I think in the future students will have something like an iPad for their book and they would be able to manipulate images like these triangles, or use a pen to write a problem. In the classroom there could be log-ins so that all the students are connected to the teacher and each other. The “books” will have more of an interactive quality, which will help the individual/homeschooler.

This is awesome!

P.S. Alex, I haven’t come across desmos.com before, is there a way to graph the equation? Instead of typing it in having the student plot the point and slope, actually create the line and then double check it by typing it in? That would be amazing as an online teacher!

I’m often suprprised that so many people don’t know this.

My guess? The Geogebra / Java crowd overestimates the quality of the user experience.

How do you see these digital textbooks fitting with math instruction? Will they be used more individually with students (i.e. self-instruction) or in whole-class/small group instruction? I’m really intrigued by this form of curriculum, but wonder if there almost needs to be a class mode/individual mode.

Big big question. It’s kind of a logistical nightmare. I think the best approach I can take is to make the textbook fully self-contained so that individuals, self-learners, homeschoolers could learn from it.

But a skilled teacher could only make that kind of curriculum better, facilitating dialog around the prompts that the “textbook” doesn’t easily support, offering shorter explanations that are timed better than whatever the “textbook” included at whatever time it decided to include it.

How do you see these digital textbooks fitting with math instruction? Will they be used more individually with students (i.e. self-instruction) or in whole-class/small group instruction? I’m really intrigued by this form of curriculum, but wonder if there almost needs to be a class mode/individual mode.