Kicking it Old School

 If anyone grew up with an Apple iie computer as their introduction to technology, then you probably remember the LOGO program that allowed you to control a turtle with commands.  This allowed you to create a 2-D image according to the commands that you gave it.  Essentially, it was an etch-a-sketch that was controlled by computer language.  In order to properly draw your image, you needed to understand angles and the length of pixels.  The original program allowed the user to also define functions that could be stored for future use. Have I lost you yet?  If you are not familiar with the application, believe me - it is anything but complicated.

Mathsnet has created an applet that re-creates the LOGO program in a simple fashion.  The commands are listed at the top of the screen, and it is very easy to use.  You just type the command at the bottom of the applet to control the arrow.  What value does this have?  Well, I think that it is a fun way for students to practice their understanding of angles and mental math.  After introducing, and allowing students to play with the program in order to get acclimated, it would be a fun activity for them to plan a picture, and write the script that they would need in order to create the picture.  Then have them put the script into the application and see if the picture comes out as planned, or discuss any issues that unexpectedly appeared.  This could also be a great on-going activity for students to work on if they get finished early with class work, or have earned reward time.  Although the concept is simple, it gives students the chance to become "programmers", which is probably not something they are used to.  It fuses math and creativity in a fun way.

Below are some screenshots of what the application looks like.  Keep in mind, this is a very simplistic version of the program.  If you want to explore the capabilities of LOGO in a more in-depth way, you can download a windows version of the program here for free.