Click on the image above for a better look at the lab.
You can also see an iPIX picture of the Math Lab along with many others from the school at
this site.
The Farragut High School Math Lab officially opened
in January 1996. It consists of 32 student stations, a projection station
and two teacher work stations.
The lab is used to enhance the teaching of mathematics at all
levels.
The administration of Farragut
High School wisely determined that the math lab be planned and
administered by certified math teachers with computer skills. The math lab
was planned, constructed and equipped by math teachers John Beckett and Bill Parker.
When the lab opened for use in 1996 Bill Parker assumed duties as assistant
principal and Leslie Howe became a math lab corrdinator along with John Beckett.
Each of these
teachers administered the lab for two periods a day and taught one conventional class. The two
consulted with members of the math department and worked to create activites for students
of every level. John prepared many Mathematica notebooks and Leslie Howe prepared interactive software.
Teachers and students both appreciated the instantaneous feedback, the visualization of
concepts and the alternative assement capabilities of the computers. Classroom teachers signed up in advance to bring their classes
to the computer lab. Activities were planned with the math lab coordinator.
Sometimes the teacher elected to direct the lab activity himself or delegate the
direction of the activity to the lab coordinator. Both teachers assisted
students on a one-to-one basis.
When Mr. Beckett requested to be assigned conventional classes rather than lab duties it was
decided that a variety of teachers should be given the opportunty to learn about the administration of
the lab. Daniel Waters, Lesley Smith, Pat Stallings, and Gayle Santich have worked at times as lab coordinators and have become
familiar with the network and available activities.
Currently all math teachers are required to teach conventional classes. They cannot
be released from classes to maintain and advance the use of the computer lab. Fortunately the past
experiences and teacher training are making it possible for the lab to continue even though new
activities cannot be developed because of the lack of the released time. Teachers have donated personal
time to help maintain the facility but this cannot go on indefinitely.
Hopefully this situation will be remedied if funding can be found before the facility deteriorates.
A variety of software has been
used for these lab activities. Most materials used for introductory
courses have been prepared by Leslie Howe, Howe_Two Software. It is used
for monitored practice, visualization and exploration. Purchased software
includes: Mathematica®, Cabri , and Excel® . Occasionally Peanut Software (free
software written by Rick Parris of Phillips Exeter Academy) is used for
lab investigations. Tesselmania is used to explore transformational
geometry. Software written in Visual Basic® created at Farragut
High School in the pilot course entitled Software Design which is taught
by Leslie Howe is also used in the Math Lab. The lab coordinators are
constantly looking for ways to enhance education using technology, while
maintaining the physical lab, the network and planned activities for the
department.
Standing on the shoulders of giants:
Pascal, Leibnitz, Napier, Jacquard, Babbage, Boole, Hollerith and
many more.
See Mathlinks for Computer History sites