Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Computers and the internet to teach math

All I have to say for this is YESSSSS!!!!!!
For most people, math is the hardest concept to understand and I think any way you can get someone to be engaged in it is phenomenal.  I was the odd child who would love to just sit and do math problems all day.  Literally, math and physics homework was my favorite time.  I understand that I am an odd duck by saying that.  That's why I think using the internet is great for kids.  One site that I have found helpful for middle school children is space kids...
Even just something as simple as a pocket calculator can make math so much easier for kids.  Remembering all of those math facts is just something that is not realistic anymore.  Yes, you do use math on a daily basis, but as an adult who has a smart phone, I ALWAYS have a calculator with me.  Why shouldn't a student have that same accessibility?
Another thing about math is that it is hard to "imagine".  You need to physically see the sides of the triangle that you are trying to measure.  Going back to the interactive smartboard, you can put up a triangle and arrange it so the students can see what they are measuring.  This makes the material come alive to a student who may not be able to draw or picture a triangle with side a=46 inches side b= 58 inches and they have to find side c.
The iPad has revolutionized math for young learners. There are so many games and even fast fact apps that make learning math so much easier and more fun.  Just by adding fun colors, graphics, and sounds math suddenly become less boring.
Practicing writing math facts over and over again is hard for some students who cannot write very well.  But with technology and keyboards, the students can type in their answers so there is less confusion between a 1 and a 7.

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