ORIGINAL ARTICLE
ANTUNES, Maria de Fatima Nunes [1], ARCARI, Inedio [2]
ANTUNES, Maria de Fatima Nunes. ARCARI, Inedio. GeoGebra- Geometry software for the deaf. Revista Científica Multidisciplinar Núcleo do Conhecimento. Year 05, Ed. 08, Vol. 05, p. 64-71. August 2020. ISSN: 2448-0959, Access link: https://www.nucleodoconhecimento.com.br/education/geogebra-geometry-software
ABSTRACT
People with disabilities, whom we live with every day, are present at school, especially in the classroom. Among them, we have the deaf student, who communicates in Libras, his natural language. In this sense, the purpose of this article is to present that in addition to Libras there are technologies that are in favor of the deaf, among them, we highlight the GeoGebra Software, a program that can be downloaded for free on the internet. The general objective of this study is to indicate and show GeoGebra, as a tool that can provide the deaf student with a more dynamic and visual interaction in the teaching of geometric figures through Tangram. For this, its methodology, it is a bibliographic study, research on capes sites, books, magazines and Google Scholar. It is considered that GeoGebra provides, in the mathematics discipline, in the final years of Elementary School, a more dynamic and visual teaching of geometric figures through the assembly of Tangram. Thus, the deaf student has an interaction with GeoGebra almost in real time, that is, the responses of the Geometry activities will be almost instantaneous.
Keywords: Deaf, GeoGebra, Libras, Geometry.
INTRODUCTION
Special education is a topic that deserves further study, because it is a demand that is inserted in education and still has many gaps, to be studied by teachers who work in this area. In this case, we present a study on the deaf and GeoGebra, focusing on the visualization in the Software through Tangram.
In this way, it should be noted that, as it works in inclusive education, a fact that motivates a bibliographic study on the potential that GeoGebra has in relation to the teaching of Geometry (Tangram) in Mathematics with deaf students. That said, technologies have been underused in Mathematics, especially in Geometry. Often, Mathematics teachers are very attached to manual materials such as whiteboard and brush, failing to work with technological resources, especially with deaf students.
In addition, it is believed that geometric shapes are present in the student’s life, regardless of the space in which he is inserted. Since the deaf has the vision “the eyes” as their first artifact, they can develop together with their mother tongue, Libras, the teaching of Geometry in GeoGebra. Therefore, to demonstrate GeoGebra, as a tool that can provide the deaf student with a more dynamic and visual interaction in the teaching of geometric figures through Tangram.
Based on these assumptions, for the study of the theme, a bibliographic study is necessary, accessing the Capes website, Livros, Google Scholar, magazines that served as theoretical support. Being divided into two moments: the teaching of Geometry in the Second Phase of Elementary School and GeoGebra and the visual, constituted the theoretical review.
1. DEVELOPMENT
The development is divided into two subsections. In the first one, entitled “The teaching of Geometry in the Second Phase of Elementary School”, reports the authors who emphasize the importance of Geometry in our lives, since it is present in every space, especially in the classroom. Therefore, it is part of the Mathematics contents of the 6th year of Elementary School as provided for in the National Curricular Common Base (BNCC). In the second, it discusses the GeoGebra Software and the visual, which presents itself as a very important program to work Geometry with deaf students who are visual. This Software was created in 2001 by Markus Hohenwarter with the purpose of facilitating teaching and learning in the area of Mathematics.
1.1 THE TEACHING OF GEOMETRY IN THE SECOND PHASE OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
When we walk daily in different places, streets, schools, supermarkets, stores, among others or browsing technologies, we usually do not realize that we are tied to Geometry. In fact, it is present in houses, drawings on the walls, cars, clothes, nature, etc, accompanying us in the different situations of everyday life. Surrounded by Geometry, human beings have always moved from one place to another, leading them to perceive and recognize their own space. In this perspective, Muniz states that
[…] a Geometria aparece inicialmente atrelada às necessidades de resolução de problemas para demarcar a terra, prever o estoque de água e construir instrumentos de trabalho. Em suma, os conceitos geométricos surgem como ferramentas para que o homem aja racionalmente no processo de transformação do seu mundo (MUNIZ, 2004, p. 82).
According to Muniz, it is necessary to understand that geometry has always existed in any space, such as in land demarcation, volume capacity of a box and other activities performed by man. However, it is up to him to transform it and use it in his favor. According to Grando,
[…] a origem do desenvolvimento da Geometria nos primórdios, com o homem primitivo, podemos imaginar que o conhecimento das configurações do espaço, formas e tamanhos tenham se originado, possivelmente, com a capacidade humana de observar e refletir sobre os deslocamentos, com a construção de estratégias de caça e colheita de alimentos, com a criação de ferramentas e utensílios, visando satisfazer suas necessidades básicas. Ao fixar moradia, com a divisão do trabalho, outras necessidades foram surgindo e a produção do conhecimento geométrico se ampliando. A necessidade de fazer construções, delimitar a terra levou à noção de figuras, curvas e de posições como vertical, perpendicular, paralela (GRANDO, 2008, p. 7).
According to Grando (2008), man has been improving his concepts based on his own everyday experiences and empirical knowledge, carrying out experiments and investigations – in this case, researchers who study Geometry, which is now present in school curricula. Thus, it is up to the teacher, the task of including it in their planning and ensuring their implementation throughout Basic Education, whether in youth or adult education, including Special Education.
Based on these authors, I decided to develop the practice in the Final Years of Elementary School in the area of Mathematics, more specifically in the 6th year. In this area, several thematic units can be worked on; among them, geometry and objects of knowledge, which, according to the BNCC are:
[…] plano cartesiano: associação dos vértices de um polígono a pares ordenados, Prismas e pirâmides: planificações e relações entre seus elementos (vértices, faces e arestas), polígonos: classificações quanto ao número de vértices, às medidas de lados e ângulos e ao paralelismo e perpendicularismo dos lados, construção de figuras semelhantes: ampliação e redução de figuras planas em malhas quadriculadas, construção de retas paralelas e perpendiculares, fazendo uso de réguas, esquadros e softwares (BRASIL, 2015, p. 304).
These contents pointed out by the BNCC (BRASIL, 2015) are objects of knowledge that the Mathematics teacher needs to include in their planning. In fact, it [knowledge] is indispensable for students, especially when linked to the well-being of contemporary society and the formation of critical citizens, aware of their social responsibilities.
In this context, it is the role of the teacher, through the application of such contents, to direct their students to choose paths that lead them to solve problems in their daily lives. In fact, student in the 6th year of Elementary School need to develop their competences in the area of Mathematics, and, among the eight, Geometry occupies the third position. According to the BNCC, the student is on his way to
[…] compreender as relações entre conceitos e procedimentos dos diferentes campos da Matemática (Aritmética, Álgebra, Geometria, Estatística e Probabilidade) e de outras áreas do conhecimento, sentindo segurança quanto à própria capacidade de construir e aplicar conhecimentos matemáticos, desenvolvendo a autoestima e a perseverança na busca de soluções (BRASIL, 2015, p. 269).
In addition to the student understanding the contents of Mathematics in a significant way, it is important that he knows how to establish a link with other areas of knowledge, such as Languages, Natural Sciences and Human Sciences, since Geometry covers a wide field in the context of the student. Several paths are opened to solve the problems that appear in everyday life, such as their own survival and the handling of instruments, elements necessary for the execution of manual and intellectual activities (BRASIL, 2015).
1.2 GEOGEBRA AND THE VISUAL
In recent years, the term GeoGebra has often been mentioned. But what is the meaning of this word anyway? And what is it for? If we research, we will find that it is a free Mathematics Software and that its first version was created by Markus Hohenwarter, in 2001, at the end of his Master’s thesis in Mathematics Education and Computer Science at the University of Salzburg, Austria. He continued researching and exploring this software during the development of his doctoral thesis project in Mathematics Education (GETTYS, 2009).
Through this resource, it is possible to work and explore Mathematics at all levels of education. Regarding the contents, we highlight Geometry, tables, graphs, statistics, calculations, algebra, which can be developed at all stages of Basic Education, encouraging the student to seek knowledge through the subject in question. This program can be easily found on search engines or at www.GeoGebra.org. It has as default an initial screen, a toolbar, a visualization window, an Algebra window and an input field as described in Figure 1.
Figure 1: GeoGebra version 6 home screen
GeoGebra is an interactive and dynamic tool for teaching Geometry and Algebra. The technological resources offered by it allow the student to investigate and test Mathematics activities in real time. The student interacts with the Software itself performing activities in the virtual environment as long as they are focused on Geometry and Algebra (MORAES, 2012). Because this program presents interaction relationships between the subject and the content, it is important to inform that:
O termo dinâmico refere-se às ideias de movimento e às mudanças que permite que os alunos visualizem as construções realizadas, facilitando a compreensão do comportamento geométrico dos elementos envolvidos nesse processo (SCHATTSCHNEIDER; KING, 1997, p. 58).
In the excerpt, the authors state that the use of GeoGebra provides the student with an active and growing participation in the concepts of mathematical knowledge, specifically Geometry. It is a program that contains the necessary tools of a Dynamic Geometry Software, because
[…] permite construir figuras geométricas planas e espaciais e deformá-las, mantendo suas propriedades iniciais; – Possibilita a criação de novas ferramentas e adicioná-las na barra de menu, incrementando assim suas funções; Permite que seus arquivos sejam facilmente compartilhados e armazenados; – O campo de entrada de comandos (digitação) é o espaço reservado para a inserção dos comandos desejados; A Barra de Menu possui 8 opções de ícones, possibilitando diversas opções para manuseio do Software; – A Barra de Botões Padrões apresenta várias opções de ferramenta que podem ser visualizadas rapidamente clicando sobre a opção desejada; – A área de trabalho apresenta as construções realizadas após as operações necessárias; Cada objeto criado na Zona Gráfica tem também uma representação na Zona Algébrica (ARAUJO, 2017, p. 34).
Therefore, the GeoGebra Software is characterized as a technological resource that allows the deaf student to interact with the contents of Geometry in a playful and instantaneous way. At this point, I dare to say that some content traditionally learned using the blackboard and chalk can be optimized and intensified through this resource, making understanding more pleasurable since the deaf person’s vision has the function of a fourth sense: to compensate hearing, which was deprived of it (STROBEL, 2008).
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
This article aimed to demonstrate GeoGebra as a tool that can provide the deaf student with a more dynamic and visual interaction in the teaching of geometric figures through Tangram.
That said, some considerations, it is important to highlight, in relation to the subject studied, that in addition to Libras, we have technologies that allied to the deaf, in particular GeoGebra. In view of this, GeoGebra can provide the deaf student with a link, almost in real time, when developing some activity that is focused on the geometric figures present in Tangram. This interaction can happen because GeoGebra is a dynamic tool and easy to be manipulated by students. It is believed that in addition to Libras, the Software is a great ally of the deaf, because the deaf communicate with their eyes as already reported in this work.
Accordingly, the Software is a very important tool for the deaf to learn, instantly, the contents of Mathematics, especially Geometry. Furthermore, the non-use of technologies in mathematics classes can contribute to the students’ lack of interest in the teaching of Geometry, that is, when the contents are transmitted by the traditional model.
In short, in this journey, it is believed that the use of technologies favors the teaching of Geometry and, therefore, the learning of students, especially the geometric figures contained in Tangram. However, before developing any activity, the teacher needs to do a good planning and study GeoGebra, actions necessary to teach something to someone.
REFERENCES
ARAUJO; Josias Júlio de. O software GeoGebra numa proposta de formação continuada de professores de matemática do ensino fundamental. 2017.155f. Dissertação (Mestrado Profissional em Educação Matemática) – Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, 2017.
BRASIL. Base Nacional Curricular Comum (BNCC): documento preliminar. Brasília: Ministério da Educação, 2015. Disponível em: http://basenacionalcomum.mec.gov.br/images/BNCC_EI_EF_110518_versaofinal_site.pdf. Acesso em 11/05/2019.
GETTYS, T. GeoGebra: free dynamic mathematics software. In: OREGON MATHEMATICAL Association Of Two Year Colleges, 24th., 2009. Conference…, Lincoln City: Ormatyc, 2009.
GRANDO, Cláudia Maria. Geometria: espaço e forma. Chapecó: Unochapecó, 2008.
MORAES, R. G. Geometria Dinâmica como alternativa metodológica para o ensino de geometria: experiência em um curso de Licenciatura em Matemática. Dissertação (Mestrado Profissional em Educação Matemática) – Universidade Severino Sombra, Vassouras, 2012.
MUNIZ, Cristiano A. Explorando a Geometria da orientação e do deslocamento. GESTAR II, TP6, p. 80-102, 2004.
SCHATTSCHNEIDER, D.; KING, J. Geometry turned on! Dynamic software in learning, teaching, and research. Washington, D.C.: The Mathematical Association of América, 1997.
STROBEL, Karin. As imagens do outro sobre a cultura surda. Florianópolis: UFSC, 2008.
[1] Master in Teaching Exact Sciences. Pedagogue.
[2] Doctor in Electrical Engineering and Master in Mathematics.
Sent: July, 2020.
Approved: August, 2020.
