User Stories - Academic
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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