As a statistics teacher, one of the best things I get to see is students actually USING math, and being able to model it in many ways. One of the ways my students this year have been modeling math is through the use of applets. They get to actually work with the math, the numbers, and the concepts “hands on” through technology. We could do a lot of the same things using something as simple as an index card, but it is more meaningful (and much quicker) when students can see multiple representations.
The applet I have showing is from my textbook website, but is available to the public. This applet is available at: http://www.rossmanchance.com/applets/OneProp/OneProp.htm?candy=1. My students were able to use this this year to learn about sample proportions, and see it in action. While they would have been able to do this in person, 1) We have peanut allergies to worry about and 2) it takes a lot less time, but gets the same response by using the technology to experiment with the content. I love getting to integrate technology into stats because it allows my students to really get INTO the math, become a statistician, and therefore take part in an important learning strategy of modeling.
