Departmental Colloquium
Nathalie Sinclair
College of Education, Simon Fraser University
Modeling Practices with The Geometer's Sketchpad
Abstract: In this talk, I seek to establish insight into varieties of modeling that occur,
recurrently, in students', teachers', and curriculum developers' experiences
with The Geometer's Sketchpad. In this process, I attempt to contrast the
conventional, practical sense of mathematical modeling -- modeling of situations
and phenomena to generate and predict plausible outcomes -- to at least two
other available forms or types of modeling practice, that I find especially
relevant to mathematics education in their foundational didactic intent.
Nathalie Sinclair is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon
Fraser University. Her research interests include: the use of dynamic
visualization software in teaching and learning of mathematics; the aesthetic
dimension of learning and doing mathematics; and the nature of embodied
cognition in mathematics learning. Her publications include Mathematics and
Beauty: Aesthetics Approaches to Teaching Children. Teachers College Press.
2006, Learning Mathematics in Dynamic Computer Environments (with Sandra
Crespo), Teaching Children Mathematics 12 (May 2006):437-44; and Dragon Play:
Microworld Design in a Whole Class Context (with Nicholas Jackiw), Journal for
Educational Research in Computers 27 (1&2), 111-145, 2002.
If you would like to meet with Dr. Sinclair, please contact Phil Wagreich
(wagreich@uic.edu).
Friday October 19, 2007 at 1:00 PM in 1007 W. Harrison Street, Room 2019 BSB