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Maple T.A. Enriches Academic Experience
at Cathedral High School: A Testimonial
October 3, 2004
This is the second year I have been
using Maple T.A. as a tool to enrich the academic
experience of my students. The main reason I like this
software is because Maple T.A., unlike other pre-packaged
software around, gives one the tools needed to customize
his or her questions based on the actual needs of a given
Math or Physics class.
In less than a year I have been able to complete two databases
of algorithm-based questions for subjects of Math-B and
Physics Regents. In my Math-B Regents classes I assign
a Maple T.A. mastery assignment at the end of each chapter
to reinforce the concepts students learn in the chapter.
Students find these assignments very helpful since they
have a chance to practice and receive immediate feedback.
Prior to important school or State exams these assignments
become cumulative giving students a chance to prepare for
the upcoming exam.
In Physics I am using more animation-based question to create dynamic questions that better arouse students' interest and curiosity toward the understanding of Physics concepts. Also, numerical questions help students become aware of the importance of units in Physics. I have also noted that Maple T.A. can be used as an assessment tool not only in science-based subjects but also in other subjects such as English, History etc.
At the moment I am working on creating some LAN-based tutorials for Math-A using Maple 9.5 and Maple T.A. Students will be able to access these materials in the school system and prepare for the Math-A Regents examination throughout the year. My idea is of having students study certain concepts through Maple tutorials and Maple T.A. solved questions. When a student feels confident she will be able to take a test online and the score will be recorded and used for assessment purposes.
Another aspect of Maple T.A. has to do with teacher training. In our Department we are considering having a workshop to share among ourselves the Maple experience and set some near future goals to speed up the process of further integrating technology in our classrooms.
B. Fejzo
Cathedral High School, New York
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