The Journal of Online Mathematics and Its Applications, Volume 6 (2006)
High End Video Conferencing in a Bridge-building/Mathematics Activity, Gerald Maring, et al.

Bridge Dialog: Beginning dialog


Cyber tutor: OK. Because we really need to start building [our bridge] . . . .

Kim: Well, I'm pretty sure we will start building sometime this week or we could even start building when we take our trip to our golf thing [activity]. You know, we could start building on the bus...

Cyber tutor: OK. So what you'll need to focus on then is making the base of our bridge strong . . . so you’ll need to figure out a way to get the straws inside of each other and to connect then so that they are strong enough. And then...

Kim: I'll let Kevin connect 'em, they [the straws] don't like me.

Cyber tutor: Well, if he shows you how, Kim, then you can [do it yourself].

Kim: I know [I can]. I was being sarcastic.

Cyber tutor: OK. Good deal. So, by next week what I would like to have you do is do this math problem that I started for you [at the beginning of this video conference] and then at least get the base of our bridge built, at least the long parts that are going to go along the bottom. And then we’ll also need a scale drawing so that we can start cutting the straws to be the right size and start connecting them. So go ahead, when you have a second and write that down in your notebook, what we said that we were going to do today.

Kim: OK. . . . .

Cyber tutor: I'll go ahead and put it on this piece of paper and e-mail it so it’s all in one place for you guys.

Kim: All right.