Fathom

1
Fathom Dynamic Software

• Deeper understanding and perception of
  mathematical concepts

2
What you can do with Fathom

• Drag the data
• Drag and drop to build new graphs and tables
• Take control of your graphs
• Use formulas with a purpose
• Build data simulations
• Use sliders
• Investigate the data
• Import data
• Finish the assignment explanations, processes
  and conclusions

3
Fathom - continued

• Enter data and make a graph
• Use the context menu to find commands
• Make basic objects such as case tables, graphs,
  and summary tables
• Select cases in order to explore data
• Add a movable line on a graph
• Filter data
• Rescale and reorder axes
• Create a simple summary table

4
Fathom - continued

• Illustrate the concept of a best fit line
• Plot and adjust functions
• Make and manipulate a histogram
• Work with units
• Take a sample from a collection, repeat the
  process and change the sample size
• Download and analyze US Census data

5
US Census data - activity

• Choosing cases
• Years/states/metropolitan/people/sample size
• Choosing attributes
• Year and location/person-ethnicity-family-income-t
  ravel/household basic-economic-dwelling

6
Importance in Fathom

• Make better predictions
• Can manipulate data
• Perception and clearer understanding
• Study of demographics make easier for business to
  speculate with greater degree of accuracy
• Ideas for future exploration

7
Fathom Software

• Promotes
• Exploration
• Investigation
• Discovery
• Leads to deeper understanding

8
Polya 4 phases of mathematical problem solving

• Understand the problem
• Devise a plan to solve the problem
• Carrying out the plan
• Examine the obtained solution

9
Shoenfeld 6 stages

• Reading
• Analyzing
• Exploring
• Planning
• Implementing
• Verifying

10
Novice Problem Solver
11
Semi-Novice/Expert Problem Solver
12
Conclusions

• Deeper understanding brings about better learning
• Fathom software allows individuals a deeper
  understanding and perception of mathematical
  concepts
• Based upon the work of Polya and Schoenfeld
  students spend little time as a novice problem
  solver reading the problem and most of the time
  exploring

13
Conclusions - continued

• As an individual becomes a semi-novice/expert
  problem solver he/she transitions back and forth
  through the different stages and spends more time
  reading and understanding the problem before
  searching for solutions
• Fathom Dynamic Software allows individuals the
  opportunity to explore, investigate and discovery
  which will allow the individual the opportunity
  to transition between the phases of problem
  solving with better perception and become a
  semi-novice/expert thinker. This will lead to a
  deeper understanding of mathematical concepts