Geometry and algebra are tightly connected. But when learning geometry and algebra in at least the Swedish compulsory school and even in upper secondary school, those topics are rarely or only vaguely connected.
Geometry are mostly educated through visual pictures, everyone knows for example what a circle is. Or they think they know. They also think they know what a distance is.
Through the use of dynamic software, probably GeoGebra, it is possible to challenge students’ conceptions in geometry and connect them to algebra. This challenge creates a curiosity, and endurance I believe especially among gifted students.
The demonstration shows how dynamic software can be used to challenge the visual concepts of geometry and motivate students to connect geometry with algebra. In the demonstration it will also be discussed why the tool can be used to challenge gifted students. For example, using a software instead of paper and pen offers the student a bigger opportunity to faster and easier test his or hers ideas. This is a strength because of the fact that the idea often is quicker than the hand for a gifted student
At the time of this application the tool has not been tested on students, but 15 years’ experience as a math teacher, with an ECHA-diploma, and as a research student in math education, I feel comfortable with the idea.
It is probably also a task that can be used in research to observe students for example using patterns of actions described by Kiesswetter (1985). It will be very interesting to discuss the task with people from other countries.