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Free, Online Project-based Geometry Course To Launch This Fall

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 04/22/13

Math teachers will be able to access a new, free online Geometry course come this fall.

Curriki, a nonprofit K-12 Web community where educators can create and share learning tools and resources, will soon add a project-based Geometry course to its curriculum library. Dubbed Curriki Geometry, the new course will aim to teach Geometry through the use of real-world application. Learning activities for the course may include drafting blueprints for a house or creating quilt patterns that include various shapes, according to a statement from Curriki. Thom Markham, of Consulting & Coaching Worldwide, is designing the course.

"Project based learning points us toward the future of education," says Markham in a prepared statement. "It's a proven method for integrating the 21st century skills of communication and teamwork into the delivery of core subjects. Taking it online is the next step in offering this student-friendly approach to learning to a wider teacher audience."

The new math curriculum, which will incorporate instructional materials from Curriki as well as videos and interactive tools, will be designed to meet Common Core State Standards. The six course units, according to the company statement, will include: (1) Congruence; (2) Similarity, Right Triangles, and Trigonometry; (3) Circles; (4) Expressing Geometric Properties with Equations; (5) Geometric Measurement & Dimension; and (6) Modeling with Geometry. Common Core Math Practice Standards will be applied to each unit through projects and activities that aim to "develop students' mathematical 'habits of mind,' problem-solving and reasoning skills, and their abilities to use mathematical models and technology tools appropriately and strategically as they learn."

Curriki Geometry will be developed with funding from telecommunications provider AT&T who contributed $250,000 to the project.

The new course will be available online this September. To sign up for the beta launch, visit Curriki's Web site.