The Magic of ICTD

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Before this summer, I was completely certain that after graduation I would work at a Silicon Valley startup, enjoying the benefits of free meals and a gym at work.  After participating in the iSTEP internship, I feel that many of these startups and tech companies make luxury products for a very thin slice of society, and that there are ways that technology, and the skills I will learn in the coming years, can be used for more meaningful and impactful change.  How did this change come about?  It was really the ICTD work I saw, experienced, and helped complete at the Mathru Educational Trust for the Blind.

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Disk Method Model

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Below is a description of an interactive model of the Disk Method (used to find the volume of solids of revolution) I made as a gift for my Calculus teacher.  Each individual disk was inspired by Japanese fans, and attaches to the body with Velcro.  This model not only allows students to visualize the sweeping motion of the integral, but also helps them understand how certain variable affect the volume.  I know it is not technology in the strictest sense, but to me it is new and innovative, a rudimentary form of engineering, and a fabulous blend of culture, craft, and math.

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