will be downloaded onto
the school-owned laptops, which I plan to reserve for a
number of classes so students have ample opportunity to
practice and explore with this program. As mentioned
earlier, the unit we are getting ready to start is on parts
and properties of triangles. Sketchpad will be a great tool
to help draw different parts of triangles such as
perpendicular bisectors, angle bisectors, medians and
centroids, and altitudes. I am very excited to explore all
the ways I can include this tool in my classroom.