Monday, April 14, 2014

Stick or Switch

Thus far, we have been discussing the facts and applications that can be used for AT devices in a mathematics classroom.  My next two posts will be suggested activities that teachers can use in the classroom to help with a topic.

To help students investigate the probability of sticking with a decision or changing their answer, a game Stick or Switch can be found under Algebra on the following website, http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html.  This game gives the student three doors, shown below.  The student picks one door and another door is opening revealing an object behind that door.  The student then has the option to stick with their original choice or switch to the other door.  Once they decide, the second door is opened and reveals if they won or lost.  The game records the number of wins and losses along with the percentage.  There is also a button on the side of the screen called Strategy.  This brings you through three sets of questions that have students answer about probability.

This is a great game to use for a probability unit.  It makes students think about sticking with their original choice or switching and the reward or reprimand that can come with their decision.

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