Auteur principal			Co-auteurs(s)
Nom :	Dr  Mara Alagic		Nom :	Dr Diana Palenz
Courriel :	mara.alagic@wichita.edu		Courriel :	palenz@math.wichita.edu
Institution ou compagnie:	Wichita State University		Nom :
Département:	Mathematics Education		Courriel :
Ville :	Wichita		Nom :
État/Province :	Kansas		Courriel :
Pays :	USA		Nom :
Type de présentation:	Conférence :  50 minutes.		Courriel :
Conférence et numéro :	ACDCA ,    Numéro : A38		Horaire :   Local :	dimanche, 10h30   1340
Site Internet :
Titre de la communication :	Cognitive Tools for Exploring Linear and Exponential Growth
Résumé de la communication :
Empowering teachers through the use of technology in mathematics exploration, open-ended problem solving, interpreting mathematics, developing conceptual understandings and communicating about mathematics is at the heart of BRIDGES (http://education.wichita.edu/alagic/bridges/BRIDGES.htm) professional development. Throughout the BRIDGES activities, concrete experiences have been provided to explore technology-based representations of data, graphs and functions. A particular focus of the professional development was two-dimensional: (a) deepening teachers’ understanding of linear and exponential growth via technology-based representations, and (b) providing effective context for students’ learning from the same technology-based representations, considering the fact that they do not have teachers’ standard representations in their toolbox. A variety of cognitive tools (spreadsheets, graphing calculators, hand-helds) provided for (a) visual and graphical multiple representations interconnected with appropriate simulations, (b) meaningful explorations of a variety of cases in a smaller amount of time than if standard representations had been used and (c) nurturing learning environments that support priorities of teaching for understanding and teaching for transfer. This paper will report on lessons learned in attempts to explicate some bridges between classical and technology-based representations as well as on teachers’ views on related indispensable and dispensable mathematical abilities and skills related to the concepts studied.