Geometer's Sketchpad

[rexboggs5]

There is a discussion on the AP-Calculus list about various brands of IWBs. I jumped in and said that the 'mouse-over' facility of a hard board like Promethean is a real plus compared to a membrane board (like Smart) for programs like Geometer's Sketchpad.

I received the following reply:
"I have used a SMART Board, but not a Promethean. One of the things that was a bit frustrating was trying to do GSP sketches on the board. It didn't ever seem to be accurate and I ended up using my mouse to do the sketch. So, are you saying that the Promethian does not have that problem and that it's accurate enough to do the sketches from the board?"

I haven't used GSP enough to provide an accurate answer. Can anyone who has used a Promethean board with GSP please assist?

Cheers

Rex

[jepatton]

Hi Rex --

Yes, I use Geometer's Sketchpad all the time on my board with the pen, and I have absolutely no problems with it. I can easily grab points and lines and manipulate them, just as I would with the mouse.

Now if we could only get Sketchpad files to work like placeholders .....;);)

[rexboggs5]

Thanks June. I have passed on your reply.

Cheers

Rex

[Nigel Pearce]

Software that requires accurate object picking is always going to be problematic on a Smartboard.

Reason? As you bring your pen or finger toward the board surface, the mouse cursor does not move to let you know what object you are 'homing in' on. You do not get any visual 'cursor move' feedback because the Smartboard does not generate mouse 'move' events until you actually touch its surface, at which point it generates a mouse 'left button click' event.

In other words there is no easy way to just move the mouse cursor around on a Smartboard.

Getting visual cursor feedback is actually extremely important in todays visually rich user interfaces.

This is one of the fundamental reasons why Activboards are superior in that they accurately reproduce ALL the functionality you have come to expect from your mouse.

[wilcogirl]

Rex, it is funny that you have brought up this post. I work with one of the teachers that has shown me the post and her comment. We had had made the connection that you were in both places, when I was showing her and others from my department your math web site that you had put together, Small world.

In the matter speaking, I too have used geometers sketch pad and I am very happy with the way that it works with the activboard. I also use x think math journal, and that to will only work with a pen driven board.

As an avid user of an activboard, I have so many words that I could use to explain how much the activboard has changed the way that I teach math in my classroom. I has really has made a huge differnce in my learners.:p

[rexboggs5]

Thanks, folks, for your input.

You have made a very strong case for an Activboard with software that uses the mouse-over to assist with accurate positioning.

Cheers

Rex

[mbrown@prairieschool.com]

I use the ActivBoard a lot in teaching Geometry & Calculus. However, I've had trouble using Geometer's Sketchpad with the pen because my pen always seems to be slightly offset from the actual marks it makes on the board. I've tried re-calibrating numerous times to no avail. Might this be a hardware problem with the way my projector, etc. was originally set up? I had assumed the software was inadequate.

[Dug]

Hi mbrown and welcome+wave+

I have always found that one the real strengths of Promethean is the phenomenal, pinpoint accuracy a well-calibrated set up affords.

It does sound to me that you may have some kind of problem as I generally find it fairly easy to get such a set up established and maintained following conventional calibrating procedures.:confused:

[saha]

Hello all,
I need to provide this information to a potential customer and I am trying to win them over for Promethean.
Could any or all of you please answer the following:

From a math teacher's perspective, what are some things that Smart can do while Promethean cannot. If there are indeed some features that fall in this category.

And the reverse:
From a math teacher's perspective, what are some things that Smart cannot do while Promethean can. If there are indeed some features that fall in this category.

thanks for your help.

[gkelley]

In my humble opinion, the best way to use Sketchpad with Activstudio, specifically if you are doing advanced sketching (polar graphs, derivatives, etc.), is to set your resolution to 800 x 600. In this way, you will provide for greater accuracy when drawing sketches. Also, it provides a "larger and nicer" image to those students sitting in the back row.

[saha]

I need input from a Smart user.

In Activstudio you can draw a parabola and then using one of the powertools, you can rotate the parabola around a specified axis.

Can this be done with Smart?

[Dug]

AFAIK, this isn't possible in SMART.

Firstly, there isn't a drawing tool equivalent to the semi - arc tool in ACTIV.

Secondly, there isn't a rotate facility to rotate around a given axis.

I've had a brief foray into Notebook 10 and seen nothing in the latest version of the software that would do what you want, Gautam. (It does, however, contain a very nifty 'Table' tool - to link with another thread.)