LOGO (well the version I used is UCB's version and not Terrapin's) is more complicated than the other programs I've used so far (GeoGebra and Sketchpad). It is very demanding when it comes to the commands, and it doesn't seem to be as user-friendly as the other two. Now, I do realize that I'm using a "knock-off" brand. I noticed that with Terrapin's version, there is a help menu that seems to make the commands easier (that is what I appreciated about F1 when I'm in GeoGebra); however, with the UCB version, there is no help menu. I had to look up the online manual, which didn't help much, so it turned out to be mostly trial and error.
I think most of my frustration came because I was doing assignments while still going through my learning curve. Many of the articles that I looked at last week all mentioned that unless the students first work through the learning curve, the technology will only be a hindrance to learning rather than help. I'm not saying this to complain, but simply to make the point that if I had more time, I may realize that LOGO is user-friendly and not as frustrating of a program as I believe it to be now.
Just because I'm frustrated with the program doesn't mean that I haven't seen the value of it in a classroom. When I had to create a program for a trapezoid or a parallelogram, I had to make sure that the angles and side measurements are realistic and actually form a shape. This will require students to apply the knowledge that they have from geometry before they write the procedure. It is a great tool to help the students apply classroom knowledge.
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You took on the challenge of using the freeware without any support from me so that did add a lot to your frustrations! You learned how to overcome this by seeking out the manual. You had a crash course and survived! I would not teach this program this way to K-12 students and maybe I need to think about that as I plan out this course. There is just so much I want to show you guys ...
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