EZY Trigonometry

It seems as if the higher the level of math, the fewer apps available to use in the classroom.  I have looked at a couple apps similar to this one but this is the one I like to use in my classroom because the hypotenuse moves.  In the other similar apps, you have to type in certain values to get the values.  This one, the students see values as they use it. 
I like this as it is an interactive unit circle that students can move the arrow around to create the required triangle. 

Students have a choice of degrees, radians or pi so they can find the same values for each choice of systems. Theta is listed on the lower left side.  In addition, the values for all 6 trig ratios are listed across the bottom.  There is a button in the upper left corner that allows students to bring up the table listing values for the main 6 trig ratios.
I've had my students use this app when they've filled out their own.  The nice thing about this app is students can look up the values for any theta.  Furthermore, I have let them use this app to find values for trig ratios on their worksheets.  If I wanted to take things a step further I could have them draw the angles for the problems.

More on EXY Trigonometry app

It took a while for my students to get the hang of using it but they had fun using it to do their assignment.  They used the unit circle itself to see where each value such as 125 degrees was and then used the app to find the actual value for sin, cos, tan, cot, csc, and sec.  In fact they even used it to help them draw the angle and identify the reference angle because it was clearer for them to read than the unit circle on paper.
I think part of the reason is that the paper version of the unit circle gets rather cluttered and the app shows only the one measure on the circle and all the values underneath rather than having the students calculate every value..
I do struggle with the question of doing it all on technology or making them do it as I did it when I was in school.  I've decided to go mostly with the technology due to the fact they all have mobile devices they can put apps on.
In a slightly different vein, I have three young men, two still in school and one who graduated a few years ago who are coming in regularly to use the SAT and ACT math apps I have on the ipads to practice for the December test.  Two of the young men were the ones who regularly got expelled, blew up at teachers, etc and now they are model students.  The other had no focus and is now ready to move on.  I even borrowed the ACT book from the library so they can have practice tests.  I am amazed but they are coming in after school, during my evening study halls, etc.  I think they are going to do well.

EZY Trigonometry app

My advanced math class is beginning the year by studying trigonometry.  We just started the unit circle this past Monday.  They have read the book, watched a video and we started filling in the degrees and radians.  Tomorrow, we will finish filling in the degrees and radians and then I will have the students use EZY Trigonometr app.  

This is a very nice app because it gives values for every single value on the unit circle. This means that students can fill in the unit circle values and notice the changes due to this being a dynamic circle instead of being static.  In addition, this app contains values for all the trigonometric ratios.

On a side note, I had most of my students doing word problems.  I have them use the KFCM version of the KWL model.

K stands for "What do I know?"

F stands for "What do I need to find?"

C stands for "what do I need to consider?" Or things to think about when solving the problem

W stands for doing the work.

My students call this "Kentucky Fried Chicken Work" as a mnemonic.

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