Applets
First off let me say I am not much of a game person. In reviewing the sites some were very frustrating because either I didn’t understand the directions or there was not any feedback. The function machines and some of the graph makers could be corporate as an interactive visual as you are explaining the topics, thus making the lesson more interesting. The illuminations Site offered something called Dynamic Paper which allow you to create graphs, graph paper and geometrical shapes for use in you classroom on assignments you generated. http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=205
The applet I likes the best was The Hanoi Towers. At first I saw it as impossible to move the stack of disc from one place to another with the two rules they imposed: one disc at a time and you couldn’t put a bigger disc on top of a smaller one. So I started on the easiest level and worked my way up. Then it became a challenge, once you got the strategy down it became easier. I would use this lesson at the beginning of Equations and Functions to show the students that every problem has a pattern and solution to solve the pattern it just takes some careful analysis of the problem. Perhaps we would even revisit this activity if students became frustrated as the lessons move to more complicated functions
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_118_g_3_t_2.html?from=category_g_3_t_2.html
kmarsey 