Continuing our experiment to lead learning by following and responding to learner questions, Sam designed the following parabola investigation (ParabolaInvest.tns) for his learners. (Note: Sam teaches in a 1:1 MacBook program, so these files are designed to be viewed and investigated in computer view rather than handheld view.)

Here are the questions generated by Sam’s student-learners.

Wow! What an improvement in the number and the quality of questions.

The importance of collecting many questions is critical.  If we answer questions in the order they are asked, we might not get to the most interesting or most critical questions.

Sam reported that he is very pleased with the learners’ questions and their engagement with the mathematics.  He says he is encouraged to continue this method of teaching because of the change in participation and interest from his learners. It is fun to teach and  facilitate learning this way! He says:

Kids should interact with these graphs instead of memorizing facts.  I want to continue offering investigations where they control points and identify patterns. It’s a great way to learn!

He is busy working on an Ellipse Investigation, and he is already planning a Hyperbola Investigation too.