Technology Tips: From Drawing to Construction with The Geometer's Sketchpad
William Finzer, Dan Bennett · Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12 · 1995
Students have many reasons for making a sketch with The Geometer“s Sketchpad. Their purpose may be to explore the behavior of a particular geometric figure, such as a rhombus, or to model a New users must understand the difference between a drawing and a construction physical situation, such as a ladder leaning against a wall. They may want to make a beautiful pattern inspired by Navajo rug designs, or their goal may be an animation—perhaps a Ferris wheel or a merry-go-round. No matter what the purpose, they want the finished sketch to behave well when they drag basic elements around in it. If investigating properties of rhombuses, they want the figure to remain a rhombus while they drag to explore its different sizes and shapes. Students want to end up with a construction, not merely a drawing.